Like humans, when an animal loses one of their senses their other senses grow stronger.
And while Opal can’t see or hear, she rushes to the door to happily greet her dad just like any other dog.
The 8-month-old merle-coated pup was born deaf and blind as a result of improper breeding.
But that didn’t stop Christina Bray and her husband from adopting Opal through an Idaho rescue group that works to rehome special needs dogs.
They were immediately attracted to Opal’s fun-loving spirit.
And she shows it best when her daddy gets home.
Christina captured the ritual on video which ended up going viral.
Opal knew her daddy was home before he was even in the driveway.
Opal sensed it was her dad before he even pulled in.
https://www.instagram.com/p/Bo8QHS5HIxl/?taken-by=opalthedoublemerle
Even though Opal can’t hear his car running, she knows someone has arrived.
She perks her head up and somehow knows when he’s gotten out of the car.
It must be her nose because she starts sniffing over in his direction.
She then barks and calls out to him.
She feels for the fence and jumps on it.
Opal is feeling around for him but doesn’t spot him.
He then pets her and she jumps all over him like crazy.
The two of them are super excited to see each other.
Opal couldn’t be happier running around her yard in excitement because her daddy is finally home. Opal’s video ended up going viral and was viewed more than 10,000 times.
“She waits in the front yard and waits to either feel or smell his car,” Bray wrote online. “[I don’t know] how she can tell the difference because neighbor cars pull up and she doesn’t care. She then smells him and goes crazy. It’s very sweet! Our new daily routine. “
Smell is a crucial sense for an impaired dog, according to Cesar’s Way.
“You dog may have lost his sight and hearing, but that still leaves taste, touch, and — most importantly — smell. Even when they can see and hear, the most significant way that dogs interact with the world is through smell,” the website says.
“Sniffing around tells them where things are and what they are, and when you use this in combination with touch, your older dog will have a much easier time living normally,” the website says.
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