When the video opens, Maverick looks completely ready for his next throw, even though he has no idea where the ball is going. Standing on the patio with his nose pointed toward the sky, the blind dog waits for his mom’s cue before heading into the yard to track it down.
The video from @our_life_with_mav shows just how seriously this Springer Spaniel takes the game. He follows the sounds and scents until the ball finally turns up. It takes a few wrong turns, an accidental kick, and plenty of sniffing, but Maverick gets there in the end. Going by the happy squeaks that follow, he is pretty pleased with himself.
Blind dog uses his sense of smell to play fetch and ease anxiety
The whole point of fetch is to find the ball. But the fact that Maverick cannot see it does not seem to have changed the rules. The video starts in the backyard, where Maverick is standing on the patio with his head lifted toward the sky.
His mom tells him, “This is the last one, okay,” but he stays completely still in his launch position. “Listen, are you listening?,” she asks. Maverick does not move an inch.
Then, his mom throws it across the wooden patio, where it bounces a couple of times before rolling into the grass. Those sounds give Maverick something to work with, and he takes off into the yard. He runs right past the ball at first.
A few seconds later, Maverick comes back into view with his nose leading the way. He follows the scent around the grass, getting closer and closer until he accidentally kicks the ball farther away.
Maverick pauses, turns around and starts sniffing in another direction. Before long, his nose brings him back towards the ball. This time, he makes a few more loops before finally locating it and picking it up.
Immediately after, Maverick starts squeaking the ball again and again, pressing down on it as his mom laughs and calls him a “good boy.” She eventually tells him, “All done bubs,” but Maverick turns around looking like he may want to have another go.
This blind dog plays fetch so well, and it gives Maverick something to focus on, too. He uses his hearing and powerful sense of smell to work out where the ball has gone. The video has gone seriously viral, with more than 2 million views and 106,000 likes.
The post Blind Dog Can’t See the Ball, but His Nose Knows Exactly Where to Find It appeared first on DogTime.
