http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qLXHvBFG-CI

 

Ever wondered what are the limits of animals’ abilities? How different would they behave if they are handicapped in ways which affect their normal movement?

Here is a video about a dog who is able mimic the movement of humans and walk on his hind legs. Faith is a mixed breed stray which was born without his front paws. As such she has a problem walking on all fours.  This is a classic case of operant learning where her adopted family trained her using the reward system. They would offer her a scoop of peanut butter for every step she makes. Environmental factors also play a part since her adopted family trained her on their backyard in winter. Thus Faith was forced to try to walk or be stuck outside in the freezing cold. Thanks to the patience of her adopted family, Faith has succeeded in learning the technique on walking on her hind legs, gaining attention from people around. This is a heartwarming story on the relationship between humans and animals. Even though we are different in many ways, we can still offer love and support to one another. Just like how Faith’s adopted family ignored comments about putting Faith to sleep because of her disability and preserve in trying her to get her to walk. In return Faith will shower them with love and affection through her simple gestures. Such exchanges of love are simply priceless.

 

References

The Amazing Dog, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qLXHvBFG-CI