Stories from Deaf Dog Owners
Valuable advice and reassurance can often be gained by talking to other
deaf dog owners. Here we offer the chance for those who share their lives
with deaf dogs to tell their story and hopefully be an inspiration to
others who also own a deaf dog or who are considering taking on one of
these worthy companions.
Click here to send us your experiences
of living with a deaf dog.
 |
Our
Jack Russell pup, Kipper, who is now almost 8 weeks
old, was 1 of 5 in the single planned litter of our
6-yr old female and a registered AKC JRT stud. We'd
had the litter to keep a pup and my husband's favorite
was the fuzzy white boy who seemed the most outgoing
and laid-back. By 4 weeks old, I suspected he was deaf
as he continued to sleep when all the other pups woke
up and cried. We confirmed it with other observations
by 6 weeks and settled on Kipper as 'our' pup.
All the others are sold, on their way soon to new homes
and we will miss them. But choosing to keep Kipper,
rather than put him to sleep as many breeders do (an
economical and ethical choice, I am sure), was never
in doubt. |
|
| Fortunately,
my husband, a new emeritus of the UCDavis vet faculty, and
I see having and training a deaf puppy as an interesting challenge.
Kipper is going to start learning, with us, hand signals and
all that goes with normal dog-training once the other pups
are gone. We would have loved any one of our little guys,
but we have this unique and special little boy to teach us
something new in life. Our JRT mom, 2 standard poodles, and
we have lots to look forward to! |
Kitren Glozer - Davis, California |
 |
My
boyfriend and I had been contemplating getting a dog
for a very long time but were wary because we knew a
puppy required time, money and devotion. We finally
were ready, found one for sale in the paper and took
the plunge. On the ride home from the breeder we were
amazed at the fact that she slept like a rock. Nothing
phased her or woke her up--car doors, cell phones, keys
jingling, nothing scared or awoke her. 'WOW! We got
a really chilled out dog, lucky us!' we thought. It
was only a few hours later that my boyfriend made the
comment that she could be deaf. We kind of laughed it
off, assuming like everyone else with a deaf dog that
she was a stubborn puppy. |
|
We now know that she is indeed deaf, as all-white dogs such
as herself commonly are. There have been a lot of tears, a
lot of stressful thinking about whether or not to give her
up, and the final decision is that she is too smart and sweet
and precious to imagine life without.
I
would tell anyone thinking about raising a deaf dog that it
is extremely frustrating to have to leave your comfy spot
on the couch and get up and physically get her if she's somewhere
where she can't see hand signals and obviously can't hear
a "NO" or a whistle. We know we will never be able
to let her off a leash or out of our sight so we always have
to be alert and aware. She will never be a watch dog and can't
guard us and warn us of an intruder. But she is sweet and
loving and smart and we are confident that she will fit into
our lives as perfectly as any other dog, maybe even more so. |
Kelley and Justin - St. Petersburg, FL,
USA |
 |
We
adopted a 2 year old collie cross about 2 months ago
now, called Poppy and it was love at first sight, even
when we did know she was deaf, there was no going back
she was coming home with us. She loves life and I love
having her at home.
Having had dogs I knew it isn't easy to train them,
but Pop did come with some manners, like she was house
trained, but nothing else. |
|
|
She jumped when you went out, barked at anything including
the aeroplanes, something I think to do with flashing lights.
When we first got her she would wake us anything between 10-15
times during the night just to make sure we were there and
hadn't left. You'll be glad to know thats down to none now!
She is now getting better has more manners and knows a range
of hand signals, like come back and sit. She goes off lead
for most walks, just never where I can't see whats in a field
or round a corner. I wouldn't say she is perfect but I do
plan to take her to agility in the new year as it may be a
energy outlet! Deaf dogs aren't for everyone but I wouldn't
be without mine! |
Magz Wright - Padiham |
 |
We
have a gorgeous Dogue de Bordeaux called Honey and as
I am now addicted to the breed I decided to get another
one. And so Little Ezri arrive home with us on 8th September
at 9 weeks old.
We put her quiet behavior and unresponsiveness to our
calls down to everything being new and frightening.
As the next few weeks passed our little Ezri had come
out of her shell and was now playing and running around
with Honey, but was still being unresponsive to our
calls unless Honey came too. |
|
We
put this down to her just being a typical defiant menace of
a puppy. It wasn't until she started her puppy good citizen
classes at 14 weeks old did we start to question her hearing,
especially at the 2nd class (2 weeks ago) when she didn't
come back to us at her 1st recall, in fact it was like she
completely ignored us.
