Dukie belonged to my husband's son. He was a birthday gift to my stepson from his girlfriend. Unfortunately, my stepson was not able to raise a dog, so he gave him to my husband.
Dukie is a black lab, a big but lean black lab. He is loveable, gentle and funny. He thrived in our household because we already had two other dogs, one golden retriever, and one other black lab.
They all got along just beautifully. No fights just play time all the time. I started noticing Dukie bumping into things, getting "lost" when out and running around. He had one bad eye already; he hurt it on a stick when he was a puppy. Anyways, I took him to the vet, and once I let him off the leash in the examining room he promptly walked into a wall.
Well, I really got scared at this point. The vet checked him out, and low and behold, my Dukie was blind. I couldn't believe it. My vet sent me to an eye specialist, and sure enough Dukie suffered from a degenerative eye disease. I freaked, I thought this is it, now I have to put him down.
My eye specialist sent me back to my own vet, and forwarded the information to him. The vet calmed me down and said no way do you have to put him to sleep. He said "Look how well he has handled his blindness so far? And, the vet was right. I mean, I didn't even know he was totally blind.
So began our live with a blind dog in our house. The thing is, if you do not move the furniture around too much, and things pretty well stay where they are, you won't even know your dog is blind. At least not with Duke. He walks around the house like he is king. He goes in and out of his dog door and wanders around the backyard no problem.
I take Duke out for car rides, which he loves, and for long walks, and for bike rides. Although I have stopped the bike rides, I noticed more and more that he does not like speed. I think it makes him feel unbalanced.
Duke loves company; he does get hyper and excited when they come though. I suppose because he does not see them, he has a need to lean right against them. But, a few minutes after greeting them, he just goes back and does his own thing.
When he gets exited he does tend to get "lost?; he loses his sense of where he is. But, he finds it again fast enough.
He still gets along good with our other dogs, and our neighbours dog. However, he no longer likes it when strange dogs come and say hello to him. I suppose being blind and not seeing the other dog poses a threat to him. So far, that has been his only negative reaction to being blind.
When I move furniture, or get new furniture I make sure I introduce duke to these changes. He adapts very fast.
When walking, I forget he is blind, and I can have a tendency to walk him into fences, hedges and poles. Duke is the perfect dog to take for walks. He doesn't pull, he heels and he doesn't see those cats or squirrels on our walks.
He is a favourite with the kids. He loves kids and is very good with them. And, most important, he is my husband's dog. My husband has advanced MS, and Dukie will spend hours with him. He often ?steals? my husband's couch. When my husband gets in his wheelchair to go to the bathroom then Dukie hops right up on his couch. Duke has his own mini couch beside my husband, but, to Duke, that is not the same thing at all. It is a job getting him off the couch again. Cookies help. The two have become inseparable buddies.
I would recommend a blind dog any time from my own experience. Duke had been a wonderful part of our family, and he has not been any trouble whatsoever. So, if you dog is going blind, or you have the opportunity to adopt a blind dog, do not hesitate, they also make great pets. My Duke still does.
Dog owners want to know how to take care of a dog. They want to know more about dog care and they want their dogs to live comfortably. Further, dogs like to have small spaces to themselves and you may not want them inside the house and nor expose them to the vagaries of nature outside. That, in a nutshell, is the reason for buying a dog house.
Having decided to buy a doghouse, the owner will do well to first consider the size of the house. Size should be optimum for the particular breed. If unable to decide on the correct size, err on the safer side and buy a slightly larger one than buy a smaller one. A smaller size house will not be comfortable to your pet and the dog may ignore it altogether. However, care should be taken in not selecting too big a doghouse, as your dog's body heat will not be enough to provide needed warmth during cold weather.
Another question to be decided is whether to buy a permanent dog house or a portable model. If the owner is likely to move houses often, a portable model may be the right choice.As most of the doghouses nowadays are sold in modular form, they can be easily dismantled and transported. Therefore, permanent models account for the bulk of the sales of doghouses.If he is likely to stay in one place for a few years at least, a permanent doghouse will serve the purpose.
Where should you buy your dog house? There are many places you can buy one. Local pet shops are the most obvious, and deserve at least a visit from you, but they're not the only retailers to consider. There are many different types depending on how much you wish to spend. Online retailers usually have a wider selection available. Shipping doghouses is generally quite easy: they can be sent in pieces and reassembled using only hand tools such as a hammer and a screwdriver.
Before you start the doghouse, it's is a good idea to make a mock-up out of cardboard to make sure it's an appropriate design. If possible, you can test it by having your dog move around inside the mock-up and make sure it has room to sit and lie down comfortably.
You should be patient and lead the dog gradually to think of it as its place. It is helpful to put its favorite toys inside as well as placing a bone or a treat. When the doghouse is placed outside, do not expect your pet to move in immediately. It needs time to get used to the new presence and to the idea of staying in it.
Both Ruth Bird & Tanner Craig are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
Ruth Bird has sinced written about articles on various topics from Dogs, Makeup and Dogs. Ruth's passions are people and pet health. She is very active with dog therapy visiting. Visit