
Pepper
| Town: Edmonton, Alberta
Deaf dog: Pepper is a 1 year old Catahoula. We got Pepper when
she was a young puppy knowing that she was deaf. We expected that
she would be hard to train but she was a very fast learner and seems
more aware of our body language than other dogs would be. She caught
on to the hand signs very quickly but the hard part was correcting
her bad behavior because if you are not right next to her when she
is doing something wrong you can not get her attention and correct
her. However, we have since learned that stomping on the floor when
she is farther away is a good way to get her attention in urgent situations.
We have found that the more that you interact with other people such
as animal behaviorists, Vets, and others who have experience with
deaf dogs the easier it is to integrate a deaf dog into your home
and the happier they will be. Pepper is such a special girl and I
am so happy that we decided to take her in ... through her I have
learned so much and I know that we have given her a better life as
well!
Human companions: Darcy Malcolm and family
Other pets: Bandit, our 6 year old toy poodle
Email: coco_vanilla2004@hotmail.com |
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Scout
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Town: Red Deer Alberta, Alberta
Deaf dog: Scout is a 4 yr old Terrier mix who came into my
life after a pound operator contacted our rescue to see if we could
find a foster home for her, otherwise she would be put down. We
had a very hard time finding a placement for her. As I don't foster,
due to living in a condo, I couldn't take her. Two hours before
she was due to be pts, we found someone able to take her. She was
with that foster home for a month and a half and in that
time had been seen by a lot of people, but as she was deaf, no-one
would take a chance on the poor little one. Our condo rules are
set at 14" for the height of a dog, and Scout was 15.25"
but we decided that she'd had enough of being looked over and I
wanted a chance at training a deaf dog so we got her. Absolutely
the best thing I have ever done. She is Amazing! I have had her
7 months now and she knows 25 hand signals, has passed advanced
obedience at the top of her class, she stays close when she is off
leash, watches me constantly, and has solidified her place in my
heart as top dog. She snuggles with me constantly, goes everywhere
I go and is the best doggie partner I have ever had! Deaf dogs are
definitely worth the time and effort and the love you receive is
priceless!
Human companions: Sara
Other pets: One seriously abused Lhasa X Bichon with paranoia
named Zoe, also a rescue from 4 years ago. She has been the biggest
challenge I have ever come up against. To get her to trust me and
not run away everytime someone moved, dropped anything, or even
looked at her, took a long time and is still challenging me. She
had to be taught how to be a dog. Poor little girl. She can really
be quite pathetic.
Email: smcraig@shaw.ca
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Banjo
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Town: Edson, Alberta
Deaf dog: Banjo is a sweet 6 month old Beagle puppy who loves
to run in circles, play with the baby and play with their other
dog. Banjo is quite a character.
Human companions: Bonnie Ekdahl her husband Devin, and daughter
Paige
Other pets: Chico, a Malamute; Sky, an Appaloosa (horse);
Cajun, a Fjord (horse); Blue, a Quarter Horse.
Email: bjean@telusplanet.net
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Maggie |
Town: Red Deer, Alberta
Deaf dog: Maggie is a 2 year old Dalmatian. Her family says
"She was 4 months old when I took her from the SPCA. She impressed
me with her unrelenting dance steps which told me she was desperate
to communicate. It only took me one week to get Maggie to understand
12 homemade hand signals. To get Maggies attention I tap her on the
back with two fingers twice. As a result of this Maggie taps me on
the leg or taps the wall to let me know she has something to say!
She's continues to teach me what helps her communicate daily. If anyone
is considering adopting a deaf dog, please do so it will be one of
the most rewarding times."
Human companion: Maureen Asselin
Other pets: A six year old hearing dalmatian.
Email: Unavailable |
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Murray |
Town: Calgary, Alberta
Deaf dog: Murray is a 1 year old Jack Russell Terrier who loves
to play with his big brother Kramer (Collie X Shepard) and also loves
to chase anything that moves. I have started a Deaf Dog buddy support
group in the Calgary Area to try to help other owners of deaf dogs
and would be interested in talking to other people in the area.