After
this class we did a few simple tests at home (with Honey out
of the room) and discovered that she couldn't hear a thing.
We even squeaked the noisiest squeaky toy we had right behind
her head, and blew dog whistles at all frequencies but nothing.
A few days later the vet confirmed that our little Ezri was
deaf.
We
have been asked if want to take Ezri to have BAER testing
done, although I don't think it will tell us anything that
we do not already know. She is doing so well now. We bang
on the floor to get her attention (it's amazing how she seems
to feel even the tiniest of vibrations, and responding really
well with the hand signals and in fact at her last puppy class
we came 2nd in the fastest sit competition.
We
are so proud of our little Ezri and she is learning more and
more as the days go by. It is amazing to watch. If you didn't
know better you wouldn't even know she was deaf. She is our
little wonder. |
Elaina Letford - Striling, Scotland |
 |
My
dog was on a pet site for adoption. I was thinking what
dog breeder to choose in order to buy my next dog, when
a friend sent by mail the link of a dog to adopt that
made her remember me. My sister, who was spending holidays
with me, went crazy! Talking to the owner we found out
that he was at home because he had return for the 5th
time from 5 different families, but he was going to
another home in that same day. The owner said that he
was completely deaf. I didn’t mind, but she had
already committed to the other family. Three days later
she called saying the dog was going home again. In the
same minute my sister went to her home, waited for the
dog and brought him to my home. |
|
He
is a male dog and when he came he was 11 months, was a bit
scared, depressed and skinny. I must say that I had never
met a deaf dog before and I was amazed with his communication
skills. He communicates like any other dog. I have met dogs
without any problem with lack of communication so I was expecting
something almost like an autistic communication. Nothing could
be more far from the truth. I went to the vet immediately
and he confirmed that he was 100% deaf.
I
have worked a lot to make him happy, secure, fat and comfortable,
so I’m just starting now (2 months later) with obedience
classes. Of course that in spite of my all day talk (I’m
always talking to him as he if he could hear me), he doesn’t
answer as a ‘normal’ dog to all the sounds but
yes, he is sensitive to the vibration. He communicates with
everybody, dog or person. Most people don’t even notice
that he is deaf.
Even
on training, I just have to work more than with other dogs
on rewarding him (he doesn’t always like food) or in
showing him I’m not happy because instead of a “good,
well done” or “no, bad boy” I have to do
a lot of other things to show him what I feel about that action
without hitting. Sometimes the time is not the right one and
it is slowing a bit the learning process, but nothing to worry.
I
always thought that a deaf dog was a very special dog with
very very very special needs (almost autistic), but this experience
has been showing me that’s not a rule or necessary true.
In my case, it’s almost a joke (even playing with other
dogs on the garden, he comes when I call (by signal when he
looks at me - and he looks at me frequently) easily than some
other dogs. I wouldn’t walk with him on the street without
a leash even if he could hear properly, so I don’t have
that problem.
I
must say that my dog’s deafness is not a problem neither
for me, or for my family or friends. Even today I have been
in an initial dog’s obedience class with him, and again
he acted as a normal ‘stubborn’ dog learning a
new position. However, I must say that in spite all good experiences,
I also believe that a deaf dog is not recommended for everybody,
even with a large experience on dogs as pets due to the communication
field (some people just can’t match the real life of
a deaf dog with the ideal dog pet life) and social responsibility,
for example, (in a fight situation I don’t have any
problem to interfere, but not everybody feels comfortable
doing it) twice I had to interfere with two dogs that ignored
the owner in order to attack my dog. With a deaf dog we can’t
expect him to respond to us when not looking at us, even if
he just wants to play not fight.
To
have a deaf dog also means to have more attention to what
surrounds us in order to protect him from all kinds of attacks
or problem situations (balls, dogs, cars, adults/children
approaching from behind, adults/children approaching when
our dog is sleeping near us while we are having lunch in a
calm beach restaurant or garden, etc). I never thought that
a deaf dog could be so present and interactive has he can
be. It is a very good surprise and in a few time, an experience
that changed my life. |
Sara - Portugal |
 |
My
husband, 2 children (3 1/2 & 6), and I were at a
local pet store during adoption times with the thought
of purchasing a new toy for our 5 year old border collie/beagle
mix when we saw Molly. She was just a sweet as could
be and we knew right away she was for us. Molly is an
11 week old Dalmatian/Lab mix. We have only had her
for a week, but I quickly realized she was not reacting
to our voices or toys that made sounds. Jokingly I told
my husband that I thought she was deaf, but as it turns
out I was right. I took her to the vet for her booster
shots and the vet confirmed it. I am now on the search
for any information to make her life with us more comfortable.
