If I approach my dog without speaking to her she gets alarmed and does not recognise me!  I don't remember noticing this with my old dogs.  Once I speak to her she is OK.  Is this normal?  We have had her for nearly a year so she should know us by now.

Has her eyesight been checked?  Dogs see movement far better than still objects so they can seem not to see us sometimes if we are standing still.  They also rely on scent for recognition far more than sight.  After all we must be terribly confusing changing our appearance all the time with different clothing, hats etc.

I don't think there is anything wrong with her eyesight - she certainly spots the smallest thing moving either up in the sky or crawling on the floor!   I was moving towards her today - but approaching her from the side of the building she was not expecting me.  I was walking but I was holding my granddaughter.  Another time I came into the garden from the field next door and she didn't know me until I spoke.   I wonder what she does see sometimes.  Have just been downstairs again to quieten her down because something spooked her outside the back door.  She normally settles down nicely when we come up to bed.  Oh well we will never know what really goes on in their heads!

I'm with Brainless, I would have her eyes checked, my mum's little cross terrier can spot a rabbit or squirrel and be off like a shot, but the only person she recognises from a distance is me because of my long blonde hair, her other dogs, mine and my brothers all recognise us straight away, just the terrier has a problem and will happily follow other people thinking they are us until she gets up close, remember there are all different eye sight problems with us so I guess the same is with dogs.

She also barks at all dogs even her own dog family, until up close, so it affects her in this way too. But........... a rabbit or squirrel or bird she is up there with all the others.

My dogs can seem a bit 'blind' sometimes. Silly things like one of the kids coming in with a big coat on or making silly noises. Or talking in strange voices (!) Anything really that is not run of the mill. All 8 of mine live in and all it talkes is one silly bark to set all of them off. I dont think dogs always preceive things as we would expect.

dogs see very differently to us, they see few colours, see much better than us in low light, but not as well in bright, and their eye sight is tuned to movement.

It is still possible to have a vision problem. Rather than having blurred or absent vision maybe there is a visual field defect...something like tunnel vision, where the dog sees things in front of it but not from the side.You do mention that you approached from the SIDE of the building, and from NEXT DOOR...  you could try checking that out. Either way, if it were my dog I would get the vet to check it out, just in case its something that could get worse :)

I seriously hope that there is no problem.  I will take your advice and ask the vet to check her sight.  I am due to go soon for her booster jabs anyway.  Thanks

I think a visit to a canine ophthalmologist would be better for a proper BVA eye test, as it will only cost you around £30, remember to take your KC registration form.

You can get the list of panelists from the BVA website under canine health schemes, eyes.

Hope she's OK Ceejay :)

Lindsay
x

Thanks for your concern.  I really hope that there is not a problem and it is just her being jumpy.  She is not KC registered or even sheepdog registered.  I have had her spayed so there can be no problem of anything genetic being passed on.  She seems fine in the garden running around, she has been to agility classes and seems to have no sight problems that are noticeable.  However I will bring it up with the vet and if she recommends I will have a sight test.  I don't think there is much I can do if she has got a problem with her sight but it would be important to know if there is to  be any degeneration.  She is only just over a year old.  I have tried to research collie eye problems but can't find any idea of symptoms.  If it wasn't for this few odd occasions when we have approached her from an unexpected direction (that she hasn't seen us leave from)without speaking that she has spooked.  If we walk up the front steps she is fine - but then that is where she expects people to come into the property and being a sociable dog everyone gets a greeting.  She always recognises the postman wherever we meet him on our walk!

Collies are know to have quite a number of inherited eye problems.  There is PRA, CPRA, Cataracts (I think) and Collie Eye Anomaly.

Even if she isn't KC registered it will need a specialist to diagnose these.

PRA is progressive, and generally starts with problems seeing in low light (night blindness) and is progressive to complete blindness.

CPRA is a dieing off of the Retina in part of the eye, and is actually a metabolic condition as it is caused by an inability to absorb a certain vitamin, and I believe can be halted if this is supplemented.

It could be quite severe CEA or Tunnel vision A friend had a rescue GSD with tunnel vision he got worried if people came from the side but fine if from head on

It might be worth getting her eye tested