How do blind people take care of their guide dogs?

Many blind people are quite competent and independent, and look after their dogs just as they look after themselves. Of your list, probably the only thing someone would need a sighted person for would be for poop clean up. Those that can’t function on their own often have care providers to help with chores.

Re the poop question, I found this:

“A person doesn’t have to see poop to pick it up. Like anyone else, a blind person knows which end of the dog is which, and the dog only toilets on command so they know the when and where of poopology. A hand is inserted in a plastic poop bag like a glove and the hand is run down the hind leg of the dog to the dump zone. Then the scooper feels around for the warm squooshy stuff, grasps it, and turns the bag inside out. It’s exactly the same for a sighted person who walks their dog at night and must scoop in the dark.” (from here)

In some countries, these are popular. It’s a harness that lets you hook a plastic shopping bag under the dog’s hindquarters.

The same way a blind person takes care of himself and his children.

@syz I hope I didn’t imply that blind people aren’t competent. I realize they do these things, but the way they do them must be different than how I do them (I can just look at my dog and it’s obvious that she needs a bath), I’m more curious about their approach to the same problems.

My dog usually smells like she needs a bath much before she looks like she needs one.

But if you get into the habit of bathing your dog regularly whether she needs it or not, it seldom is an issue.

@WestRiverrat yeah, we give our dog a bath fairly regularly too. However, what got me thinking was that she rolled around in the dirt and got crazy dirty (but not smelly) and she didn’t feel terribly gritty, but she sure looked dirty. I supposed that blind dog owners have to regularly check their dogs by hand from nose to tail?

@phaedryx Remember that as a result of their lack of sight, their other senses are heightened. They may be able to smell the dog more strongly than you and most people with sight. As long as the blind person takes care of the dog, brushes it regularly, bathes it or has someone do it (remember they have a lot of mobile dog bathers come to your home), they are OK. They also have automatic feeders and water fountains that keep food and fresh water for longer periods of time than the typical bowls most people put out. My dog also barks at her water bowl when it is empty and she wants a drink, so maybe they are trained to do something like that. Remember that these dogs are very well trained, and I’m sure they are trained form the start for the typical situations of blind owner/service pet. I do understand the poop cleaning can be tricky, but I assume they do their best. They also have services where people come scoop your lawn. Another idea is that there is a fenced off area to poo in (a friend of mine’s dogs have a pooping area).

As for washing. You can feel when your dog seems dirty. They aren’t usually the kind of dog that goes off and rolls all over the place. Its also possible they just set up a groomer to come and take care of the dog. As for the poop. The dog could be trained to indicate where the poop is. Maybe they paw their owner when they go out to poop and stretch out a leg or something close to the poo. My aunt had a dog that was trained to poo and pee in the toilet. She had a huge great dane and she would just back up into the toilet to do her business. Some dogs are also pad trained. So maybe they do that an all the owner has to do is pick up the pad at the end of the day and put a fresh on there. You would be amazed at what a blind person can do. I’ve been watching master chef and they have a blind girl that is kicking ass. If she can make complicated meals then I am sure a dog is a small thing to be mindful of.

Blind does not mean helpless, but I don’t think they pick up after their dogs.

@filmfann the link that @thorninmud posted implies that they do