I can't wait to get started. |
|
Nicole DeRenzy - Canton, Illinois, US |
 |
I
rescued my Pit Bull "Asa" from the animal
control facility that I was an Officer at about 9 months
ago. She was found stray, running through a neighborhood.
The caller described to dispatch that she was a "vicious
looking pit bull", so we (my partner and I) loaded
up in out trucks and headed out to find this "aggressive"
dog. All the way there we are preparing ourselves for
a chase and making sure we had a plan in place if this
dog was indeed a dangerous dog. |
We arrive on scene to find a beautiful white pit bull laying
in the front of someone's yard. We called her over and she
promptly came running to us with her tail wagging. My partner
and I laughed at how "vicious" this stray dog was
acting.
Asa
stayed at our shelter for about 3 months before I made the
decision to take her home. The first couple weeks she was
there, she seemed very relaxed in her kennel. I would walk
the kennel in the afternoons and find her fast asleep while
the other dogs barked and howled. It was only after seeing
this several times that I decided to test her and find out
for sure that she was deaf. I took her out side in our "meet
and greet" pen and let her run around. I whistled and
clapped and yelled to her and the only reactions I got was
a quick head turn in the opposite direction from me every
once in a while. After that, she absolutely intrigued me.
I couldn’t stop thinking about her and the possibilities
in training. I'm an avid dog trainer in my spare time. I turned
many strays into adoptable pets at my kennel and I had the
same plans for her. I knew that her adoption chances were
slim because she was a Pit and even more slim since she was
deaf and had ZERO manners! So I started my quest to train
her.....having NEVER trained a deaf animal in my life!
I
started just in her kennel working on sit and down using treats
and signs. She was catching on....but I couldn’t get
"stay"....she was way too wiggly! After several
weeks of working with her I decided to take her home with
me and test her out in the home setting. IT WAS HORRIBLE!!!!!!
She has separation anxiety....HORRIBLY BAD!! I could walk
outside for just a few minutes to check the mail and she would've
already torn down he blinds trying to find me! I was surprised
but wasn't upset.....those were messed up blinds anyways.
My 8 month old Dane had already gotten hold of them before
her....she just finished his job. So immediately it was crate
training time, but that didn’t go so well....after she
broke her way through 2 metal crates I decided I needed a
professional! I called up a dog trainer buddy of mine who
specializes in shock collar training. He trains Austin Police
Dept.'s K9s as well as uses his own Narcotics/Protection dog
for a security company. We talked over the phone and decided
that the shock collar might be a great tool in her training.
He came over and I showed him the most recent damages to the
cages...and herself, then we started training. With in an
hour we had her in a sit stay. I could walk upstairs without
a shadow. I could walk outside and get the mail without coming
home to a destroyed house. It was great!! After that session
I became a believer in shock collars!!
She
is so well behaved now. I can take her to the lake to go swimming
and let her off leash. If she roams too far, I simply press
the "page" button on the remote and it vibrates,
telling her to come back. I can take her out in my front yard
off leash AND off shock collar and she keeps her eye on me,
never leaving the property line....not even to go visit the
neighbors!
I
recently moved in with my boyfriend and his roommates. We
have a total of six dogs in our house. Our three and our roommates'
three. With this many dogs here, Asa is so comfortable that
I don’t crate her anymore. She is left in the bedroom
with "Doobie" (rottie-pit mix) and "Lucy"
(lab mix) and I never worry about what is going to be torn
up or ruined. I do come home from time to time to a room that
has been torn apart....pillows on the floor, comforter on
the floor, dog beds upside down, clean laundry knocked out
of chairs, simply because Asa and Doobie LOVE to wrestle in
the bed.
This
has been the greatest adoption experience and it has truly
been a learning experience...and still is! I've never had
this amount of trust and connection with any other adopted
pet. She's my comfort when I'm alone during the week and my
boyfriend is on base 4 hrs north of me and my car buddy when
I need to drive somewhere.
I
encourage people to take on the challenges of owning a deaf
dog. It's one of the most rewarding experiences in dog ownership.
