Blind Puddin is a dog that has both a brave and courageous spirit and is one of the cutest dogs on Instagram. After being abandoned at the age of 6 weeks, Puddin developed a very serious eye infection. At that time, the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Association (SPCA) of Texas came and rescued Puddin, who was completely blind. Puddin then needed to have his eyes removed and the two eye sockets stitched together.
Despite being unable to see the world around him, Puddin has a cheerful and brave personality and currently lives a normal and healthy life in Lubbock, Texas. We spoke with Puddin’s new owner, Cory Gonzales, to discuss Puddin’s story and learn some information about the dog. Cory also talked to us about traveling with this particular dog and how Puddin positively impacts his mental health.
Nice to talk to you. Can you tell us a little bit about the blind dog Puddin’s past?
Puddin’s original owner was reported to animal control. When they arrived, some of the pups were not feeling well. These people asked if their owners could take them away to help them or if they would give them up, but the owners refused.
So they resorted to the SPCA of Texas to gain access to the dogs and take the owners to court. That lasted so long that Puddin lost his vision completely in both eyes because the infection became serious. They decided to remove Puddin’s eyes because it caused him a lot of pain. Puddin was in bed for a month and after about a month and a half, Puddin was adopted by me.
That was really sad. What motivated you to adopt Puddin?
I am a speech-language pathologist, so I always work with children with special needs. When I first saw Puddin’s picture, I thought Puddin’s eyes were closed or blinking. Then my mother said “Puddin has no eyes!” When I saw how lively and alert Puddin was at the animal shelter, it brought me home to this pet dog .
Aside from eye infections and surgery, does blind dog Puddin have any other health problems? Because a common myth about shelter dogs is that they all have medical problems or illnesses.
The only time Puddin made me pay extra was when I was a puppy. Puddin just had bad luck with his eyes. The vet said that Puddin was a short dog. We now have pet insurance. I never thought it was a big deal, but it saved me a lot of money.
We’ve done a lot of research on pet insurance. There are many benefits to having pet insurance, including peace of mind in the event of an unforeseen health emergency.
How can you keep Puddin the blind dog safe in the house and in the yard? Can Puddin walk around the house easily or does this pet dog often bump into furniture?
We’re in a apartment, so we don’t really have to worry about the dog running out into the yard. We have a GPS pet collar and it is attached to the dog as well.
In the house, Puddin has an area of his own so he is always safe. This dog reminds me of a goldfish because Puddin’s ears or whiskers will gently glide over something and he’ll dodge very quickly like, “I’m about to spill something.” We also helped the dog learn the Command “watch out”. Puddin quickly learned that if I said, “Watch out,” Puddin would pay more attention.
How does Puddin adapt to change when exposed to new animals and people? It would be understandable if Puddin was hesitant or even scared about new dogs that Puddin couldn’t see.
Puddin is really good for animals. The pet dog loves dogs, cats… People can be a little difficult with their pet dog Puddin. But I noticed that Puddin became tired and wary when he met strange men.
If a man makes any sudden, loud noises, Puddin will start barking at the man like, “Okay, I don’t like this.” That’s what we’ve been doing during Puddin’s training. We want to make sure that Puddin can adapt to any situation and live well.
We saw on Instagram that Puddin was taking dog training classes. What is Puddin studying there?
When we first moved in, we put Puddin in a puppy training class for a semester. Then we took a break for the summer because I had to do an internship. We did and trained the dog to get used to the basic commands: sit, lie down and walk. Now we’re working hard to train it so it won’t be afraid of men, loud sounds, and distracting smells.
Did you use any special dog treats when training Puddin?
Puddin is very fond of dog training food and farm hound food, but I think Puddin’s favorite food is anything on his plate. Puddin was trained by my mother very well. Puddin just put his little head in my mother’s lap and looked at her lovingly, and my mother said, “This is my love!”
There are misconceptions that blind dogs are always very difficult in house protection and general training. And did you have any problems with potty training Puddin?
We taught Puddin how to ring the bell to go potty. If Puddin has to go potty in the house, he will use Fresh Patch. This is an actual piece of grass that can be used to practice sitting. Puddin will use it for about 2 weeks. Then this dog said like, “Okay, this is rude for me to go out again.”
If Puddin rings the bell and leaves and doesn’t return for a second, then you have some time to put on the right clothes and equipment. But if Puddin rings the bell and then immediately turns around and rings again, you have to get up right away, otherwise Puddin will hit something.
This dog was like, “I told you I needed to hurry before it was a urgent situation. “Puddin has a hard time potty working in new places, so I want to try to stay by Pudiin’s side and take this little dog out as comfortably as possible.
We also train our dog, Django, to ring the bell when Django has to go blasting outside.
How’s Puddin’s playtime? Is there a toy that Puddin loves in particular?
We had to find a way to adapt and learn what Puddin really liked. Puddin is photographed by squeaky dog toys. There’s a small set of Halloween frames that Puddin loves. Puddin the little dog destroyed every squeaky toy except this one.
Puddin also has a diving pink ball that no longer squeaks, which he loves. Games you wouldn’t think of as Puddin games are likened to ranked games, we found balls with little bells in them. Puddin can track the results of the ball falling and running to steam.
It’s unbelievable that Puddin can play so many great games! Using bell toys is also a great idea.
How has the coronavirus pandemic affected you and Puddin’s routine?
We’ve had a bit of a share of rain over the past year as the coronavirus makes it difficult for Puddin to go outside. We’re actually trying to go back then and play the fetch game, so we couldn’t need 15 days ago.
Have you traveled with Puddin before COVID? Has Puddin been out of Texas yet?
Dodo and pet food company Blue Buffalo helped me get to White Sands National Park in south-central New Mexico. We skated on the pure white sand, it was great. Puddin is not a dog who loves to ski. However, Puddin had never been so happy in his life. This little dog had the best of his life in that moment. I think Puddin would love going to Antarctica.
Have you prepared any special travel precautions because of Puddin’s condition?
We were a little scared. By Puddin rode with me to and from Lubbock, which lasted 12 hours. We took Puddin to the vet and got some anti-anxiety medication. We gave Puddin a pill during our journey there, and it seemed like a useful medicine. On the way home, we didn’t have to do it anymore because Puddin was really fun. Puddin has been sleeping in the crate the whole time and we know when he needs to go to the bathroom.
When scrolling through Puddin’s Instagram and TikTok, it can be seen that Puddin is an extremely happy, mischievous and loving dog. What has Puddin personally done for his life?
Puddin has brought me out of the realm of the late night. I was getting ready for graduation in Lubbock when I adopted this Puddin. I was very distressed and struggled with a number of mental health issues. I come home and lay down on the bed when a lovely dog comes to hug and put my fingers and kiss me.
Although Puddin didn’t know the difference between chewing and licking. But Puddin gives me a reason to get out of bed and move forward. I know Puddin depends on me when it comes to eating and walking. Puddin has helped me develop a habit and Puddin has been my savior.
Really heartwarming to hear this. Dogs are indeed the cutest companions. What would you say to someone who wants to adopt a blind dog but is worried?
If you’re wondering, do it. These special needs dogs will make you fall in love with them because they feel that they are no different. I really believe Puddin would think that all humans are blind, that we are all equally blind dogs. I feel that’s why Puddin the blind dog uses so much at the park at the dog park. Puddin as if saying: “Hello, I am here! Where are you?”
