Surprisingly, blindness presents few problems to the average household dog. In fact, an owner will often be unaware of their dog's loss of sight until they move to a new environment, or modify an existing one. If you are concerned about your dog's eyesight, arrange for an examination by your vet.

If loss of vision happens on a gradual basis, as with senile cataracts or progressive genetic conditions, animals learn to find their way around furniture, food bowls and stairwells as if their vision was perfect. Poor vision isn't necessarily that much of an obstacle once you go outside, either. An elderly Border Collie, blind since the age of seven years, could beat the best at a game of fetch. And even long walks on the lead can be enjoyable if the ground surface is relatively even and the route familiar.

But if your dog is suffering with impaired sight, there are some things you can do to help - starting with the other functional senses.

• We all talk to our dogs and routinely use verbal cues, so just make speech more frequent and exaggerated for the blind dog.
• The sense of smell, meanwhile, can be very useful for 'tagging' specific areas of the home. For example, hazards such as stair landings could be identified with small amounts of lemon oil or potpourri.
• Don't leave obstacles in unexpected places and avoid moving furniture around as this could cause confusion.