I know it’s not for everyone and you definitely need
to be strong, yet always show them love and reassurance. You
won't be disappointed! |
Kelly - Cedar Park, TX |
 |
Mitzy
came to us as a foster. She had a reputation of being
uncontrollable, very bouncy and not good with cats,
children or other dogs, that she barked at everything
and suffered severe separation anxiety. She was originally
looking for a home without rescue back up, so I asked
my local rescue to take her on and she came to us. |
We soon discovered she had a few food allergies and once on
a new diet her temperament and boingyness soon settled. She
was fascinated with the cats and tried to "herd"
them all up together but never nipped or barked at them. Her
separation anxiety was extreme. If anything came between her
and her people she would bark and howl and work her self up
into a frenzy of panting and yapping. If she awoke and couldn’t
find you she would begin barking on the spot and the frenzy
would begin again. She was very jumpy and would spin on the
spot if you stroked or tried to groom her. She wouldn’t
allow you to touch her feet or face and walking was a complete
nightmare.
We
enlisted the help of a TTouch specialist who came and spent
the day with us and Mitzy, teaching us calming touches and
eventually building up to touch the parts Mitzy was uncomfortable
with. Mitzy soon found the TTouch very calming and fell asleep
standing upright a couple of times. She began trusting us
more with each session and soon we could touch, stroke and
examine any part of her body and she enjoyed it. It helped
us all to bond with her too and there was a noticeable difference
in her behaviour afterwards. Her hand signals seemed to fall
into place - it was as if we had been accepted at club Mitzy.
It didnt take long after that to realise we couldn't part
with her and she officially became a permanent member in our
home.
She
has progressed to be able to be let off lead and her separation
anxiety now allows us to go out with no worries or barks.
She loves her toys, her favourite game is fetch. She is also
a dab hand with a frisbee and competes in disk dog events
across the country.
She
welcomes any new foster dogs into her home with no problems
and sleeps on the bed of my youngest son, usually sharing
it with one of the cats. She’s a real treasure that
I cant imagine life with out. |
Raiye - Wigan, Lancashire, UK |
|
 |
Teija
means ‘Gift of God’
A pup destined not to survive even before she was
born. |
We’d made token efforts to find a new pup. Well, actually
we’d done almost nothing. All the common excuses were
being used and expertly re-used so you can imagine my surprise
when the advert on Many Tears Rescue site jumped off the page
and lodged itself securely in the bit of my heart that had
been excused common sense duty.
Born
deaf and blind a tiny eight-week-old white Border collie pup,
a sad project. The rescue were asking people not to “write
her off” or have her “put-to-sleep” as she
could have quite a “good life with help”. She
needed someone special. Hats-off to those who take-on disabled
animals but this was not something I could ever do - or so
I thought!
She
is what’s called a ‘Lethal White’. The term
is used to describe a Border Collie merle-to-merle bred pup
that is born with two merle genes. There is a trend towards
breeding a pedigree pure white collie but this throws up life
threatening birth deformities and the term also alludes to
the fate of death that usually befalls most of them if they
do survive. Only perfection sells the rest are disposable.
They are also known as double-merles or homozygous (but I
can’t even pronounce that).
Touch is our way of communicating and through trial and error
we have developed a language so vast that there are now so
many signs that they get lost in everyday life. Her disability
is just a label. She doesn’t know she is different and
a lot of the time neither does anyone else. Obedience and
good manners are important for every dog and just so for Teija.
She is now well socialized with people and other dogs and
has learnt to sit, stay, lie down etc. and is starting her
Good Citizen Award soon. She does tricks, gives her paw and
loads more including beg and fetch (not the usual fast game
for us as sniffing things out takes a bit of time but when
she finds it she brings it straight back, I just have to remember
not to move). She is a normal little hooligan who gets up
to all sorts of mischief, beware the collie with nothing to
do they all need to be occupied and Teija is never happier
than when learning new things or getting into mischief.
Heat
winner - 2007 RSPCA Rescue Dog of the Year - so keep a look
out for the regional voting later this year.
Living
with Teija is just second nature to me now and I know that
some people think that it must be hard work but it's not -
it is just different. One thing I have had to come to terms
with is that there are still people that call me cruel and
self indulgent or wicked for 'putting her through this kind
of life' and tell me I should have let her be put to sleep
but she is a very happy, well adjusted, healthy little dog
who loves life so much - everyone who has met her will tell
you the same.
This
is the very start of our story. Teija has now joined Springer
agility team. She will never compete in the speed stuff but
as in everything we set our own path. She loves every minute
of it and yes she does jump!
