Blinders For A Dog

[KCF2013]

Has anyone made a set of blinders for a dog.... like the horse ones only smaller (i guess).

I have a client looking for a set for his extremely over anxious dog, I am not even sure where to start on this type of project.... make a collar and run the blinders off each side... wondering how to keep them from being an addition to the problem with the dog.

Any suggestions/guidance would be greatly appreciated.

Cheers

Rick

KCF2013

Edited July 14, 2014 by KCF2013

[Tinkerton]

Personally, I would think to start with a muzzle type of design and go from there. Maybe something akin to a horse harness, depending on the type of dog.

[KCF2013]

Personally, I would think to start with a muzzle type of design and go from there. Maybe something akin to a horse harness, depending on the type of dog.

I suggested a muzzle type to the client, he insisted he didn't want any sort of muzzle on the dog.... might make a collar with a dog bone visor shape, see how taht works out.. craft paper time...

[WinterBear]

I'm not sure "blinders" would work as well on an animal with more binocular, foward-facing vision, like a dog as compared to a horse. But maybe something like a cross between snow-blindness goggles and doggles might restrict the vision enough to help calm the dog. So molded leather cups with slits or crosses cut through the dome, with adjustable straps?

http://www.arcticphoto.co.uk/supergal/hap/hap00/hap0012-31.htm

and

http://shop.doggles.com/dog/eyewear/dgor-doggles_originalz

[KCF2013]

I'm not sure "blinders" would work as well on an animal with more binocular, foward-facing vision, like a dog as compared to a horse. But maybe something like a cross between snow-blindness goggles and doggles might restrict the vision enough to help calm the dog. So molded leather cups with slits or crosses cut through the dome, with adjustable straps?

http://www.arcticphoto.co.uk/supergal/hap/hap00/hap0012-31.htm

and

http://shop.doggles.com/dog/eyewear/dgor-doggles_originalz

Great Idea, the client wants to limit the amount of visual stimulation, so this might be the ticket... thanks for the suggesstion

[BDAZ]

Something like this out of leather?

Cya!

Bob

[papaw]

Dogs do see about 20/75-80 which is not clear compared to people 20/20-40, but do have very better peripheral vision at 250 deg to people with 190 this is because of there eye placement on their heads generally. Tell your client that it will be a lot of work in keeping anything on the dog as they will be distracted till trained to wear the blinders. Hope some of this will help you understand the challenge, I would do some checking with aid that Greyhound racers use for training.

[wlg190861]

Your client is being cruel to the dog, you will make the situation worse. he need to get some training

[wlg190861]

Your client fell off his rocker. you will hurt the dog. there is a reason why you have never heard of them and never will.

[Tinkerton]

It is not cruel. There are similar products out there specifically for very anxious dogs. They work best when used in conjunction with training or behavioural therapy. All it does is reduce visual stimuli and help settle the dog down.

http://www.thundershirt.com/Product/ThunderCap.aspx?item_guid=8c07f7d3-f09d-4e95-a82e-0ac16d129a20

[BDAZ]

I am attending a 3 day agility trial and most of the dogs have their cages shrouded to minimize visual stimulation. The Thundercap sounds like a great idea!.

And Wiggy, you know not of what you speak.

Cya!

Bob

Edited July 20, 2014 by BDAZ

[KCF2013]

The client is quite sane, he an his family along with the dog are going thru training and the dog is also being medicated,

The dog trainer actually suggested it, in a change it may limit or eliminate the use of medication for the dog.

He is simply trying to find alternate methods to limit the visual stimulation of the dog. To make it a happiers expereince all the way around.

IF I was in the same situation I would bne seeking out alternatives as well.

[Tinkerton]

How's the project coming along?

[KCF2013]

I have some craft paper templates that I have used on our Chow Chow. with success.... will be making the move to leather prototype tomorrow once I get back to the shop.

[WScott]

Poor pup

Good for you for trying to help

[wlg190861]

I just don't believe in restricting a dogs vision will help anything, Something happened it his or her life .he is scare of something. something is making her feel insecure. vision is a god given gift. the problem lies elsewhere

[Tinkerton]

I just don't believe in restricting a dogs vision will help anything

That and a $1.50 will get you a cup of coffee. You have provided no solid argument for your opinion, whereas the OP's client sounds like they have put significant thought into this, and sought professional advice about it from someone who knows what they're talking about.

KCF2013, what kind of dog is it, incidentally?

[Spence]

It will most likely take as long, if not longer, to train the dog to function with the "blinders" than it will to work on the root cause of the problem. It sounds like the owner plans to keep the "blinders" on whenever the dog is out in public, for the rest of it's life? Because, as soon as the "blinders" come off, the old behavior returns. Not all dog trainers are "professional" and if the owner has a way to limit the movement of the dog's head from side to side, the "blinders" become irrelevant. I've bred, worked with and trained quite a few dogs in my day and no one ever suggested "blinders" and if so, I would not have agreed to use them in training. Again, like in medicine, a 2nd opinion from another trainer would be the way to go.

[MojoGeorge]

Try doggles with some electrical tape on him first, see if it helps.

Tape on the lense...

[wlg190861]

I have trained many dogs and horses. I am not running anyone down, I am just saying that is not the problem, I'ld stake my life on that.

[KCF2013]

That and a $1.50 will get you a cup of coffee. You have provided no solid argument for your opinion, whereas the OP's client sounds like they have put significant thought into this, and sought professional advice about it from someone who knows what they're talking about.

KCF2013, what kind of dog is it, incidentally?

The owner has decided to try one of the Thunder caps,

And it is a English Sheperd dog.

[LNLeather]

You learn something new every day! All along I have been thinking "these folks are nuts".

Heheheh. So Sorry...

Being a big "Dog Lover" my self and having had dogs that merely needed a little training (Border Collie,

Australian Shepard)........ it is difficult to imagine that blinders for dogs would or could accomplish anything

more than adding to any problems the dog may already have.

I have never heard of the "Thunder cap for dogs" or 'Thundershirt Calming Cap' but after doing some

reading I can see how the occasional use of the cap may be helpful in certain circumstances

(and in conjunction with training)

Edited July 26, 2014 by LNLeather

[Tinkerton]

I have no issue with using something like a thundercap as an aid to training. My trainer had me using something akin to a thundershirt in conjunction with other techniques to get my dog over her fear of my new car. Aids like that play on a dog's psychology of what they associate with safety and security. You put them on when the dog is calm, and it helps keep them in that state while you work with them in an anxiety inducing situation, in my case, the car. Once they realize that the scary situation isn't so scary after all, usually you can remove it for the rest of the training session. With my dog, I'd put the shirt on her, get her to jump in the car, use the other calming techniques if she started shaking. Then I'd close the door, start the car, usually have to calm her again, then put it in drive. After roughly 10 minutes of driving, she'd settle right down and I could take the shirt off her and she'd stay calm for the rest of the trip. The initial calming times were twice as long when I didn't use the shirt. I used it for a couple of months and now she jumps in quite happily and enjoys the ride.