There isn’t anything odd about seeing dogs help people who can’t see. They support these people a lot, which makes their daily lives go more quickly. As well as being cute friends and great companions, these animals are also very loving and loyal. It doesn’t stop there. They can even help these people when they’re sad or angry. Always, giving them a hug or lying on them makes the person who owns them feel better. The dogs also become great guides for their blind friend. So they can better understand each other. Here is the story of a Golden Retriever puppy named Oko. You’ll be sucked in from start to finish. Adorable Tao, a 12-year-old blind dog, has a new friend. Since then, the two have formed a strong relationship and can’t be apart. Let’s go down to find out more!
This dog lost both of his eyes last year, and he was very sad about it. Her old dog friend had glaucoma, which is an eye disease where the eye can’t dry up its fluids well. She didn’t think he’d get sick so quickly and unexpectedly. One morning, Tao seemed to be fine. In the evening, he started nodding his head, which dogs do when they are hurt. A few hours later, he went blind in one eye and had the eye taken out. In January, Tao lost his other eye and had to have it taken out.
Even though Tao was blind, he gradually recovered. A few days after he lost both of his eyes, he was able to walk off-leash and walk up the stairs on his own. Tao seemed to be back. She found that Melanie Jackson didn’t have everything she thought she did. It was important that Tao had someone to play with and keep him company, so he didn’t feel lonely or get left behind. This is what she did. She looked for a friend, companion, and guide for her friend.
“Tao’s health is in excellent shape right now. Although he’s almost twelve years old, he acts and behaves like a much younger dog! We walk roughly 8 miles every day, and he still trains through most days,” Melanie told Bored Panda. “He does everything he used to do, with the exception of leaping on bales of hay and climbing over fences.”
Melanie made the decision to look for a dog that would befriend and get along well with Tao.
Melanie adopted the pup when he was only approximately 8 weeks old, but he rapidly earned Tao’s confidence and developed a great relationship with him. Since then, the two have grown inseparable. Oko is a fantastic guide dog for Tao, and he does an outstanding job. Walking with Oko, Tao follows her everywhere, and the two of them even sleep together at night. During this time, the owner is also teaching Tao how to obey Oko in order to keep him out of trouble. “Oko is being taught by me since, like a normal curious puppy, he would cause trouble for Tao if he wasn’t trained. It is my intention that Tao will be taught to follow Oko’s scent, and Oko will be trained to listen to and answer to my directions such as stop and wait, go right and go left.'”
They are always in close proximity to one another. They go on walks and sleep in the same place.
Oko is around 17 weeks old at this point. Acclimatizing to his new position has been a challenge for the young man. Besides that, his owner has made a contribution to the cause of canine glaucoma awareness. Working with The Kennel Club, she has been able to use Tao’s DNA to assist identify other dogs who may be at risk for developing glaucoma. In most cases, it can be avoided if detected in time. A solid 30k followers have been amassed by the combo Tao and Oko on social media, which is booming. A lot of people are impressed by how nicely the two get along with one another.
They are both really endearing individuals: “Tao is a 100 percent mommy’s boy—he is usually around and acts as my little shadow. Oko is a sweetheart who is always willing to help.” He has a strong desire to please, and his favorite activity is scent work; he still smells out balls in the hedges and fields, and he enjoys locating his toys when I hide them in the yard or the home for him.
Oko was produced by a wonderful breeder in Cornwall; we had always intended to have another pup after Tao lost his sibling Otis to cancer three years ago, but owing to Oko’s sight loss and the training l wanted to do with Tao, we had to put that off till the proper time.
Tao is a wonderful dog who is adored by everyone we meet. He is well-known in the community, and people often ask if they can have a picture with him.”
See more pics below:
