Deaf Dog Awareness Week 2022 begins on September 18th, and we have teamed up with Pets and Friends to celebrate hearing impaired pooches nationwide.

Did you know some breeds of dogs have deafness rates of 40 percent or more? Some are more likely to be born deaf, but some will lose their hearing during their lives.

Our brave pooch, Puggy Smalls was one of the unlucky ones. After years of ear infections and vet visits, Puggy suffered with Vestibular disease due to an infection trapped in his inner and middle ear. This affected his balance so deeply that our vets referred him for an MRI to see the extent of the issues. Puggy underwent an ear flush and intensive courses of antibiotics and steroids to attempt to remove the infection, but sadly these were unsuccessful. Puggy’s balance issues got worse, and he could barely stand, or eat. He eventually went into ‘vestibular crisis’ and was rushed in for an emergency lifesaving surgery to remove his entire inner ear canals in both ears. After a few hiccups along the way, Puggy has made a miraculous recovery. His balance is almost restored, but he will always have a slight wobble to his walk and sadly, he has lost all hearing in both ears.

This was a huge shock to us at first as it was so sudden, but such a small price to pay when we reflect on how close we came to losing him. Puggy was always such a responsive dog, so clever and tuned in to his humans, so we were very anxious that he would feel lost and unable to communicate without his ears.

Little did we know that Puggy is more resilient than any human we have ever met. He has adapted to becoming a deaf dog with such ease and grace and lives a very normal life, happy yet silent life.

Puggy has become much more aware of his surroundings and will always be with one of his two humans, or one of his three dog siblings. He has learned some sign language and has special ways of letting us know what he wants and needs.

We are so blessed to have Puggy with us after such a health scare, that we don’t care about his disability and as time goes on, we realise more and more that its part of what makes him so special.

When people meet Puggy, they are amazed at how sharp, affectionate, and well behaved he is. His response to commands is better than ever before and he truly is the best friend and most loving, loyal dog we could ask for.

Puggy’s life as a dog model, actor and influencer hasn’t changed since his deafness and he still enjoys being the centre of attention, as long as he has one of his humans (and some snacks) by his side.

We have been long term fans of the products Pets and friends sell online and instore, which really help deaf dogs like Puggy!

We have compiled a list of some of our favourite items, and how they have helped support, enrich, and entertain our gorgeous boy. Heres’ a few special bits and pieces we couldn’t be without:

The Lavender Honkers comfort toy is very close to our heart as this was gifted to Puggy when he was recovering from major surgery. It’s found in the Puppy aisle, but this comforting toy is super fluffy and scented with lavender. It’s always been such a comfort to Puggy and the sensory textures and smells are a bonus for a pooch that can no longer hear squeakers!

It’s important for all dogs to be enriched and challenged, so puzzle toys are an absolute must! This dog brick interactive puzzle toy is one of our absolute favourites as it challenges Puggy and really gets his to engage his brain and use his mouth and paws. When he works out the pattern and manages to win a treat, he gets a real sense of achievement which literally makes my heart sing.

The Ancol dog choo treats are the perfect size for the puzzle toys, this plant based, low calory training treats are irresistible to Puggy, and they contain camomile which is a natural calming aid.

We understand that deafness can induce added anxiety for pooches, and we try our best to always alleviate and avoid this. As we no longer have the ability to reassure Puggy verbally, we ensure we use hand signals, lots of affection and we put on his calming bandana sprayed with pet remedy natural calming spray.

This duo is wonderful to use in new or busy environments and really helps to keep Puggy content and stress free!

Puggy is very food driven so it’s important for us to keep his weight down, but also reward him for being the best dog ever with wonderful treats! The Yakers XL yak chew is as good as it gets. Puggy is utterly obsessed with these and it will keep him entertained for days on end. The chews are very hard, so they take him a while to get through without consuming too many calories. It’s great for his coordination as he must use his paws and when we get to the very last bit after weeks of chomping, we pop the leftovers in the microwave which turns the Yaker into crispy yak puffs. Puggy loves them, and we love to see him happy.

Since Puggy has lost his hearing, we have noticed he is much more tactile and loves getting cosy and feeling safe and secure. This super snuggly luxury blanket by Ancol is fit for a king and Puggy is obsessed!

Like most dogs, Puggy loves to keep busy, and even better if that involves healthy beef flavour chews! This Chewllagen beef flavour rolled chew is his Kryptonite! Its raw hide free, made of rolled collagen, and lasts for ages. Puggy spends days of end chewing, licking, chomping, and tearing pieces off. Great for all doggos, but especially those like Puggy are lacking their hearing and can be enriched with their other senses instead!

These are just a handful of brilliant items we love from Pets and Friends. They have heaps more to offer, including light up toys, cosy beds, snuffle mats… the list is endless and ever growing!

It’s nice to for us as multi dog household to grab everything we need in one place. For able bodied pooches and for ones who have special needs like our perfect Puggy.