Hi everyone, our 8 week old Border Collie has no blink reflex and is always walking into things and falling over objects. I appreciate he is still young but I am sure he doesn't see properly.

When we move our fingers very quickly towards his eyes, he doesn't blink at all? If he does see anything I think it's more shadow than anything else.

Has anyone else noticed this in young puppies?

Take him to a vet who can examine his eyes and give you a better idea then any of us. I hope your pup will be ok.

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Everyone is entitled to be stupid, but some abuse the privilege.

I would be making an appointment for him to see the vet if he was mine, they will know how to properly tell if he has sight issues, I never noticed any sight issues with Henrick and I didnt have Bella from a pup but I took Henrick to the vets to get his hearing tested when he was tiny, it turned out he was just ignoring me .

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gsds (Henrick and Bella), the cats (Syd, Lilly, Elvis and Dizzy), the gerbils (Honey, Lisa, crusty, Millhouse, Flanders, Bart and Homer), the rats (Valentine, Flower, Petal, Blossom, Koda, Cava, George), the mice (Minnie, Pop, Seudag, Caraid, Silver, Trouble, Athena, Pandora, Aphrodite, Meep, and Springtime)

When we took him to the vet, she too couldn't get a blink reflex from him but said to leave it a week or so and see if it developed. It hasn't done at all. He blinks normally but doesn't reflex blink when anything comes towards his eyes at all?

I would have thought by now his eye sight would be better than it is as even if you offer him a treat, he can't 'find' it unless you put it in his mouth or he smells it first.

It sounds as though he has poor/very limited eye sight have you spoken with his breeder

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Everyone is entitled to be stupid, but some abuse the privilege.

We had 'issues' with the breeder when we bought Chip so not sure we would get anywhere with them at all but will try, thanks.

Just find it odd that he has no response at all to anything coming towards his face, as I say I think he can make out shadows but not sure he can see much more than that.

maybe take him to a different vet for a 2nd opinion

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Everyone is entitled to be stupid, but some abuse the privilege.

What were the results of the parents eye tests?

Border collies should be tested for PRA before being bred from to prevent blindness in litters of puppies but unfortunately a lot of breeders don't eye test and a lot of puppies are still born with issues with their eyes! I really hope that your pup isn't one of these. As a veterinary nurse previously we used to see a lot of puppies coming in for their eye tests, i used to work with an opthalmologist called Jane Sansom who i think still works at the Animal Health Trust, if your pup is insured it may be worth getting your vet to refer your pup for a full eye test with them??

I hope your pup turns out to just be a slow developer and the sight and blink reflex comes soon. X X

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Another question here, is it unusual for a puppy to go to sleep when you take them out for a walk - when I say walk we carry him and he sometimes comes out with our other dog on her walk. After about 15 mins he falls asleep in your arms?