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WATCH: Blind dog can navigate obstacle courses with ease

"I see a lot of blind dogs and they all bump into objects in a way that Dave didn’t – so at present he is a medical mystery!"

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Dave the dog has been blind all his life. (James Linsell-Clark via SWNS)

By Ben Turner via SWNS

An incredible dog whose owner didn't know he was totally blind for an extraordinary NINE MONTHS has been declared a "medical mystery" by veterinary experts.

Border Collie Dave "never puts a foot wrong" and can even navigate obstacle courses - leaving vets completely baffled by his condition.

Owner Jane Downes, 69, said that her pooch always comes when called and will happily play with other dogs despite his retinas being completely undeveloped.

A top UK vet has declared Dave a "medical mystery" after confirming that the rescue pooch - believed to be between five to seven years old - is fully blind.

Jane, who owned Dave for almost a year before making the discovery, said: "No one's got any answers. It's just a conundrum.

Jane Downes with her border collie Dave. (James Linsell-Clark via SWNS)

"It's just really strange. He's a blind dog that can see.

"Maybe it's a sixth sense, who knows?

"He had everyone fooled. Even me as his owner, I was fooled for nine months."

Jane bought Dave from an animal rescue center in February 2020. No issues were raised regarding his sight, even after a check-up at the local vet.

Jane, from Cambridgeshire, England added: "He jumped into the back of the car and I brought him home.

"A couple of people said he had funny eyes but I just thought he's got beautiful eyes.

"On a couple of occasions he walked into things but I put that down to him being a sheepdog who more than likely lived in a barn rather than a house.

"He wouldn't put a foot wrong. He would come back when you called him."

But in December, Dave stumbled over a step at a pet shop in Cambridge, and the owner suggested to Jane that her dog might be blind.

She took Dave to a specialist, where they finally discovered that he was totally blind and his retinas had never developed, meaning he was sightless from birth.

After the revelation, Jane called on the help of Cambridge University's David Williams, a top veterinary ophthalmologist, who organized two obstacle course challenges for Dave and a retina test, which confirmed the diagnosis.

He told a local newspaper: "I see a lot of blind dogs and they all bump into objects in a way that Dave didn’t – so at present he is a medical mystery!

"Just because I’ve been doing this for 33 years, it doesn’t mean I’ve seen everything, and this I can’t explain.

“In life, you like to think you know everything, but that’s not always the case."

Dave and Jane. (James Linsell-Clark via SWNS)
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Dave now enjoys running around at home with his new brother Sammy, a two-year-old Border Collie, who joined the family in October last year.

Jane said that Dave lives a happy and full life.

"He goes straight to his food. He chases other dogs around even though he can't see them," she explained.

"He can jump into the boot of my car. He walks around puddles.

"On the very rare occasion, he walks into something he just shrugs it off and carries on."

Dave's only limit is his fear of going into the sea - but Jane doesn't know if this is due to his blindness or a possible traumatic experience as a puppy.

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