I take my hat off to people who have decided they want to adopt a dog that’s both blind and deaf.
So many responsibilities, so much work around such dogs…
And yet, they give much joy!
Tamale is a rescue dog. Genetically speaking, he’s a double merle pup, which means chances of him ending up deaf and blind are high. Well, that’s exactly what happened to poor Tamale.
This genetic defect affected Tamale in his earliest days. He was born this way.
However, that didn’t stop Tamale from being a special pup.
His defects didn’t make him invisible because this pup surely knows how to turn attention over to him.
And, if Tamale’s attention wanders, Jimmy’s there… one nose boop away.
Tamale And Jimmy, The Best Nose Boopers In Town
When Speak For The Unspoken posted Tamale, then a 4-month-old Aussie Shepherd, up for adoption, Kayleigh Ostot knew she couldn’t look past this pooch. Something in her guts told her that Tamale HAD to be her dog. She HAD to give him the home he deserves.
The Ohio-based dog mommy fell in love with Tamale’s spirit. He acted as if he was normal, like any other dog, and he showed everyone how friendly he really was.
Who wouldn’t love to have such a dog?
Growing up was a bit ruff for Tamale. He used to bump into things all the time. However, he soon proved that he was more than just a dog with visual and hearing impairments.
He learned how to manage in this world, and he learned something else:
How to make friends.
Back in 2020, when the pandemic hit us and everyone was looking for a friend in tough times, Tamale met the other piece of his heart… his best friend in the whole world: Jimmy.
“Jimmy and Tamale met at the dog park over a year ago,” Otstot said back then. “Originally Jimmy’s mom, Melinda, and I would plan to meet at the dog park. Then we started taking the two out on walks together and it went from there. They see each other at least once a week, if not more.”
An unbreakable bond was created. Jimmy recognized Tamale’s pure heart and friendly intentions. They became inseparable ever since. They became like family.
But, Jimmy realized something was a bit odd with Tamale. He didn’t watch the sunset with him. He didn’t show him trees with squirrels at the park, or show that he cared if Jimmy was being loud.
But, he did smell that his BFF was there.
To help Tamale figure out that Jimmy was right before him, Jimmy came up with a cool way of greeting his buddy: nose booping!
Every time this couple of best friends would meet, Jimmy would rush to boop his friend’s nose and say hello in the sweetest possible way.
People should learn from Jimmy. All he sees in Tamale is his best friend. He sees no impairment, and he doesn’t ignore him just because he’s different. Only Jimmy and Tamale know how much fun they have together!
The nose booping became a thing for Tamale and his friends. Even his mom, Kayleigh, uses it! Whenever Kayleigh wants to wake up Tamale without startling him, she makes tiny nose boops with her hand and allows Tamale to sense her smell before he wakes up.
Although many of you might think that Tamale’s life is tough, full of unpredictability and accidents, Tamale and his family, along with his baby sister, Kiwi, prove they’re leading a normal, happy life.
You can follow this sweet Ohio family on TikTok and Instagram where they have quite a growing fan base. Hop on the bandwagon that loves the daily adventures of this brave, double-merle Aussie.
