Blind and deaf senior dog with dementia forgot almost everything — except one playful trick that wins him favorite treat each time

Despite everything, the dog's instincts stayed sharp; he still sensed meal times and knew when his owner was home.

PUBLISHED 1 DAY AGO

(L ) One man playing with his beagle dog at home; (R) Beagle getting a treat (Representative Cover Source: Getty Images | Photo by (L) South_agency; (R) drbimages)

There’s something deeply moving about senior pets. As they grow older, they rely more on the people who love them, and their resilience can be nothing short of inspiring. For one Florida dog, the journey through aging came with major health struggles, but also showed how love and trust can carry animals through their hardest days. Despite struggling with dementia, this senior dog remembered one adorable trick that never failed to bring a smile to his owner's face and a treat for him.

A senior Dachshund dog. (Representative Image Source: Getty Images | Oksana Restenko)

As reported by iHeartDogs, Piper, then 17 years old, had lived a life filled with both hardship and love. His story began in Jacksonville, Florida, where he and his brother were found abandoned in a box outside a shelter. That’s where he met Dennis Gerard, the man who would become his forever family. At the time, Piper was malnourished and shy, but Dennis felt a connection right away. Dennis shared that Piper was just a scared little guy, but he knew they were meant to be together. Over time, Piper grew more confident, comforted by daily reminders from Dennis that he was a good boy and deeply loved.

Man cuddling with his dog | (Cover Image Source: Pexels | Alena Darmel) — Man cuddling with his dog. (Representative Image Source: Pexels | Alena Darmel)

Piper’s golden years were not without struggle. He lost all his teeth, and gradually, over the course of a year, he went completely blind. Later, his hearing faded, too. Dennis helped him adjust to every change, even training him to move safely around the house using gentle touch and scent cues. Later, Piper developed doggy dementia, a condition similar to Alzheimer’s in humans. But despite forgetting most things, Piper never forgot his playful trick of faking injuries to get a treat from his owner.

A young man sitting on the floor and feeding a dog (Representative Cover Image Source: Pexels | Photo by Photo by Bethany Ferr) — A young man sitting on the floor and feeding a dog. (Representative Image Source: Pexels | Bethany Ferr)

At first, the dementia only affected him briefly each night, but over time, those episodes stretched longer, going from half an hour to three hours. Piper would wander aimlessly, sometimes seeming lost or anxious, but through it all, Dennis remained by his side. Dennis expressed that Piper was his whole world, and he knew he was Piper’s, too. Despite everything, Piper’s instincts stayed strong. He still knew when it was time to eat and sleep, and he could smell Dennis from the back of the house when he returned from work. Slowly but surely, Piper would make his way to the door to greet him. His sense of routine and connection remained, even on the hardest days. Dennis shared that while Piper did get confused at times, he still managed to find his way to him.

Unfortunately, just like Piper, dog dementia commonly affects many dogs in their senior stage. According to a report by the National Library of Medicine, canine cognitive dysfunction (CCD), also known as canine dementia, affects up to 60% of older dogs, especially those over 11 years old. The condition appears in all dog breeds equally, with no major differences in symptoms or how the disease progresses. However, since larger breeds tend to have shorter lifespans than smaller ones, signs of CCD are more likely to be seen and reported in smaller dogs.