Owner Shares Adorable Way He Wakes Up His Deaf And Blind Dog

An American dog owner has shared a heartwarming tip he uses to wake up his deaf and blind dog without terrifying her - he just blows gently on her nose.

So, this tip might only be of any actual use to you if you've got a pet that is similarly disabled, but even if you haven't, it's a pretty satisfying watch if you need a pick-me-up.

Aiden Mann, 25, from Nashville in Tennessee, adopted a one-year-old Australian Shepherd dog called Plum from a colleague that was looking after her.

Because of breeding and birth defects, Plum is both deaf and blind. It's a pretty sad tale, but - don't worry - it has a happy ending.

Aiden knew when he took her in that he'd be able to properly look after her, and he actually already has two dogs called Lola and Willow.

However, when Plum first came to live with him, waking her up used to scare the living daylights out of her. If you've got no idea what is going on, being woken up can be pretty disconcerting, even for those of us with the use of our eyes and ears.

Now, he's struck upon the ingenious idea of blowing softly on her nose and bringing her round into a wakeful state without scaring her.

When he does this, she gradually comes around and searches for her owner. It's cute as hell.

Aiden explained: "Plum was born this way due to double merle breeding.

"The biggest struggle was learning to communicate with her but once we figured that out, everything has been great."

Merle is a name for the genetic pattern that forms a dog's coat, but if two dogs with the same merle genes are bred together - usually by unscrupulous breeders - then the resulting offspring have a higher than average chance of being born blind, deaf or with other genetic defects.

Despite that, Plum still manages to lead as normal a life as possible.

Aiden continued: "She usually follows Lola (my other dog) around for the most part.

"So, when Lola knows we are going for a walk she will walk to the door and Plum will follow.

"Usually with feeding, Plum can smell me open the food box and she knows where her food bowl is.

"She is the sweetest, happiest and most outgoing dog you've ever met. Just loves life and is just happy to be involved."

Well, she seems happy enough with Aiden. That's good news.

Featured Image Credit: Jam Press

Topics: Interesting, US News, Animals

Tom Wood

Tom Wood is a LADbible journalist and Twin Peaks enthusiast. Despite having a career in football cut short by a chronic lack of talent, he managed to obtain degrees from both the University of London and Salford. According to his French teacher, at the weekend he mostly likes to play football and go to the park with his brother. Contact Tom on [email protected]

@TPWagwim