Our
world is far from perfect but mans cruelty and exploitation
for personal greed (or in some cases the ignorance of the
consequences) towards animals leaves me speechless. These
types of pups should not be born but now she is here I feel
privileged to be the one chosen to share her life. I am so
proud of her. |
Lee - Huddersfield, UK |
 |
We
literally just got our mini goldendoodle 3 days ago.
He is the most loving, adorable little guy. We marveled
at how quickly he got the potty routine down. But my
husband and I noticed that he wasn't responding to any
sounds. |
We thought he was just a really chill puppy but then it dawned
on us. We just had him checked out today and he is deaf. We
are just starting our journey, any tips are helpful. We love
him even more now! He is the best hearing or none!!!! |
Jamie and Josh - Los Angeles, Ca |
 |
Dollie
is the 3rd Staffordshire Bullterrier to join our family.
We got her at 7 wks old and had no idea she was deaf.
We began to realise that maybe there was a problem when
she was about 9 wks old. Dollie didn't respond when
we called her or when we came in the front door she
would stay sound asleep snoring like a trooper despite
lots of noise around her, having 2 other dogs it was
difficult to know if she was just following their reactions
when called, and of course she was. |
Dollie is extremely vocal compared to the other 2 who hardley
make a sound. But as soon as she claps eyes on you she goes
quiet. We always let Dollie know if we are leaving the room
and she hasn't seen us, so she can follow if she wishes. Nutmeg
the middle of our 3 dogs has built up a strong bond with Dollie
and almost acts like Dollies ears, if we call Dollie (waving)
at her and saying her name and she does'nt respond Meg will
roll Dollie over to see us. They are for the most inseperable.
Dollie is so loving and gentle and will do anything for a
hug. We are slowly learning to sign with Dollie and although
it is slow progress im sure we will get there in the end.
She is a very important family member as are our other 2 who
are all spoilt rotten by our children. |
Mrs R Walton - Leicestershire, UK |
| We
got our deaf dog MISSY from an adoption Agency. I had lost
my beloved Beagle the year before and was ready to get another
dog. we thought we would get one through a dogs home. When
we first saw Missy we knew she was the one we wanted she took
to my husband like non we had before. She was 8months old
no one wanted a deaf dog we fell in love with her. We have
had her now for almost 2 years she is great with her signs,
she is just like a normal dog, doesn't hardly ever bark and
is very playful with our grandchildren, she loves her walkies
and is always near us wherever we are. We would not be without
her now. I would advise anyone to get a deaf dog now after
having our MISSY she is one loved doggy by all that meet her. |
Margaret - Australia |
 |
My
little 13", 11.5 pound deaf Sheltie, Tug, is an
awesome competition dog and has the sweetest Sheltie
temperament. Tug is a blue merle and is currently 2
1/2 years old, he came to live with us at the age of
almost 7 months. Tug makes his home with my 4 other
hearing Shelties that range in age from 6 years old
to 14 months old. Because Tug has such drive and eagerness
to please I decided to train him also in obedience and
agility. This little speed demon earned his CKC Novice
Obedience title in one weekend of trialing with scores
ranging from 188 to 193.5 at the age of 2 years old
and earned his CKC Novice Agility title in one weekend
of trialing at the tender age of 19 months old. |
Tug is a complete joy to live with and only barks when he
is super excited, like suppertime and greeting me when I come
home from work. He also has a funny side, he likes to nibble
on my heels when he gets really excited running around playing
in the yard (this is just a herding dog thing) and even thought
he is an agility dog used to climbing and jumping he will
not jump from a chair, sofa or bed. I put him on the chair
when I train my other dogs and he just stays there and watches
us! |
Anja - Edmonton, Alberta, Canada |
 |
I
have a collie cross, he was abandon at 5 weeks old so
Bridgend Dogs Trust took him in, they had to hand rear
him as he was still to young to fend for himself. He
was found in a cardboard box. He was rehomed 3 - 4 times
before I had him.
He is a very intelligent dog, his name is Jasper. I
take him Dog obiendance training classes once a week,
in the first year he gained the Star Dog of The Year,
we had a trophy to keep for a year, then last year he
gained the Progress Award which is a shield with his
name on, we keep that for a year. He is a registered
Pat Dog, we go visiting Nursing Homes, Hosptials, a
Special Needs School, and a Day Centre. |
Recently we had to go to Earls Court for the Discover Dogs
as I entered him in a competion run by the Kennel club - Companion
Dog Club, I entered him for the best rescue dog, we got to
the final nine, which is a marvellous achievement.
