Blind And Deaf Dog At AZ Humane Wants To Be Your New BFF

PHOENIX, AZ — Unlike other dogs, Wonder navigates the world solely through touch and smell, but much the same as his canine brethren, he still gets excited to meet new friends and has abundant love to share.

Wonder, a blind and deaf 3-year-old Chow Chow, is available for adoption in Phoenix through the Arizona Humane Society.

Taking on a dog with special needs might seem like a burden, but for Bryana Peters, behavior specialist for the humane society, working with Wonder was an exciting project that came with some valuable life lessons.

"He has had such a difficult background and he has so many things stacked against him, but he is still so happy just to go for walks, to play with people, to play with dogs, to learn where new things are,” Peters said.

Remarkably, Wonder came to the humane society as a stray.

Peters began working with him in late September after the team at the shelter noticed that he was nervous, easily startled and confused. The team knew he was blind, as his eyes are not fully formed, but Peters quickly realized that he was deaf as well.

She immediately began forming a plan to make him more comfortable.

When Peters first met Wonder he would jump and become easily startled when someone touched him. Now, after more than a month of work together, his behavior has changed markedly.

“Now if you introduce him to a new person, he goes right up and leans into them,” Peters said. He's also prone to open-mouthed "smiles" and tail-wagging.

Not only has his behavior transformed, but his personality has too.

“Now he is very outgoing,” Peters said. “He is very eager to explore and extremely curious. He is now smelling everything. He’s super excited to meet new people. He’s just really opened up and he’s a lot more confident as well.”

He's now doing well walking on a leash, is becoming more playful, and had his first play date with another dog last week.

Peters has been training dogs professionally for around 7 years but Wonder is the first blind and deaf dog she has worked with so extensively.

“He’s added so much joy to my life for every day that I’m with him,” she said. “He’s my favorite face to see in the morning here. He’s such a lovely animal just to be around.”

Working with Wonder reminded Peters that no matter the obstacle, there are always ways to improve a dog's training and behavior. Different dogs need different reward systems, and for Wonder the best reward is love and affection.

Wonder will need a patient owner who is willing to have a chuckle and take it in stride when he bumps into things, Peters said. But despite his disabilities, Wonder is a high-energy dog who needs an owner who also loves to go for long walks and to play with him.

Wonder is house-trained and walks well on a leash as long as he's kept close to his human companion and is reassured through touch that he's going the right direction. A good way to wake him up is to touch him gently, or to stomp on the ground nearby.

Peters thinks he would do better in a home with older children who understand why he bumps into things and explores with his mouth. Wonder will gently put peoples' hands or other objects in his mouth when he's excited or when he's inspecting something new.

Wonder will need to meet the entire family, including animals, to ensure a good fit before going home with his new humans, according to a news release from the humane society. He will benefit from a gentle, patient and consistent family that will help him adjust to his new home with plenty of positive reinforcement.

Click here if you're interested in adopting Wonder or any of the other animals at Arizona Humane Society.

“They definitely will be getting a really cool friend if they adopt him,” Peters said of Wonder's future family.