Double Amputee Rescue Mutt Teaches Disabled Dog Sibling How to Navigate Stairs
We don’t deserve dogs. Every day, I hear stories of how a dog has been mistreated, abandoned, left to die in horrific circumstances, but I also hear amazing tales of hero dogs, talented dogs, dogs who have risen up from tragic beginnings to become caring and beloved pets and animal ambassadors. And, honestly, I thought I’d seen it all.
But then I saw these two and the flight of stairs.
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Animals are remarkably adaptive, and it’s not unusual to see a disabled dog getting around like those extra legs were just slowing them down. For Mimi the former street dog, missing her two front legs has not been a major deterrent to bopping around the house “like a kangaroo,” as her mom, Lara Pleasance, puts it.
Related: Precious 'Dinosaur' Cat Doesn't Let Disability Slow Him Down
But when it comes to teaching her disabled dog sibling, Yuki, how to navigate stairs, Mimi is willing to slow down and show her the ropes.
Dogs Teaching Dogs
“[Yuki] was a victim of severe confinement and malnutrition to the point that all her bones developed in a way that they are irreversibly bent, twisted and fused,” explains Pleasance in the caption to this video. And indeed, it seems impossible that a dog with this level of disfigurement could ever learn to go up and down the stairs.
But with the patient help of her fur sibling, it is indeed possible.
As you can see in this video, Mimi is more than willing to slow down and help Yuki as she struggles up the steps on her twisted legs. “She stays behind her and keeps her safe,” writes Pleasance over the clip of the little brown former street dog nosing her white-coated companion up the stairs. Even better, when they get to the top, Yuki, stops and looks behind her, making sure Mimi is doing well.
“These two special rescue dogs have a bond that surprises me everyday.”
These two dogs may have gotten a rough start in life, but they are certainly enjoying their golden years together—that is, until Mimi knocks Yuki down with her “kangaroo zoomies.” Pleasance has even managed to fit the two-legged dog with a pair of pink prosthetic limbs to give her the opportunity to run the way her body was originally meant to. It’s amazing that the legless pup survived on the street in Thailand as long as she did, and it’s a testament to her resilience and indomitable spirit.
Training Disabled Dogs
Training a disabled dog is very similar to the methodology of training every other kind of dog—it takes patience, lots of love, positive affirmation, and an understanding of the canine’s limits. As these two disabled dogs show, just because their body is weak, it doesn’t mean that their mind and spirit isn’t very willing to learn new tricks. Maybe they don’t have the strength and endurance of other dogs—or maybe they actually have more, due to the very obstacles they have been forced to overcome.
Fortunately, there are many adaptive devices available to help dogs such as these live full and happy lives with owners who understand their unique needs, heartwarming personalities, and amazing souls.
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