When Linguini’s family first brought him home, they had no idea that he was blind. He was so confident and social, they thought he was just a clumsy puppy who occasionally bumped into things. When they figured out the truth, they were definitely surprised, and
Linguini himself still hasn’t seemed to realize that he’s different from any other dog.
Sarah Bowley
“Most people, including some vets, would never guess he’s blind as he’s so adaptive to his surroundings and intelligent in how he navigates the world,” Sarah Bowley, Linguini’s mom, told The Dodo. “He has never let it hold him back and does everything that our other dogs do. In fact, he may be the bravest one out of all of them!”
Linguini is a very social dog who loves meeting new people and dog friends. He gets so excited every time he comes across a new dog to play with — but unfortunately, sometimes his intense excitement is too much for other dogs to handle.
Sarah Bowley
“He can’t see them and so when he finally realizes they’re there — he’s beside himself with excitement,” Bowley said. “I think it startles or surprises them when he’ll suddenly realize there’s a friend around and start jumping up on them and trying to play. Because he’s blind but also super energetic, he tends to just jump up with paws outstretched and I think it’s a little much for other dogs as a first encounter.”
Due to his intense reactions to other dogs, Linguini often struggled trying to make friends. Other dogs never seemed to want to play with him — until he met his new brother Future.
Sarah Bowley
As soon as Linguini’s family brought Future home, they could tell he was special. He was incredibly intelligent and emotional, and seemed to be able to detect the needs of everyone around him. His family hoped that he might be the perfect friend for Linguini, and it turns out they were right. From the moment they met, Linguini and Future were instantly the best of friends.
“They clicked right away and started playing like crazy; the way you’d expect puppies [to] play,” Bowley said. “This was amazing to see as I felt like Linguini never really got to play like this with other dogs as they always seemed a little uneasy around him or he was too energetic for them. Future, however, matched Linguini’s energy perfectly and it was like the two had always known each other.”
Sarah Bowley
Now, Linguini and Future are always together. They could play for hours, and love running circles around their house until they simply can’t run anymore. They take naps together and lounge around on the couch until they’ve restored enough energy and are ready to keep on chasing each other. Since Linguini is blind, he has learned to take cues from Future and often mimics his behavior. Future seems to know Linguini is blind and helps him out whenever he can, but also doesn’t treat him any differently, which is exactly what Linguini has always wanted.
Sarah Bowley
“Future seems to have an innate understanding of Linguini in a way other dogs don’t,” Bowley said. “You can tell when you’re around them that Future is aware that Linguini is blind but that he doesn’t really care — he just likes Linguini for Linguini. He plays with him just as rough as any other dog and will wait patiently for Linguini to find him once he’s initiated that he wants to play. This is by far the best thing for Linguini as he doesn’t see himself any differently and just wants to play like other puppies do.”
Sarah Bowley
Before Linguini met Future, all he really wanted was to find a friend who would play with him. Now he and Future are inseparable, and won’t let anything get in the way of their friendship.
“I think for Linguini, Future solidified this idea that he is just like any other dog and that being blind doesn’t have to hold him back in any way,” Bowley said.
Credit: The Dodo