Pudding’s foster mom had seen her do plenty of things people might once have thought were impossible. But when the determined puppy started making her way across the living room on her own, even she wasn’t prepared for what happened next. Pudding just kept going. Without her wheelchair supporting her, the puppy crossed the entire living room before finally tumbling over.
Her foster mom, Sara Burdick, hadn’t even been recording when it happened. By the time she grabbed her phone, Pudding had already done something she’d never done before.
“This is officially the most steps Pudding has ever taken without her wheels!” Burdick shared on Facebook. She couldn’t believe the same puppy who once couldn’t take a single step was suddenly exploring the living room on her own four paws.
Pudding Couldn’t Stand When She First Arrived
Pudding has cerebellar hypoplasia, often called CH, a neurological condition that affects coordination and balance. According to Pawsitive Tails Dog Rescue, she couldn’t walk independently and would always need some extra help navigating the world safely.
When Pudding first arrived in Burdick’s care, her limitations were even greater. Her foster mom said the puppy couldn’t stand, balance, or take a single step by herself. So they found another way to get her moving. Pudding got a wheelchair, giving her the chance to experience some independence while she learned how to navigate life in her own way.
At first, simply figuring out her new wheels was an accomplishment. Then Pudding began showing everyone just how much she was capable of learning.
Her Wheels Opened Up a Whole New World
Pudding learned how to maneuver her wheelchair and began gaining confidence with it every day. When she wasn’t using her wheels, she could roll around, play, or relax safely in a soft-sided pen.
She also figured out how to drink independently from a water dispenser and eat from a raised feeding station. Toys became part of her routine too, although Pawsitive Tails Dog Rescue made it clear that hunting down treats might rank particularly high on Pudding’s list of talents.
“Treats? She takes those VERY seriously,” the rescue wrote.
Pudding also loves people and wants to be included in whatever they’re doing. She’s a cuddler, an explorer, and a curious puppy who’s interested in other dogs and everything happening around her. Her disability is part of her daily life, but it doesn’t seem to have convinced Pudding that she should sit anything out.
Then Her ‘Training Wheels’ Started Coming Off
As Pudding grew stronger, something unexpected began happening. The puppy who relied on wheels to get around started trying to move without them. She wobbled. She fell. Then she got herself back up and tried again.
Those attempts gradually turned into steps, and the steps eventually led to the moment Burdick almost missed recording. Pudding walked all the way across the living room by herself.
“We got her wheels so she could experience some independence, but she apparently decided those wheels were just training wheels,” Burdick joked.
The foster mom eventually managed to capture Pudding taking more independent steps on video. For a puppy who once couldn’t stand or balance on her own, every wobbly step represented just how far she’d come.
Cerebellar Hypoplasia Doesn’t Stop Pudding From Being Pudding
Cerebellar hypoplasia occurs when the cerebellum, the area of the brain involved in coordinating movement and balance, doesn’t develop normally. Dogs with the condition can have an unsteady gait, tremors, poor coordination, and difficulty balancing.
The condition itself isn’t something Pudding can simply overcome through determination, and she’ll continue to need accommodations and assistance. Pawsitive Tails Dog Rescue says she’ll need a safe environment for her tumbles, help with her wheelchair and daily routine, and people prepared to assist with things other dogs may do independently.
But none of that changes the puppy underneath it all. Pudding still wakes up wanting to play, explore, cuddle, investigate other dogs, and, whenever possible, locate something delicious.
As the rescue put it, Pudding isn’t looking for someone to feel sorry for her. She’s looking for someone willing to see the goofy, determined, treat-obsessed puppy who “just happens to have wheels.”
Pudding Is Still Looking for Her Person
Pudding’s biggest milestone may have happened in her foster mom’s living room, but her story isn’t finished there. She’s currently with Pawsitive Tails Dog Rescue and still needs a family willing to give her the extra support she’ll require throughout her life.
The rescue expects Pudding to grow into a medium-sized dog of around 45 to 60 pounds. Whoever eventually brings her home will need to understand her CH and be ready to help with her wheels, keep her environment safe, and make sure she can participate in everyday life in ways that work for her.
In exchange, they’ll get the puppy her foster mom describes as seemingly unstoppable. Pudding may move through the world differently, but she has made it very clear she intends to keep moving through it.
“She may wobble. She may fall. She may have to work ten times harder than another puppy to get where she wants to go,” Burdick wrote.
Then comes the part that Pudding seems determined to prove every day. She keeps getting back up, and lately, she’s even been walking.
Toledo, United States.