Tumbles the two-legged puppy gets 3D-printed wheelchair

A two-legged puppy called Tumbles has been given a 3D-printed wheelchair to help keep him on the right path.

The six-week-old terrier-beagle mix was born with no front paws, but thanks to advances in 3D-printing technology Tumble's days of tumbling around could well be over.

As the handicapped runt of the litter, Tumbles couldn't feed from his mother properly so he was taken to an animal shelter in Ohio.

Friends of the Shelter Dogs rescue co-ordinator Angela Marx told CBS News:

Tumbles was born without any front legs, but is coping well, his foster parents say. Credit: Friends of the Shelter Dogs

After seeing the bipedal pup on social media, a supporter offered up a design for a specialised wheelchair for him, which the Ohio University Innovation Center helped create - pledging to help Tumbles for life by altering the chair as he grows into an adult dog.

In the video, Tumbles can be seen warily getting used to the contraption at his first fitting last week.

"It's going to be a process," Marx said, adding that the dog is not available for adoption but is proving a "happy and willing patient" as he learns to use his wheels.