He is loved by everyone who meets him and makes lots of people
smile. He is spoilt, he loves to play ball and also likes
to play shadows. |
Sandra |
I
have a deaf Sheltie (Shetland Sheepdog) puppy name Domino
whose deafness we discovered shortly after we brought him
home from the breeder. The breeder had no idea of his deafness
and just thought Domino had selective hearing.
 |
Shelties
are very low on the list of breeds prone to congenital
deafness and it usually only occurs in Shelties that
are predominately white with blue eyes. Domino is a
sable merle with brown eyes (his mom is a sable merle
and his dad is a dark shaded sable & white) so we
can only assume that it was the merle gene responsible
even though it was not a merle to merle breeding. This
is rare but it does happen. Domino is a very happy and
active puppy despite his handicap! He has no idea he
is any different from any other dog and there is never
a dull moment in our house since he has arrived! |
He is very outgoing for a Sheltie and although he is a little
shy of strangers outside the home he greets all visitors as
if they came to see only him!
He trains more easily than some of my previous hearing dogs
and is so eager to please. He knows numerous hand signals
and was housebroken by the time he was 4 months old! He walks
beautifully on leash since he is not easily distracted by
barking dogs or traffic noise. The hardest thing to teach
him was not to play bite humans. Since he did not learn this
with his littermates because he couldn't hear them cry out
in pain when he got too rough. He would bite us to the point
of drawing blood sometimes. To correct this we would blow
on his face really hard and this worked! I don't know if it
was the air or the bad breath but it worked and he is much
better now!
It's very time consuming to train a deaf dog but it is also
very rewarding. Anyone considering it should make sure they
have the time and energy to spend with their dog. It takes
LOTS of patience. Do some research and learn different training
techniques and find out which ones will work for your dog.
The hardest thing for me is to be consistant with hand signals
and to use them often throughout the day because it can be
easy to forget they can't hear you.
Domino is now 5 months old and is growing into a handsome
young well behaved Sheltie. He continues to impress us with
his inteligence and eagerness to learn. He is lots of fun
to have around and my grandkids adore him and he loves them
back! |
Linda - Suisun City, California USA |
|
|
Having
2 rescue dogs (both hearing) already I wasn't looking to get
another dog, but some friends of ours accidentally had puppies
and we decided to take one on. Caramel was a collie x and
a gorgeous black and tan colour, she was 5 weeks when she
arrived here and settled in immediately. Being such a tiny
little thing we were very careful to shut her in when we were
moving the cars around the drive. Sadly one day tragedy struck,
Caramel escaped and was run over by the wheel of my car, she
didn't stand a chance. I was utterly devasted. My husband,
bless him, took control and decided that the only therapy
was to get another puppy.
 |
We
heard about a couple who once again had some unwanted
puppies after adopting a rescue dog who turned out to
be pregnant (we must attract charity cases!). Anyway
it was a long old trek to see the puppies. We took both
the children (Nina 8 & Myah 5) with us to help us
choose. They chose Bijou, a labrador/greyhound x who
was the most outgoing of the litter. She was a gorgeous
golden/tan colour with a white chest and a small white
star on her forhead, hence the name the girls chose. |
We brought her home at 7 weeks old, she was very outgoing
and didn't seem to mind when Belle our Beauceron x growled
at her when she tried to share her bean bag. She loved playing
with Daisy our Malinois x. She wasn't very yappy and never
woke up whining in the night.
We didn't find out she was deaf for 2 weeks, we just thought
she was headstrong for a puppy. Then I read an article by
chance on the net about deaf dogs and suddenly everything
changed. We tested her by clanging some saucepan lids together
whilst she slept, no reaction (from her anyway, the other
two ran outside as fast as they could!), whistling, clapping
our hands nothing, not a sausage - she was deaf.
I found out about signing, and we started to teach her some
signs, first one for her name, and then 'good girl' and 'no'.
It was amazing, suddenly she paid attention. It was as if
we had been ignoring her for 2 weeks and now we could suddenly
communicate. Potty training was done in 7 days just like the
books said, simply by sigining 'no' when we caught her weeing,
instead of standing there shouting. Of course no one believes
you when you say you have a deaf dog and usually they stand
there and clap their hands loudly or whistle at her before
saying oh yes. Then they look at you as if you are a bit crazy!
You see she doesn't act any different, runs around like a
loopy as puppies do.
