Get the outside ready for the dog stuck inside.

 I've been at Hamburger Marys playing Bingo and having fun all night. So hopefully we'll get through this without many errors.

Here's some helpful tips I've found to work in my yard and things that would help in a yard with a dog more active than my old man Carlos:

1) Fence: blind dogs can get their nose or head stuck, they can get stuck in corners, and they can poke their eyes on things in the yard. There is a huge danger of them getting hurt if you don't have a fence because they can't see danger coming. Dog's that are blind also usually can't sense or see if there's a drop-off nearby. If you live in a mountain area or a place with sheer drops- Pretty much anywhere north of Florida and South of Cuba- they will need protection from falling off a cliff. I suggest fencing that doesn't have holes or bars for their nose /head to get stuck in.

2) Water: I have a swimming pool. Carlos has gone swimming twice. Both times he went swimming he was probably in there, unsupervised, for a good 5 minutes. He was exhausted both times I fished him out. He would have drowned if I hadn't seen the ripples. This is very serious, even if you have a lake or a pond, they can't find the way out once they are in. Its as simple as a fence or just strict supervision. It's a horrible death and they're terrified when they're in the water with no way out.

3) Plants: Dogs have great sense of smell, blind dogs rely on their smell. They can learn how to move around gardens (instead of through them!) based on the smell of the flowers/vegetables/fertilizer that you use. Carlos isn't neutered because it's dangerous to put him under anesthesia. So his urine smells pretty darn gross. However, my gardenia plants love his urine (they also love my goldfish' tank water to wash it down). Carlos will pee on my gardenia plants, then he'll go out into the open yard. As he gets to the other side of the deck he will smell my hibiscus flowers and turn around to go back around the outskirts of my swimming pool

4) Flooring:  most people wear shoes outside. Dogs usually don't. Grass, leaves, dirt, mulch, wood deck, tiled lanai, concrete, stepping stones, brick and many other textures are available for your backyard. My grandmother has an all-shell driveway. Your blind dog will learn how large an area of a certain texture is and will remember it.  Carlos knows not to step onto our concrete deck, it's a decorative deck that outlines our swimming pool. If he does get onto that deck for whatever reason, there is also decorative brick edges to our pool, if he touches those bricks he steps backwards. Our wood deck has two levels, he learned how to navigate around the bottom level and around a porch swing. We have a decorative rubber mat that sits outside the entry side of the sliding glass door. He stands on the mat when he's ready to go inside. Also make sure you're aware of any potholes, dips, or changes in the ground. Dogs that are blind can break legs if they step or fall into a deep hole and they can trip easily on lumpy surfaces.

5) Neighbors: You might not have a fence, or even if you do you might have some curious obnoxiously nosy and intrusive neighbors. I have neighbors that have teenage mutant mean children, the teenagers love to try and confuse Carlos. Just be aware of your and your dogs surroundings ok?