@aiden_m365

Yes I know I have a hole in my shirt lol ##plum ##deaf ##blind ##doublemerle ##fyp ##fypage ##cute ##dog

♬ Surrender – Natalie Taylor

This heartwarming video is what the world needs right now. 

Dogs are some of the best parts of the Internet, brightening pretty much everyone’s day and warming hearts. The latest dog-with-a-social-media-account charming us online is deaf and blind Mini Aussie Plum who shares her Instagram and TikTok accounts with her Dane/Staffy mix sister, Lola, and, of course, their dad, Aiden Mann. 

But it was Mann and his dog Plum’s latest TikTok video that melted hearts everywhere, garnering over 51 million views and 12 million likes. 

It’s the Internet at its best. The video starts with a text overlay saying, “People ask me how I wake up my deaf and blind pup without scaring her….” In the video Aiden gets down on the ground and slightly blows on Plum’s face. We see Plum get up and appear slightly startled until she finds her Dad and then she throws herself onto him happy and tail wagging when she realized that it was him waking her up.

In an interview with Insider, Mann, who works as a veterinary technician, explained that when he adopted Plum he knew that she had disabilities but says, "I definitely didn't know what I was getting myself into, but I did know that I loved her and wanted to give her a good life.” Mann describes that it took the two of them a little while and “trial and error” to figure out how to communicate with one another. This viral video is not only heartwarming (which is exactly what the world needs right now) but also helps to raise awareness about how awesome living with dogs with disabilities can be. 

Living With Disabled Dogs:

There are so many amazing dogs with disabilities looking for their forever homes and families. While not everyone or every family is equipped to provide a home to a dog with disabilities, for those who can the rewards are many. Deaf and/or blind dogs might need a little extra help sometimes but most can do and achieve anything any other dog can do! 

Deaf Dogs. Dogs who are born deaf or who lose their hearing later in life can be wonderful companions and can be taught an array of cues from basic obedience to advanced skills and tricks. Read our article on how to train a deaf dog. 

Blind Dogs. Some dogs are born blind or with limited vision, while other dogs become blind as they age as a result of degenerative conditions. Blind dogs tend to adjust very well to navigating the world without sight, even memorizing the location of furniture in the house and places frequently visited. Blind dogs do sometimes need a bit of extra help and accident prevention, for example setting up a baby gate to avoid an accidental tumble downstairs. Read our article on how to help a blind dog adapt. 

Blind and Deaf Dogs: Dogs who are both blind and deaf or who develop these disabilities with age can and do live happy and enriched lives. A dog's sense of smell is already their strongest sense and how they understand most of the world around them. Dogs are incredibly adaptive and are able to navigate their worlds well. Dogs who are deaf or blind and particularly dogs who are both deaf and blind do tend to startle easily. Finding a gentle approach to approaching and especially waking your dog up such as like Mann and Plum have developed have is key. 

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Sassafras Lowrey is a Certified Trick Dog Instructor and author of “Tricks In The City,” “Healing/Heeling,” “Bedtime Stories For Rescue Dogs,” and the activity book “Chew This Journal” forthcoming in Summer 2020. Follow Sassafras and her canine adventures on Twitter/Instagram and at SassafrasLowrey.com