Being a first time deafie owner, I can honestly say that they
are not much different to hearing dogs. Signing isn't such
a big deal, you feel a bit silly at first but when she does
what you want it is a fantastic feeling and we certainly don't
have signs for everything, infact she is getting so good at
reading body language that sometimes she reacts before you
have done the sign. Our two hearing dogs have learned the
signs too. All three play together all the time and Bijou
does bark and yelp like any puppy. OK she only has one volume
level and her barks are a bit weird sounding, more like a
fox than a dog, but I think that's just her!
There are advantages too to owning a deaf dog, you can sneak
to the loo in the night without them waking up, and you can
open a bag of crisps and eat half before the smell wafts across
the room and wakes her! People in the park think you are really
clever signing to your dog to command it, until you say she
is deaf and then they think you are crazy!
So for anyone thinking of taking on a deaf dog, I would say
do it. I have 2 hearing dogs, 2 cats, donkeys, a goat and
chickens and Bijou gets on with all of them. My children love
her to bits and it is hilarious to watch them signing at her
as they shout at the same time. My youngest has been known
to sit on Bijou's bean bag telling her a story!
At the end of the day all that matters is that the dogs character
suits you and as long as you are a responsible dog owner,
then a deaf dog is no different to a hearing dog. If anything
I think they give back more as they love being cuddled, stroked
and generally made a fuss of. If you have the chance to adopt
a deaf dog then do it, believe me you will never look back.
This is my first time owning a deaf dog and it really is a
great experience. |
Sonia - Ladignac le Long, Limousin, France |
|
|
| I
just got a deaf Boxer. He is one and thinks he is a person.
My wife and I did not know what we were in for. This has been
a big thing in our lives. There are some bad things about
deaf dogs but they are few and the good things are too many
and too good so the bad stuff gets put to the side and is
dealt with at that time not all the time. They (atleast Casper)
are not as hard to train as a hearing dog. We are the ones
that need to be trained on how to work in their world not
the one we think we need to. We now love Casper just as much
as the other two dogs we have. We have changed every thing
that we had to fit him in to our house and he has changed
things to help us out. DEAF does not mean that they are no
go it means we need to change what we do to make our world
fit their needs. This is no different than what we do for
hearing dogs. |
Robert - USA |
 |
Babe’s
Story
Hello, my name is Babe.
I am a 4 year old Terrier Cross. I was born on a farm
in Norfolk but I have lived most of my life at the Dog’s
Trust Snetterton. One day a couple came all the way
from London to see me. They had seen my photograph on
the Dog’s Trust website. One week later my blanket
and favourite toy were packed into a bag and the couple
from London were there by the door. We all got into
the car and I realised that I was going home with them
- I had a new family. |
London is a very busy place and it took
a while for me to get used to it. We have a lovely big park
near us which we go to every day. I love to fetch my ball.
My new brother Boycie sometimes joins in with our games but
he is very bouncy and normally just trips himself up trying
to catch me – he never will – I am very fast.
During the day, sometimes Mummy and Daddy have to go out.
I used to get very stressed about that and I would lick the
front door and scratch it to try to follow them. But Mummy
explained that they had to go out hunting and that they will
always come back.
Last month we all went back to the Dog’s
Trust. I saw the vet there and all the lovely people who used
to care for me came out to say goodbye. I had been there for
a long time so I had lots of friends to thank. It was sad
to say goodbye but I love my new home.
Jenny Says
In April 2003 we adopted a
7 year old Bedlington Terrier from a rescue home in Kent.
He settled in well and we decided to adopt a companion for
him. I went to the Dog’s Trust website and came across
a dog called Babe. He stood out due to his pure white fur
and his cheeky little face. Babe's notes explained that he
was deaf and that previous rehoming attempts had been unsuccessful.
I did some research into deaf dogs to get an idea of the issues
that deaf dogs and their owners face. I was saddened to read
about all the deaf dogs that are not even given a chance in
life. The Dog’s Trust tell you as much about the dog’s
history as possible and the dogs are checked by the vet and
vaccinated, neutered, wormed and micro-chipped. Our first
walk with Babe was a bit nerve wracking. His energy and excitement
were off the scale. The Dogs Trust also make sure that all
members of the family meet the new dog, including the family
pets. We booked a re-visit and luckily Babe and Boycie got
on well.
A home visit was arranged. They check
that your garden is enclosed and that your fences are of the
required height, which varies from dog to dog. As Babe could
jump 4 foot, we were advised that our fences would need to
be a minimum of 5 foot high. Our home visit went well and
Babe could come home with us, on a trial basis to begin with
because of his previously unsuccessful re-homing attempts.
