Understand
Blind working cocker spaniel learns to navigate using scent training
Overview
Hero, a working cocker spaniel from Clevedon in North Somerset, has successfully adapted to life without sight after having both eyes removed due to painful glaucoma. Initially withdrawn and anxious following the vision loss, Hero regained his confidence through specialised scent training with dog trainer Lucy Shipway, allowing him to navigate his environment using his sense of smell.
Key points
- Hero, a working cocker spaniel from Clevedon, lost both of his eyes sequentially due to painful glaucoma.
- The condition caused high pressure inside his eyes, leading veterinary ophthalmologist Fergus Cronk to surgically remove them.
- After losing his second eye, Hero initially became withdrawn, anxious, and nervous.
- Dog trainer Lucy Shipway helped Hero recover through scent training, teaching him to locate specific items using his sense of smell.
- His owners, Jane Stuart Brown and Rob Grubb, have praised the dog's remarkable recovery and ability to adapt to his blindness.