A Beautiful Friendship Between a Blind Dog and His Guide Dog Zen

Written and verified by the lawyer Francisco María García

Last update: 22 December, 2022

Here’s proof that love and affection don’t depend on breed nor species. In this article, find out more about a blind dog and his guide dog Zen.

Zen became Hoshi’s guide dog ever since Hoshi become blind, and goes everywhere with him. They’ve realized that they make a great team and that there’s nothing they can’t do together. To see them together is a true sight to behold.

Hoshi and his guide dog Zen

This beautiful story of friendship actually came about through tragic circumstances. At 11 years of age, Hoshi, an American Eskimo dog, developed glaucoma which, if left alone, could have endangered his life. To save him, vets said that they would have to remove his eyes, leaving him totally blind.

A few months after the diagnosis, his owner, Pauline Perez, adopted a Pomeranian who had been abandoned on the streets of Washington.

Pauline was well aware of Hoshi’s fading eyesight, and decided to bring the Pomeranian, Zen, into her home to accompany Hoshi through this difficult situation and to try to keep him from getting depressed. And so it all began.

With Hoshi’s eyesight disappearing, Zen took it upon himself to guide Hoshi around the house, becoming an official guide dog. However, it wasn’t easy. During the first few weeks after the operation, Zen used a harness attached to Hoshi, but this didn’t work at all.

Seeing that the harness didn’t work, their owners decided that the dogs should walk together but without a harness attaching them.

The results couldn’t have been better. Zen became a sort of guide dog for Hoshi, a role that he carried out almost naturally. They walk everywhere together, whether there’s a leash or not.

Many followers on social media

This lovely story has become a true example of friendship and triumph over adversity. Both dogs have become stars on social media. On Instagram alone, they have over 30,000 followers.

Caring for a blind dog

The key thing when caring for a blind dog is to keep everything tidy and in order. There shouldn’t be random objects in the middle of the room and you shouldn’t move or change furniture. A dog or any other animal that can’t see needs to feel safe at all times, using its sense of touch and smell to move around.

It’s also fine to call your dog as long as you use calls or whistles that are easily recognized. When he hears the sound and responds to your call, don’t forget to reward him with a treat.

It’s important to use some noisy games to play with your dog as well. After all, since he can’t see, sound is his true reference point, as well as his strong sense of smell.

Walking a blind dog

Walking is important for a blind dog. Obviously, you need to keep him on a leash. They will be completely disorientated outside of the house unless you always repeat the same route, replete with lots of smells for him to recognize. Even then, it’s still complicated.

It’s also a good idea to always take him to the same place, area, park, etc. when the time comes for him to do his business. Dogs love to see and experience different sights (just like people do), but for a blind dog it’s completely different. New places and different smells will just make him feel lost and confused.

Source of images: muy.clarin.com