Amazing training of deaf and blind dogs moves people to tears

Описание: As if we needed any more proof as to how incredible dogs are, one loving owner is showing the world the amazing talents of her deaf and blind dogs.

Amanda Fuller, from Maryland, US, has six dogs at home, five of which have hearing or visual impairments. But that hasn’t stopped vet technician her from teaching her adorable Australian Shepherds some stunning tricks.

Her love for giving deaf and blind dogs a second chance began the moment she saw her first deaf dog, a little Aussie puppy called Keller. Keller had been rescued from a breeder, who had planned to shoot her when they found out that she couldn’t hear.

The 29-year-old saw Keller’s picture on a rescue site and immediately made arrangements to bring the pup home. With no experience of owning a deaf dog Amanda wasn’t sure what to expect - but she was instantly blown away by Keller’s abilities.

Seeing that her new dog wasn’t deterred by her lack of hearing, picking up new tricks no problem as well as loving to head out for a hike or a swim, Amanda became determined to help other dogs just like Keller.

Amanda set up her own training programme Thumbs Up Training, dedicated to teaching deaf and blind dogs. She uses specialist methods to train dogs who can’t see, hear, or both.

While she can use voice commands for a blind dog and hand signals for a deaf dog, Amanda had to get a bit more creative to train dogs who are both deaf and blind. She teaches these dogs by using one of the only senses left available to them: touch.

“The possibilities are endless,” she explains. “Whether it’s a poke, or like a grab of their hair slightly, or a swipe - there are so many different ways you can touch them to mean different things.”

“There’s really no limit as far as what they can learn,” she adds. “It’s just about taking the time to communicate with them in a way they understand.”

One of Amanda’s own dogs, Calamity, is deaf and blind, and Amanda has been sharing how she trains the beautiful pup over on her TikTok account @amandaandheraussies, where her talents have stunned viewers.

On one video showing Calamity performing a handful of the 50 tricks she knows, one person commented: “You and she are amazing! It makes my heart so happy, it made me cry happy tears.”

Alongside her training work Amanda also co-founded Keller’s Cause, named in honour of the dog that inspired all of her incredible work, to help deaf and blind rescue dogs. So far, they have helped over 100 dogs to find new families.

“It’s been really rewarding,” Amanda says. “We’ve placed a lot of dogs in really wonderful homes, and it’s been nice to see them flourish and complete people’s families.”

Amanda hopes that her work will help challenge the misconceptions around deaf and blind dogs by showing people that dogs with disabilities can have normal and fulfilling lives as loving family pets.

“For dogs that are born deaf and/or blind, that’s their normal. They have no idea that anything is different for them,” she says. “They go about life normally, they play, they do all of the normal dog things - because they don’t know anything else.”

#dogs #dogtraining #deafdogs #blinddogs