Partially blind cocker - retrieval toy advice please

[Saffaroo]

Hi everyone

looking for some advice please - we have our little lodger, Shelley staying with us at the moment; she is a 2 and a half year old black solid girl and an absolute delight.  She was a rescue dog one year ago and since then has been long term fostered.  Shelley is blind in one eye and partially blind in the other - we think her sight is about 40% good.  She has been here a week with us now and I'm looking for a suitable retrieval toy for her.  She is very lively and desperately wants to chase stuff just like Saffy does  but tennis balls disappear from her sight very quickly    does anyone have any experience/ideas please ? 

thanks from us   

[Mrs T]

You could try one of those rubber balls with a bell inside.  Her hearing may be sharper because of her poor sight and she might be able to follow the sound when it bounces.

[Nancy W]

Hi there,

My little black Cocker (Margot 20 months) also has very poor vision.  I got her a great little rubber ball from PAH (as the previous person suggested with a small bell inside).  She bounces in time with the sound of the bell which is hysterical to watch!   

She very often goes in COMPLETELY the wrong direction and will run around with her nose to the ground, her little bum wiggling like crazy and she will always find it! 

I also ask her to 'stay' and then go and hide either the ball or another toy (which I've let her have a good sniff at first).  Again, she always finds it.

I was so upset when I found out she had eye problems but it's amazing to see how they cope.

Have fun!

Nancy and Margot xx

[Top Barks]

Get her something that has some sort of scent or smell so if she loses sight she will use her nose

[bluegirl]

I've been watching mine and although they have good eyesight we recently had some slate put in one of my borders at the back and they keep pinching a bit so I'd pick it up and throw it back but noticed that if they watch me throw it back they go and sniff out the same piece again and bring it back, so maybe if you had a ball (especially one with a bell in) you could rub it round your hands a couple of times then throw it, but just not as far till she cottons on to using her nose aswell. You could also put the ball in a bag which has had a bit of cheese in it, they seem to love this and the scent of that would help her find it and if she brought it back maybe you could go one step further and use little pieces of the cheese as treats.
I've had 2 dogs now that have been blind and almost blind and they both lived life to the full despite their problems.

[Luvly]

 

[Saffaroo]

Thanks everyone for your advice and encouragement - I will certainly try what has been suggested, especially the ball with a bell inside - hadn't thought of that and her hearing is pretty sharp as far as I can tell 

..........will let you know how I get on..

thanks again

Karin, Saffy & Shelley