Human companion: Camille Owchar
Other pets: Collie x Shepard (Kramer)
Email: camille.m.owchar@conoco.com |
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Seth |
Town: Edmonton, Alberta
Deaf dog: Seth is a 16 month old male Boxer. We got Seth just
outside of Edmonton at a breeders. He comes from a champion blood
line but unfortunately cannot have papers because he's completely
white. He's the greatest dog and brings us so much love. When he barks
he sometimes sounds like a rooster. Seth is utterly devoted to us
and has a seperation anxiety problem but it doesn't bother us. Now
he has a friend named Penny; a four year old fawn boxer that we got
from Alberta Boxer Rescue. They have a great time together and complete
our family. We love our dogs and wouldn't change them for the world.
Save a deaf dog, it's a little more work but it's worth it!
Human companions: Jessica Wawrzynowski
Other pets: Hearing dog Penny (4 year old fawn boxer)deaf box
turtle (13years+)deaf red ear slider (9 years+)deaf red footed tortoise
(1year)
Email: diggersquirt@hotmail.com
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Silas |
Town: Edmonton, Alberta
Deaf dog: Silas is a 5 month old male Boston Terrier.I had
always wanted a Boston Terrier of my own from the time I was a teenager.
My mother had Bostons growing up and we had one special baby (Bixby-
who went to the Rainbow Bridge last year) I had started looking a
few weeks before my sister found the photo of Silas (AKA Zorro) http://www.deafdogs.org/adoption/foundahome/2002/november.html
on Koreen's (my breeder)website. I immediately fell in love. When
I read that he was deaf, my heart sank. Something in his eyes called
out to me. I agonized over the decision of taking on the responsiblity
of having a deaf puppy. The more I looked at his photo, the more I
realized he was meant to have his forever home with me. Three days
later I made the three hour trip to get him. I had tears in my eyes
when I first saw him. Koreen cried when we drove away. He just has
this way about him that makes everyone fall in love with him. My parents
(who also have 2 hearing bostons) wanted to bring him home. I have
taught him how to sit, and come. He is given the sign 'No' but of
course, he refuses to understand it. I will flick lights on and off.
He knows this means I am calling him and will look for me. He is learning
my sign for his crate and goodnight and we are working on stay (tough
one) He can fetch and is learning the sign for "drop it". We have
recently started obedience classes, and he is so very attentive -
our trainer still refuses to belive he is deaf. There are many benefits
I find to having a deaf dog. They won't wake in the middle of the
night to noises, (although he knows when a kitty jumps on the bed)
when we are walking, he does not hear the other dogs barking and therefore
will not bark back. Silas rarely leaves my side. He sleeps on my feet
while I am in the kitchen cooking. He sleeps nose to nose with me
at night. He is like my shadow. I have found that a routine is important
with him. We do the same thing in the morning when we get up, the
same thing when I get home from work, and we have the same bedtime
ritual. Silas has 2 best friends, Hocus and Pocus the kittys. They
wrestle non-stop and provide great companionship for him. Having a
deaf dog has already become a way of life for me. Recently on a trip
to visit my sister and her two hearing boxers, I found myself using
hand signals for them. My sister has a web diary which I post my funny
"Silas stories" to. http://princessmackenzie.blogspot.com/
Human companions: Kristy Clark
Other pets: 2 domestic long haired cats - Hocus and Pocus.
Email: kclark01@hotmail.com
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Town: Calgary, Alberta
Deaf dog: Stanley is a 5 yr old female Great Pyrenees. We rescued
Stanley from a farm where she had been debarked and kept in a small
run for 4 years. She had never been in a car or a house before we
took her in a year ago and she was in a terrible state. She has turned
out to be a gigantic, white, loving puffball and has gotten used to
city life. Although we are having trouble training her, we have never
looked back.
Human companions: Rachael Morris
Other pets: Bernese Mountain Dog
Email: rachaelmorris@hellokitty.com
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