Tears As Pug Paralyzed From Waist Down Wags Tail: 'Miracles Do Happen'

A pug dog who lost the use of his hind legs has wagged his tail for the first time in months.

Charlie Osman was moved to tears at seeing her pet pooch Puggy's physical reaction to trying out a new bed for the first time.

A few simple wags of the tail can tell a dog owner a lot about their canine's state of mind. According to a 2013 study published in Current Biology, wag more to the right and the suggestion is your dog is in a relaxed mood. Wag more to the left though and researchers reckon they could be in a more alert, stressed or anxious state.

Puggy's wags mean so much more than any of that though. To Charlie and her partner Nick they represent nothing short of a miracle. Puggy has been by Nick's side since he was an eight-week-old puppy. A few years later, Nick met Charlie. "I quickly became momma," she told Newsweek. "He's just the funniest little soul with so much character!"

He began to get attention on social media after Nick shared a video to Facebook of Puggy popping out of a drawer in his office. "How to destress at work," the onscreen caption read.

The video went viral, helping put Puggy on the map. Today, he boasts over 1.4 million followers across Instagram, TikTok and Facebook. Puggy has had multiple videos go viral under the handle thepuggysmalls, but that simple 6-second clip of him wagging his tail might be among the most powerful.

"He's got a spinal condition called myelopathy, which causes weakness in his back legs," Charlie said. "It's been diagnosed for over a year, but the symptoms have become much more obvious in the past six months."

Degenerative myelopathy shares similarities with Lou Gehrig's disease, or ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis), in humans. An inherited neurological disease that typically affects dogs aged eight or older, though there is no cure for DM, regular physical therapy has been found to delay progression.

Nick and Charlie have had to make some big adjustments to accommodate Puggy's condition, including moving to a ground floor apartment with a flat garden. Puggy's situation is further complicated by the fact that he is deaf. Despite this, their beloved pet pooch has remained his bright and bubbly self throughout.

"Although it's been tough, Puggy isn't in any pain and he really is unstoppable. I often think it's harder for us than him as he is so resilient and loves his life, nothing gets him down," Charlie said.

"He can occasionally walk a few steps but generally he lives life in his buggy or on his custom-built doggo wheelchair! He is a very clever dog and enjoys learning sign language, doing tricks, zooming around the woods on his wheels, and of course, eating!"

In the video, Puggy can be seen trying out a special new bed that will allow him to sleep side-by-side next to Charlie and Nick. While Charlie was obviously delighted with the bed as it will ensure she knows Puggy is safe and secure each and every night, they did not expect their pet pooch to have such a big reaction to it.

"He sat with us while we unboxed and built the bed, then when we put him in it we wagged his tail and he was clearly chuffed to bits with it," she said.

Puggy wasn't the only one. While Charlie can be heard close to tears in the background of the video, the clip garnered a similar reaction on TikTok where it was posted alongside the words: "Miracles do happen."

One viewer wrote: "this is amazing what a beautiful tail wag," with another commenting: "This made me so emotional I can hear the joy in your voice." A third added: "Oh my gosh... tears here. Love you Puggy!" while a fourth said: "oh puggy, you definitely love that new bed. brave boy."

Though no one knows what the future holds for Puggy and his health, it's moments like this that Charlie will cherish forever. "He melts our hearts daily, but this one was a moment we won't forget," she said. "I'm an emotional wreck at the best of times when it comes to our dogs, but this had me bawling my eyes out and we are so happy we managed to capture it on video!"

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.