The disabled soldier with a talent for training wheelchair dogs
Mr. Nguyen Van Huu (born 1951) in hamlet 5, Hong Long commune, Nam Dan district (Nghe An) is a 1/4-class disabled veteran, honored by neighbors as a person with a special talent for training dogs. Because, for more than 20 years, Mr. Huu has trained 7 dogs to pull a wheelchair carrying him around the village and hamlets. And for the people of Hong Long commune, the image of a dog pulling a wheelchair carrying its owner around the roads is no longer strange.
(Baonghean.vn) -Mr. Nguyen Van Huu (born 1951) in hamlet 5, Hong Long commune, Nam Dan district (Nghe An) is a 1/4-class disabled veteran, honored by neighbors as a person with a special talent for training dogs. Because, for more than 20 years, Mr. Huu has trained 7 dogs to pull a wheelchair carrying him around the village and hamlets. And for the people of Hong Long commune, the image of a dog pulling a wheelchair carrying its owner around the roads is no longer strange.
Once upon a time, the dog and the wheelchair were Mr. Nguyen Van Huu's companions.
In 1970, Mr. Nguyen Van Huu participated in the battle in Quang Tri battlefield and was injured by an artillery shell that hit his spine, with a disability rate of up to 93%. Since then, he has not been able to stand on his own two feet, and his life has been tied to a wheelchair and a hospital bed. After being injured, he was transferred to the 4th War Invalids Nursing Home in Nghi Phong Commune, Nghi Loc District (Nghe An). In 1987, after two years of marriage to teacher Bui Thi Xuan, Mr. Huu and his wife decided to return to their hometown. With a high disability rate, moving around in a wheelchair is not easy for Mr. Huu. Mrs. Xuan is always busy with school work, housework, and gardening, so she cannot often help him push his wheelchair for walks or visit relatives and neighbors.
In that situation, Mr. Huu thought of a way to train a dog to pull a wheelchair. The first thing he did was find a chain to tie around the dog's neck and connect it to the front of the wheelchair. The dog seemed to understand and immediately pulled the wheelchair forward. At first, the dog ran a bit chaotically, but he gradually adjusted it and completely obeyed the owner's commands. From then on, whenever he had to leave the house, the dog and the wheelchair became Mr. Huu's companions. "It can run 4-5 kilometers in a row, the only problem is that it has trouble pulling the wheelchair uphill," Mr. Huu shared.
Since returning to his hometown, Mr. Nguyen Van Huu has trained a total of 7 dogs to pull wheelchairs. Of these, 6 dogs died due to old age. "When the dogs got old and died, I loved them very much, I felt as if I had lost friends," he said. Asked about the secret to training dogs to pull carts and obey commands, Mr. Huu confided: "There is no secret, if you are really friendly and often pet them, sooner or later they will obey your commands. Dogs are very affectionate, they probably understand that their owners cannot walk so they are willing to help..."
Currently, Mr. Nguyen Van Huu has been given an electric wheelchair worth 25 million VND by a comrade in arms, which is very convenient for traveling. However, he still trains a black dog to pull the wheelchair in case the new one has technical problems or runs out of battery and cannot be recharged in time. As if to prove his talent, Mr. Huu switched to the old wheelchair, called the dog closer, hooked the chain to the front of the wheelchair and gave the command "go!". The black dog immediately "trotted" in the yard, passed the gate and ran straight out onto the street. After a while, Mr. Huu shouted "turn!", the dog immediately slowed down, circled back, turned into the gate and stopped in the middle of the yard.
TUONG ANH
