--- title: Blind Akita Dog Gets Help from Seeing Eye Dogs description: Two dogs act as seeing eye dogs for the blind Akita dog that they live with in Michigan canonical: https://time.com/3895153/akita-blind-seeing-eye-dogs/ author: Olivia B. Waxman article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2015-05-23T19:12:34.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-08-04T07:43:35.651Z og:title: These 2 ‘Seeing-Eye’ Dogs Help a Blind, Old Canine Get Around og:description: 'Paws'-itively heartwarming og:url: https://time.com/3895153/akita-blind-seeing-eye-dogs/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt3b9ad56c8a674ebb/698851788e060104c1460a51/akita-blind-dog.jpg?branch=production&width=486&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 486 og:image:height: 273 og:image:alt: akita-blind-dog og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: These 2 ‘Seeing-Eye’ Dogs Help a Blind, Old Canine Get Around twitter:description: 'Paws'-itively heartwarming twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt3b9ad56c8a674ebb/698851788e060104c1460a51/akita-blind-dog.jpg?branch=production&width=486&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # These 2 ‘Seeing-Eye’ Dogs Help a Blind, Old Canine Get Around > Sponsored content. 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It curates the day's top headlines with TIME's reporting and analysis across politics, world affairs, business, health and culture. It is free to join at time.com/newsletters. #### How do I sign up for The Brief? The Brief is available free at time.com/newsletters, where readers can select it along with any of TIME's other six newsletters. There is no subscription required to receive it. #### Is The Brief free? Yes. The Brief is a free daily email newsletter from TIME. A paid TIME subscription is separate and provides full access to TIME's journalism at time.com/subscribe-agent. #### Who writes The Brief? The Brief is led by editor Richard Hall and draws on reporting from TIME's newsroom. Every edition is assembled by TIME editors rather than generated automatically. ### Sources * TIME Newsletters: [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-brief-2026q3/newsletters?i=c96f9eaa-b7ee-4dc2-b4a0-514e0aa59535&cr=time-nl-brief-2026q3-v1) ## Video: ANSWERS: DESIGNER DOGS [Watch (HLS stream): ANSWERS: DESIGNER DOGS](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/HlrH8Ag1.m3u8) (1:07)  _Published 2014-08-28. ANSWERS: DESIGNER DOGS_  by [Olivia B. Waxman](https://time.com/author/olivia-b-waxman/)  ## Olivia B. Waxman Staff Writer May 23, 2015 7:12 PM UTC  Jessica VanHusen  by [Olivia B. Waxman](https://time.com/author/olivia-b-waxman/)  ## Olivia B. Waxman Staff Writer May 23, 2015 7:12 PM UTC These two pups are seeing-eye dogs—for another dog. Jessica VanHusen of Waterford, Mich. has two healthy dogs that help out her older, blind pooch, a 10-year-old Akita named Kiaya. Kiaya had to have both eyes removed after a two-year battle with glaucoma, [according to](http://bluepearlvet.com/blind-akita-has-two-seeing-eye-dogs-her-brothers/) a press release on the website for BluePearl Veterinary Partners. Now, the other Akitas that VanHusen owns, 8-year-old Cass and 2-year-old Keller, are always by Kiaya’s side, grooming her, lying next to her in the yard, and watching out for her while she’s eating or when they’re all in the car together. “It’s clear the other dogs are trying to protect her,” Dr. Gwen Sila, the veterinary ophthalmologist who performed Kiaya’s surgeries, said in a statement. ### 10 Puppies That Look Even More Adorable Underwater  Pringles & Pickme Seth Casteel  Monty Seth Casteel  Popsicle Seth Casteel  Ginger Seth Casteel  Ruger Seth Casteel  Rolley Seth Casteel  Iggy Seth Casteel  Reason Seth Casteel  Corey Seth Casteel ## Transcript Time answers where do designer dogs come from? Designer dogs are the offspring of two purebreds. For instance, mate a basset hound and a beagle, and get a bagle. That beagle and a pug makes a puggle. Want a chug? Mix a chihuahua with a pug. A dachshund and chihuahua make a chiweenie. A chihuahua and a Maltese create a malchi. A morkie is Yorkshire terrier bred with a Maltese. Switch that Maltese for a bulldog and get a borkie. Want a silky cocker? Mix a cocker spaniel with a Maltese. A bullpei is a bulldog and a shar- pei. A shar- pei plus a cocker spaniel makes a cockerpei. A poodle and a german shepherd make a shepadoodle. Mix a collie and get a cadoodle. A cocker spaniel makes cockapoo. A shar- pei and a dalmatian make a sharmation. Plus a bulldog, a bullmation. 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