I won’t look back with rose coloured
glasses - those first few months were hard. Sometimes I felt
that Babe would never walk nicely on lead or be able to be
left in the house alone. He also chased cars, barked at everything,
would snap at your fingers to get his toys, flew at the windows
trying to see out, jumped onto furniture and was generally
a real bull in a china shop. But Babe on your lap in the evening
was a real joy - affectionate, quiet and cuddly – a
real poppet.
Boycie was thrilled to have a new friend
and they started the process of getting to know each other.
It can take about 6-9 months for a re-homed dog to adjust
to their new situation. To communicate with Babe, we decided
on some hand signs we wanted to use and stuck them on the
fridge door. We began to use the signs during our day to day
activities and were amazed at how quickly he picked them up.
In the first month he learnt the meaning of 8 different signs.
 |
After Babe’s
extended trial with us, we went back to the Dogs Trust
to sign the adoption paperwork. The staff were all so
kind and came out to say goodbye to him. Babe was ours.
We decided to rename him Berkeley.
Berkeley is such a trusting and intelligent little dog.
He learns very quickly - his on lead behaviour is much
improved, he no longer chases cars, he goes off lead
at the park, plays great games with Boycie, tries very
hard not to bark all the time and accepts that sometimes
you do have to go out without him. |
So what is it like to live with a deaf dog? It’s not
really as different as you might think. All dog care and training
takes time and patience, whether your dog can hear or not.
As far as training goes, dogs often use body language as a
cue anyway. Even our hearing dog Boycie has picked up some
of the signs and responds to them.
I won’t pretend that Berkeley
could now win awards for good behaviour. He has had a tough
first 4 years of life. He might always get over excited at
every little thing, greet us with Zebedee impressions, bark
at aeroplanes and wake us up in the middle of the night for
a game of ball – that’s his nature – that’s
what makes him special - that’s what makes him our boy.
Additional Note: Babe won an award at The Wag and Bone
Show 2005.
The Dog that No-one Else Wanted
My gorgeous, spirited little deaf
dog Berkeley won the award of 'the one that no one else
wanted' at the Wag and Bone Show 2005.
Here is the feature
that Dogs Trust did on him:
Deaf Dogs Trust rescue dog wins prestigious
pooch prize.
Berkeley, a five year old Jack Russel
crossbreed, has been awarded the winner of ‘The one
that no-one else wanted’ award at this years’
Wag and Bone Show – held on Saturday 6 August at Windsor
Great Park, Berkshire.
The winning prize is awarded to the
dog that the judges feel has been overlooked by potential
owners in the past but through their new owners has had
their life turned around. Berkeley was rehomed from the
Dogs Trust Snetterton Rehoming Centre a year ago. He was
formerly known as Babe and had been at the Rehoming Centre
for some time as he is deaf and many people passed him by
thinking that he would be too much of a challenge.
Fortunately Jenny and Paul Prevel
of Sydenham, South East London could see past Berkeley’s
deafness and fell in love with him when they visited Dogs
Trust Snetterton. His deafness has not had an impact on
his massive personality and he can often be found out and
about on walks with his owners trying to play chase with
passing cars!
Jenny Prevel, Berkeley’s new
owner said:
“Berkeley is a real bundle of
energy; he has been such a great character over the past
twelve months. His deafness has never been a problem for
us – he has even learnt sign language! He is a super
dog who loves his cuddles and really does bring us so much
joy every day.”
Simon Underwood, Dogs Trust Field
Director added:
“At Dogs Trust we see all sorts
of dogs coming to us for all sorts of reasons. But one thing
is always the same – each dog is looking for a loving
happy home for life and it is great to see how Berkeley
and the Prevels have triumphed over adversity. He was hard
of hearing and hard to rehome but thanks to his new owners
he has come on in leaps and bounds. We encourage people
interested in getting a dog to come to Dogs Trust to find
out how much happiness a rescue dog can bring to their lives.”
Dogs Trust – the UK’s
largest dog welfare charity – cares for over 12,000
dogs every year through it’s network of 15 Rehoming
Centres nationwide. Anyone interested in rehoming a dog
from Dogs Trust should look on www.dogstrust.org.uk
or call 020 7833 7620 for their nearest Rehoming Centre.
Click here
to see the actual Dogs Trust feature.
|
Jenny - London, UK |
|
|
| |
|
