A dog owner shared her pooch’s wholesome routine of waking up her deaf brother to let him know their owners are home.
Sierra and Joshua Justus, from Elizabeth City, North Carolina, adopted their first dog, Levi, a miniature Australian shepherd. At the same time, their family members also welcomed puppies from the same breeder.
Within a few weeks, though, the couple noticed Levi was sleeping a lot and didn’t react to sounds, which saw them take him to a local vet to get a diagnosis.
After the couple received confirmation Levi was deaf, they started to think of ways to make his life more comfortable and fulfilling.
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Knowing how active Levi’s breed is, Sierra, 25, and Joshua, 29, decided to adopt a second dog, Maisy, a golden retriever, who Levi immediately warmed to and tried to protect.
But over time, Maisy became Levi’s “Mama Bear,” Sierra said, guiding and caring for him in a loving way.
Sierra noticed that part of this care was letting Levi know when his owners returned home for the day.
The pair could often be found curled up on the sofa, Sierra said, and so Maisy would welcome her humans home before running back to give her brother a loving nudge to let him know Mom and Dad had returned home.
The best part, Sierra said, was that Maisy’s routine was completely self-taught.
This wake-up routine has happened a number of times, Sierra said, but on August 25, when returning home from a late-night movie, the 25-year-old decided to capture things on video.
Sure enough, when Sierra and Joshua entered their home a little after midnight, Maisy headed over to greet her owners before running back to the couch and giving Levi a nudge to let him know the pair had returned.
The dogs then excitably jumped around Sierra and Joshua, who captured the moment on video and later shared it on their dogs’ social media accounts.
Sierra said: “One night, after coming home from a movie, we did what we usually do when we think the dogs are asleep, and we peeked through the front door window because we love catching them in their cutest moments.
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“Sure enough, Maisy and Levi were snuggled up, fast asleep in the living room.
“I couldn’t resist recording, as I do so often with them.
“As soon as we walked in, Maisy heard us right away, but Levi, of course, didn’t.
“Before we could even greet her with pets, Maisy ran over to Levi and gave him a little boop to wake him up.
“The best part is that we never taught her to do that – it’s just something she started doing naturally as if she knows exactly when he needs her.”