Tears as Dog With Special Needs Masters Walking Down Stairs—'So Determined'

A video showing a border collie with special needs succeeding in walking down a set of steps has left viewers in tears.

When Laura, from Perth in Australia, first bought Winter as a puppy, her pet seemed like any ordinary dog, full of energy and affection for her new human companions.

But by the time Winter had reached 6 months old, Laura told Newsweek they began to sense that something was not right. "She started having trouble with her back legs," Laura said. "She couldn't jump or run properly."

Winter underwent several different tests. Initially, they suspected hip dysplasia, a condition that has been known to affect canines in a way similar to what they were seeing with Winter. But the tests came back negative.

It was only after the owners were referred to a neurologist and both MRI and DNA tests were conducted that the truth was discovered: Winter had cerebellar hypoplasia, a neurological condition that affects her movement and coordination.

"There's no cure, and it's progressive, so she will continue to lose the ability to walk until she eventually will need a wheelchair," Laura said. "She's had so many tests at the vet, but she's a very brave and happy dog. She is so determined to have fun and live a full life."

Despite the seriousness of her condition, Winter can still thrive. This is helped in part by developments in veterinary medicine and a willingness among owners to adapt their living arrangements to accommodate a canine companion.

Writing for VCA Animal Hospitals, veterinarian Dr. Ryan Llera said: "Adapting the pet's lifestyle to accommodate compromised mobility is often limited only by the imagination.

"Packs and modified infant slings can be used to carry cats and small dogs. Larger dogs can often be transported in a wagon pulled by their humans," Llera added. "Pets with rear-limb paralysis or profound weakness often learn quickly how to use a wheelchair that they pull behind them."

With Winter due to turn 2 years old later this year, Laura and her husband are determined to do everything in their power to ensure she has a happy, active life. "She loves going to the beach and chasing waves, loves playing fetch and will find anything to play fetch with," Laura said. "My husband and I are determined to give her the best quality of life. We take her to a dog physio every two weeks to help her maintain her muscles."

As part of that, the couple have been busy chronicling her efforts on TikTok, where's Winter has already amassed an impressive following. The latest clip from last week, showing her being put through her paces practicing walking down a set of steps, has been watched close to 500,000 times.

It's the perfect showcase of Winter's determined approach and the way in which her owners are gently pushing her on to keep going. Although Winter still needs more practice, the clip chronicles the progress the border collie makes in just a couple of attempts at traversing the steps.

The heartwarming footage of her trying and ultimately succeeding left one viewer "crying," while another urged her to "never give up." A third, meanwhile, saw the clip as a source of comfort. "I just found out that my little puppy has Cerebeller Hypoplasis too, can't wait to see her journey!" they wrote. "Winter is doing great!"

Laura said she began posting videos only as a way of showcasing how "charming and cute" Winter is. "But then people seemed to be really interested in her and she got a lot of love for being so happy with her physical challenges," she added.

"I've had people who have neurological conditions message me and say how they love watching her videos because it shows that they too can live a full life with a neurological condition."

Though Laura said there have been the occasional "nasty comments about her," Winter's owner still sees the positive in creating content that educates people on her pet's condition: "Just because she's not 'perfect' doesn't mean she's not an incredible dog and a wonderful companion with so much personality and love to give."

Do you have funny and adorable videos or pictures of your pet you want to share? Send them to life@newsweek.com with some details about your best friend, and they could appear in our Pet of the Week lineup.