Heartwarming story: Blind & deaf puppy learning how to bring comfort to others as therapy dog
Being deaf and blind won't hold this pup back from becoming a therapy dog
The first few dog trainers seemed too confident about being able to work with Erin Baxter's newly adopted dog, Ruby, who has been deaf and blind since birth.
It made Baxter nervous that these trainers didn't seem to recognize the obvious challenges, that they didn't seem to think training a dog who is missing two of her primary senses would be difficult at all.
Trainer Rick Carde's hesitation, by contrast, was reassuring. Carde told Baxter he'd worked with dogs who are blind or deaf, but never ones who are both. He said he wasn't sure what he'd be able to teach her, or how.
It just hadn't been done a lot. There aren't a lot of deaf and blind dogs who've lived and have gotten into homes so committed to helping them thrive. But he said he'd like to try, which was what Baxter wanted to hear.
"This is my first time doing this, so it's all new to me, too. We are learning together," Baxter told TODAY. "I believe things are put in our paths for a reason and you can choose to follow the signs or ignore them."
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After working together for some time, Carde asked Baxter if she was serious about training Ruby to do therapy work. She said yes.
"She comforts just about anybody that has the weight of her body on them," said Baxter.
Ruby's warm, friendly, loving disposition is perfect. Carde began developing a whole new set of training methods to help Ruby learn her therapy dog skills, like being able to ignore distractions.
Carde and Baxter imagine Ruby providing great comfort to, say, veterans with PTSD, and kids who've lost their vision.
"She can do it, you can do it," Carde said.
There is much more to this heartwarming story:
http://www.today.com/pets/deaf-blind-pup-becoming-therapy-dog-t109765?cid=sm_fb_klg
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I'm so happy she has found a useful life and people to love her back. 
