My poor Pinker is now stone blind, even on a bright sunny morning.
He spends a lot of time on the couch. Yesterday, outdoors he got a hint
of "zoomies" and promptly ran into a light pole. A few weeks ago he found a tennis ball under the couch and got all excited for a minute but when he realized he couldn't find the ball when it rolled away he just pouted. Sad.

When we went to the Vet School for confirmation of his PRA it was suggested that we get him a friend. He is a dog friendly dog. He liked my hired mans
Aussie mix, but that dog died of cancer this spring.

It has to be small...our condo in Fla has size restrictions. I'm thinking not a smart dog, who might be competition....just a little doggy dog, not bossy.

What breed or breed mixes would you suggest? This is a dog for HIM, not for me.

I was working with a foster, rescue place but they seemed to think a farm was
just too dangerous.....my thought was that it's a hell of a lot less dangerous than a hi kill shelter in Texas....but don't get me started.....

Sorry to hear about Pinker!

Mini Aussie?
Shetland Sheepdog?
Swedish Vallhund?

Assuming the condo restriction is 25 or 30lbs?

A dog form the pound/Humane Society or a rescue group could be a good choice.

That might make it easier to find one with a personality that would agree with Pinker.

It quite possibly could be to much for Pinker to handle a puppy's energy level.

I thought about a Shelties, even communicated with a lady with a 4 mo old pup.....a Shelties would be fun for me, smart,sweet,herds.....but I think too hi energy for the Pinker. I think the sounds of me marker training the Sheltie might drive Pink crazy.

I was thinking of a dachshund. Kind of dumb, doggy, navigates by smell (something Pink needs to learn!). Not a lot of drive. Cheerful.

The fosters/rescues around here have been hard to deal with. (No fenced yard, not going to have dog leashed 24/7 outside)

There is a chiweenie ( dachshund X chihuahua ) 4 mos old near me that we might try.

I have found the same with rescues around here - they won’t even look at you if you don’t have a fenced yard or if you have livestock of any kind - even horses. Plus I have Toni who does not like strange people, so thats an automatic fail on the home visit if we ever got that far. They don’t care that you can give this dog the life of its dreams, it’s about checking the correct boxes on the forms... kind of sad...

Best of luck finding a buddy for Pink!

Just a thought, but you can marker train the new dog with visual aids so it doesn’t agitate Pink when you are training. I have seen it done with deaf dogs before. Or you can get a vibrating collar and mark with that.

You mentioned fosters/rescues, but do you have a city animal shelter where you live? Sadly, down here it's not challenging at all to go to ACS, pick out a dog, fill out the paperwork and go home with him/her all in one day. I think they literally just want you to check the right boxes on the form. Or you could take a field trip to San Antonio and just pick one up off the street... More seriously, have you tried looking on NextDoor https://nextdoor.com/ ? We see a lot of individuals trying to adopt out stray dogs that they've taken in and cared for temporarily.

https://www.sanantonio.gov/Animal-Care/What-We-Do-Services/Adopt/Pet-Search/Information It doesn't actually say you have to live in a surrounding city.

They have been pushing to make this a no-kill facility, but to do so they have to stop picking up animals altogether because they run out of room in less than a day. There are literally thousands of dogs living on the street and in the city parks where they are either born or dumped. It's both heart-wrenching and dangerous.

Well, winter is coming on and still no friend for the Pinker.
He pouts a lot, sits on the couch.
I try to take him for a mile or so walk each day, but it’s really not enough.

Just wondering how all you Leerburgers are doing ... I can’t be the only one with a feisty beast who has grown into a couch potato!

 Quote: Betty Landercasp

Well, winter is coming on and still no friend for the Pinker.
He pouts a lot, sits on the couch.
I try to take him for a mile or so walk each day, but it’s really not enough.

Just wondering how all you Leerburgers are doing ... I can’t be the only one with a feisty beast who has grown into a couch potato!

How was the trip with Pinker?

By "not enough" -- you mean not enough exercise and stimulation, right?

Any chance of doing marker work (new things) with him? Mental work helps drain excess energy, too. Maybe we could help by suggesting "tricks" for a sight-impaired dog?

Speaking as a less than feisty fellow widely known as a couch potato, I think there should be a society for couch potatoes. Might take some of the negativity associated with the label out of it.

I have an older female GSD, whose eyesight is diminishing, especially at night. I have observed the climbing up or going down of stairs can be challenging in some instances. The activity clearly challenges her on occasion in the darker of nights but she prevails. It seems to me that stairs can offer a stimulation that might be a good exercise.

And tracking might be a challenge. Laying a trail of treats or bits of hot dog that could challenge its searching. Mostly a nose exercise, and simple to put out a 25 or 30 foot trail. Lots of opportunity for praise and motivation.

Sound commands where you move around the yard and call. Rewarding for the both of you.

My bride gets the dogs to use the treadmill every now and then when they have been too sedentary. Exercise whereby the dog walks and has to think about its orientation. Doesn't require sight, really. Just adaptation.

As Connie noted, mental stimulation which plays to other senses can lead to exercise and fatigue.

I am a fan of tracking because the dog has to work for results and immediate rewards, and it has to focus using its nose.

Anyway, this couch potato is watching EPL Futbol, and the Hallmark Movies. And consuming way too much coffee.

Two cents.

I totally agree with Connie and Mike.