The White Dog Blog

When a dog that is already deaf loses their vision - due to aging, illness, or other diagnosis - there is an adjustment period. Learn how to adapt communication from hand signals to touch cues, as well as tips for setting up a safe environment, and adapting enrichment, play and activities to their changing needs.

Knowing how to keep your blind dog safe when the weather changes is imperative to their safety. Help your blind dog navigate snow and cold weather easily with these tips and considerations.

Common advice when helping a blind dog navigate indoors is to add extra scents. While this might seem as if it would be very helpful, let's look at how scent, and a dog's nose, actually work. Additional scents may not be needed in this situation at all.

Different – Not Less: Embracing the Beauty of Our Differences Words are powerful. They can heal, educate, and inspire, but they can also...

Visually impaired puppies require special adaptations to ensure they feel safe while developing resilience and essential life skills.

One question I hear often from people who live with a deaf or blind/deaf dog, is "But, how do I tell him no when he can't hear me?"

Does your dog ever bark at you? I mean, over and over again barking? Some dogs bark at us while we are trying to do other things and...

Doing all of these things at home and practicing them on a regular basis allow me to better support my dogs during vet visits.

Dog Training - When You’ve Tried Everything … Caring for our dogs is a beautiful journey that can come with its own unique set of...

Ways to wake your deaf dog up gently, without startling.

Speaking out loud to deaf dogs can enhance our communication in surprising ways.

Choosing enrichment for dogs with sensory differences (visually and/or hearing impaired).

Exploring how even blind/deaf puppies can use social learning from other dogs.

I received some mixed reactions to my post about shock and vibration collars, which I expected since it can be a topic that people feel strongly about one way or another. I had some people asking genuine questions wondering if a vibration collar could be used as an alternative to a clicker when working with deaf dogs. The idea being that the vibration would be conditioned to mean a treat was coming. I wanted to share my response and thoughts about this. Let me be clear that

A common piece of advice to someone with a deaf dog is to get a vibration or shock collar. This makes me sad. Deaf dogs are so smart and are unusually attentive to us because they need to watch us to gather information. These pieces of equipment are completely not necessary when training or communicating with a deaf (or blind/deaf) dog. Positive reinforcement training works beautifully with all dogs regardless of their sensory abilities, and it builds trust and a beautiful

A simple summer staple of the pool noodle can be helpful when teaching your blind dog to be mindful of the edges of your bed. Many of our dogs enjoy sleeping in bed with us, but it can be worrisome for us to fall asleep wondering if our blind dog is going to step or fall off of the side while we're sleeping. This hack can help keep your blind dog safe at night. Most blind dogs will learn with repetition to be careful and feel with their feet for the edge of the bed, but this

Are you finding it challenging this year to help your blind dog coexist with your Christmas tree? Living with many blind dogs has taught...

Many dogs with visual impairments will at some point in their lives require daily eye drops or medications. Treasure gets eye drops daily to keep her comfortable and to keep her eyes moist. She has learned that they are part of her routine and accepts them with no complaints. If you've been following this blog, you know that my work with Vinny to accept handling and grooming has been extensive. I've been very careful to teach him that he can be a part of the process of his

I’m often asked if deaf dogs can enjoy off leash playtime and freedom. Two key ingredients for any dog to be given off leash freedom are...

Today kicks off Deaf Dog Awareness Week! Of course, this week is very near and dear to my heart, as I’ve worked with and lived with deaf dogs for over 30 years. A common question I often hear is, "Are all white dogs born deaf?" While some white dogs are born deaf, not all of them are ... Deafness in dogs is a relatively common occurrence. Many of us are first introduced to living with a deaf dog when our beloved dog becomes older. Many senior dogs begin to lose their hea