Dog Lovers advice Please

I don't think it affects their sight. I like to watch the various dog shows on tv and they frequently have breeds whose fur covers their faces for various reasons. The breed experts all say that the fur which covers the face, eyes, etc is that way for the reasons inherent to the breed. It might be something to talk to your vet or to a groomer about if it worries you.

I don't think it would affect their eye sight. It might bother them like it would us, but that is about it. Your pooch is so pretty, I would just try to keep the hair trimmed around her face.

I would cut the hair to make sure is not affecting dogs vision. They can have small irritation like people do.

Many dogs depending on the breed will have eye trouble if you take the hair from their eyes, it's meant to be that way. A maltese I'm not sure about. You could ask your vet what he/she thinks. I am sure they kn ow what is suppose to be as far as hair in or out of your little ones eyes.

I don't know if it would make the dog go blind but i would think it would affect him from seeing...He /she is a very beautiful dog..

Grandma, I was just watching a show and that very question was asked. I can't remember exactly what was said, but yes, it does hurt you dogs eyes to have the hair covering them all the time. Try googling your question. leenie

I guess through all the responses you've got your answer. I like the hair cutting one though. Would that change her look? And would she/he allow you to cut her fur? He/she is so very cute. Do keep looking after him/her well.

I do not think that the hair in front of the dog's eyes will make them blind. I think it acts something like sunglasses do for us in that it gets rid of the glare. You can trim it, but I do not think it does any harm.

Your dog is so pretty Grandma! I don't think long hair over a dog's eyes can make them go blind, but it would of course, affect their vision, just as it would with us humans. I have a Maltese/Lhasa Apso, and I always have her hair trimmed short round her eyes and face as you can see from the pic. I also have a Shih-Tzu, and I keep her eyes and face trimmed too - at least that way, they can see where they're going!

What a pretty baby... lucky you! In many cases, like with our Schnauzer, the hair is for protection against debris or excessive light... trim it a bit but don't cut it back too much right away. If the dog is okay with it you can do more, but keep her comfort in mind.

Hi there! I am also an owner of a hairy dog. I have shih-tzus and they have been with me for 7 years already and I groom them myself. If hair would often go or hang on a dog's eye it can't affect their eyesight. It won't actually make them blind but its uncomfortable for them cause it hurts their iris. Just like in humans. It hurts when our eyes gets pricked by a hair even with tiny lashes it hurts right? It feels the same with dogs. Dogs like Maltese and other hairy dogs are bred having pony tails thats because of their long hair. To prevent from touching the eyes. You can cut the hair around the eyes if you know how or you can have a professional do it for safety reasons. Hope that helps. Ciao!

My australian silky terrier too dislike a nice hairdo. Every time I help her to tie up her forehead hair which get long easily and blocking the view of my doggy, she will shake around her head and scratch away the rubber band I used. She likes to be untidy. I have helped her to trim her hair last time but this time I let it to grow longer so that the hair is able to comb to both sides. Now she still hate to have her hair comb.

It can be harmful for a dog's hair to hang in it's eyes because if the hair gets in the dog's eye it can cause irritation, infection, damage to the cornea, or even blindness. Some dogs, especially those with blue eye, have long hair that hangs in their eyes for a reason. It serves to shield their eyes from the sun. Blue eyes are more sensitive to the sun and more suseptable to cataracts. If your baby will not tolerate a top knot then you can ask the groomer to cut the dog's face short. You can still keep the rest of your dog's hair long. I used to do this with my Lhasa Apso's hair. He was a boy and I just preferred it this way, but I do the same with my little Yorkie girl. Your little sweetie is adorable!

Take it easy! That's not as terrible as we think. We people know how to deal with the hair in front of our eye, so do the dog. They are clever animals. Don't worry too much. That's OK. They'll be fine, just leave them to themselves.

I have had a Maltese and a Yorkie both needed to have their hair kept back from their eyes, They will not go blind but their eyesight is affected by the hair (dogs do not have x-ray vision)n and could have an accident because their eyesight was impaired by the hair. My vet and groomer both recommended keeping the hair around their eyes trimmed.