I vowed never to get another dog after I lost mine 14 years ago, but a trip to an adoption center with my daughter introduced me to “Jim”!
He’s a 3 yr old pointer mix who has been returned to the shelter twice. First home had small kids and second home had 2 other blind dogs. He was born blind and basically not a priority to anyone.
We’ve only had him 3 days and he’s doing as well as can be expected.my big issue for him is the barking. He barks at and for everything. My heart breaks that everything startles him and I worry about the quality of his life. He knocks into everything and bangs his head. Ouch! We removed furniture and made concessions prior to his arrival. He digs at the rugs, which also puzzles us.
We are not giving up on him. Any suggestions to help us out?
Barking is an issue that can occur whether the dog is sighted or not and it probably has a lot to do with the dog being in and out of shelters.
My immediate suggestion is to exercise him…a lot! He needs to build his confidence and good long walks are great for this plus it lets out any built up energy. You will find he will be a lot calmer after a good long walk or run.
Also you could try something like a Thundershirt or Anxiety Wrap. I have tried the Thundershirt on my sighted dog with great results for thunderstorms. They may help to come Jim down a bit.
Anxiety Wrap – https://anxietywrap.com
Thundershirt – http://www.thundershirt.com