Things You'll Need
- Collar
- Leash or halter
Instructions
Plan and Practice
Plan your route in advance when preparing to walk your blind dog. Try to avoid construction areas or extremely rough terrain.
Establish voice commands. If you have a blind dog, you've probably already learned that you have to verbally communicate with the animal much more than a seeing dog. Commands like "Wait," "Watch it," and "Step," are things you wouldn't say to a seeing dog but are critical to the lifestyle of a blind dog. Get used to saying them and you'll find the dog more capable of engaging in its surroundings.
Practice your voice commands and walking technique around the house before taking the dog outside.
Walk the Dog
Walk the dog using the leash and collar or haltie you've selected.
Follow the same route as often as possible so that the animal can map it in its head.
Speak to it often so that it can gauge where you are with not only verbal commands, but also with behavioral reinforcement such as, "Good Dog."
Walk the dog on the same side, usually the right, keeping it as much under control as possible. When the dog becomes familiar with the smells and sounds of the route, it will walk more calmly and even allow some slack in the leash.