Piglet, the deaf blind pink puppy�Melissa Shapiro, DVM
© Copyright 2024 Piglet International Inc, Melissa Shapiro, DVM�Piglet International Inc. is a 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation.
PIGLET MINDSET®
Piglet and the Three Senses
Piglet and the Three Senses�Part 1
Hi! I'm Piglet, the deaf blind pink puppy
PIGLET MINDSET®
Piglet and the Three Senses
Let’s get into a Piglet State of Mind!
PIGLET MINDSET®
Piglet and the Three Senses
Guiding question to keep in mind for Piglet and the Three Senses:
How does Piglet manage in his day-to-day life without being able to see and hear?
I wasn’t always such a happy guy. In fact, I was rescued from a hoarding situation in Georgia along with my mom, 3 littermates, and many of my relatives. I am a double dapple dachshund chihuahua mix, meaning that both of my parents had a dapple-colored coat. This is why MY haircoat is white and I have congenital ear and eye defects (abnormalities).
I am deaf and blind. When I was a tiny baby, I was extremely anxious and screamed constantly. I was lucky to find a safe, supportive home with a family that showers me with unconditional love.
My situation was 100% preventable by spaying and neutering and NOT allowing two dapple-colored dogs to breed. Placing special needs dogs like me is not easy. While some find great homes right away, many like me find themselves abandoned or in rescues and shelters.
PIGLET MINDSET®
Piglet and the Three Senses
Just as a reminder…
PIGLET MINDSET®
Piglet and the Three Senses
A lot of people ask how I manage without being able to see and hear…
They want to know how I get around without two of the five senses…
They want to know how I can have a good quality of life without what they think are the two most important senses, hearing and eyesight/vision
Let’s quickly review the five senses…
PIGLET MINDSET®
Piglet and the Three Senses
I am missing hearing and eyesight…
…But I do have a warm caring sense of touch, relentless sense of taste, and a keen sense of smell
Taste
Hearing
Eyesight/vision
Touch
Smell
My outlook on my situation is actually very positive!
Let’s face it, I have over half of the five senses, which is a pretty good percentage! Plus, I’m a dog and dogs LOVE to sniff around!
So, rather than focusing on the two senses that I don’t have, I am thankful for the three senses that I do have.
Having three senses gives me the opportunity to have a surprisingly good quality of life.
PIGLET MINDSET®
Piglet and the Three Senses
I love my sense of touch
When I’m sitting on my dad’s lap, or being held in his arms, or when I’m sleeping snuggled next to my mom, I am using my sense of touch. It is comforting for me to feel love through my sense of touch.
This was especially important for me when I was a tiny baby. This special form of communication, touch, was the first way I connected with my family and friends. And this gave me the confidence to explore and learn about the world around me.
PIGLET MINDSET®
Piglet and the Three Senses
Touch
PIGLET MINDSET®
Piglet and the Three Senses
My mom teaches me tap (touch) signals
My sense of touch allows others to communicate with me. My mom has taught me tap (touch) signals. I have tap signals to tell me to:
Touch
PIGLET MINDSET®
Piglet and the Three Senses
My feet touch the ground so I know where I am
When my feet touch the ground, they feel different textures. This allows me to recognize where I am. My sense of touch helps me to find the back steps into my house, my water dish, the door to the vet hospital, and my way on my walks.
Floor and ground textures are an important part of mapping indoor and outdoor areas for blind dogs.
Touch
PIGLET MINDSET®
Piglet and the Three Senses
Discussion Question:
How does Piglet’s sense of touch help him connect to his pack and surroundings? What other senses is he using in the video?
Touch
PIGLET MINDSET®
Piglet and the Three Senses
My sense of taste is always on my mind
I love to eat. And when I eat, I am using my sense of taste. I pretty much taste my way through the day!
I love my meals. I eat breakfast, lunch, and dinner, plus snacks.
My mom uses treats rewards for me when we are working on my tricks. I will do pretty much anything for a treat. The tastier the better!
I also get treats from my friend Monica when I go to work with my mom!
Taste
PIGLET MINDSET®
Piglet and the Three Senses
I also use my sense of taste to learn about my environment. Most puppies chew toys, shoes, chair legs… I did the same. Especially when I was a tiny baby, everything went into my mouth.
I still like to chew my toys and my chewy sticks, and I can’t get enough treats!!
Tasting my way through the day
Taste
PIGLET MINDSET®
Piglet and the Three Senses
Discussion Question:
How does Piglet’s sense of taste motivate him to learn about new things? This is an older video. Now Piglet sits with his dish just like everyone else!
Taste
PIGLET MINDSET®
Piglet and the Three Senses
Everyone knows that a dog’s sense of smell is highly developed. Mine is as fine tuned as can be.
I use my sense of smell to recognize friends by sniffing their nose and mouth, and their breath when I meet them.
I remember each person’s scent after I meet them and I never forget them going forward into the future.
My sense of smell is finely tuned
Smell
PIGLET MINDSET®
Piglet and the Three Senses
I can smell when my mom is preparing my food even when I’m asleep in another room! I lift my head up, put my nose up in the air, and let everyone know that I know it’s time to eat!
I also use my nose to find treats in my mom’s pocket when we are working on my tricks. My friends at the vet hospital always have treats in their pockets so I can go “Pocket Diving” when I visit them.
My nose makes sure I don’t miss a thing
Smell
PIGLET MINDSET®
Piglet and the Three Senses
I use my nose to recognize familiar places and learn about new places. I know where I am when we get into the car at home, when we get back into the car at the vet hospital, and when we are taking walks in our neighborhood.
I use my nose to follow our other dogs on our walks. I can even tell if there’s a new dog walking past us on the other side of the street. Then I bark, which apparently no one appreciates.
My nose is probably good enough to be used for tracking and nose work
Smell
PIGLET MINDSET®
Piglet and the Three Senses
Discussion Question:
How does Piglet’s sense of smell help to teach him new things?�Check out how Piglet’s nose works!
Smell
Next up- Be sure to take a look at Piglet and the Three Senses Part 2!
Piglet International Inc.�Melissa Shapiro, DVM
© Copyright 2024 Piglet International Inc, Melissa Shapiro, DVM�Piglet International Inc. is a 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation.