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Minnesota Deaf Dogs

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	Town: Buffalo, Minnesota Deaf dog: Toby is a 1 year old Boxer. We adopted Toby from Homeward Bound Animal Rescue in Monticello, MN. He was just calmly sitting in his crate, while all of the dogs around him were barking, whining, or growling. Our son is autistic, and he immediately was drawn to this white boxer with one black eye. He had picked out our other family dog, who passed away a little over 2 weeks before we went to meet Toby, and Toby looked up at all of us and just licked our hands through the crate. One of the volunteers said just to warn you, he's deaf, is that a problem? The four of us looked at each other, laughed, and said nope, not at all. Our son is autistic, my husband has a rare form of spina bifida that while he can walk, and no one can tell he has it, he has a great deal of back pain constantly, and I have chronic intractable migraines and basilar migraines which have given me a few small strokes and left me with reduced feeling and weakness on my left side. The only "normal" person in our family is our daughter. Even our parrots are hard luck cases, so a deaf dog is not a big deal. He has been home with us for two days, and it feels like we have had him for a year. We have taught him a mix of standard dog obedience hand signs and ASL signs, and he in turn has shown us that he is perfectly capable of letting us know when he needs to go out, that he prefers the sofa to the floor, he love to catch frisbees, but only red ones, please, and that he will do anything we ask him to for a bit of peanut butter. The sad thing is that even though he is only a year old as of August 20, 2010, we are his 4th home because he is deaf. He is so eager to please, and while he certainly does have some quirks like not liking big white trucks or men in reflective jackets, he also loves to just hang out with us and chew on his beef knuckle or run around the backyard (fenced, of course) and chase the kids, bubbles, butterflies, and then come inside and make sure the parrots are where he left them. Toby is an amazing dog, and we would adopt another deaf dog in a heartbeat. Human companions: Nicole and Husband Keir, Son Zane who is autistic and Daughter Reidun is nt Other pets: Isabelle- Timneh, an African Grey Parrot. Rose, a Lilac Crested Amazon. Yoda, a Severe Macaw. Sebastian, a Nanday Conure. Scuro, a Maine Coon Cat. Druzy, a black moggy Cat Email: pickleboot_AT_gmail.com
Goose and family	Town: Bloomington, Minnesota Deaf dog: Goose is a 4 year old American Bulldog. Goose was abandoned at 3 months of age in a car left in the 90 degree July sun. A mechanic was to work on the car in a day or two. Thankfully the mechanic got to the car a lot sooner and found and saved Goose from a certain death. The mechanic contacted the owner and was told by the owner he did not want the puppy. Through a few people who knew people who knew us Goose came to our home. He was happy and a handful for a full year. that is when we found out he was deaf. I taught him sign language and found ways to get his attention. He is a fast learner and does very well with signs, he was finally trainable. He has been with us for 4 years now and is a 85 lb lap dog. He loves us and his rawhides and in that order. The deafness is not a hindrance, it adds to his charm. He can't hear you but he can feel you and he loves to chase and howl at the airplanes when he feels them flying over our home. His best buddy is our Boxer Mix Sabi also a rescue. I have not fostered a deaf dog yet but may have that oppurtunity with another 4 month old American Bulldog. Human companions: Deb, Husband and our Daughter Other pets: Three more dogs and 2 cats all rescued but one dog. Timber a red Husky (rescued) Kirby a Rat Terrier (bought) Sabi a Boxer Mix (rescued) DC and Ash the cats also rescued Email: deb.stevens_AT_us.bosch.com
Brooklyn Dog	Town: Grasston, Minnesota Deaf dog: Brooklyn Dog is a 12 week old Terrier cross. In January I tragically lost my Scottie. I didn't realize how much space he'd taken up until he was gone. I poured over Craig's list and petfinder and was discovering that Scotties are just not that common in MN when suddenly I found a litter of Scottie/Westie puppies about 3 hours away. I drove out to check them out when they were 6 weeks old and immediately knew that the brindle pup was the one for me. I paid my deposit and waited two weeks until I could go back to pick him up. Over those two weeks as I poured over the pictures it became clear that he really wasn't either a Scottie or a Westie but by then it hardly mattered. I picked him up on Sunday and by Wednesday I was pretty sure that he couldn't hear much of anything. The squirmy examination by the vet didn't reveal too much but it did appear that his horizonal canals weren't properly formed. After I found out that he was deaf, someone at work asked if I was going to take him back - I can just see how that conversation would go with my two nieces who were born deaf/hard-of-hearing, "Yeah, he was a cute puppy but he was deaf so I didn't keep him." It's harder, that's for sure (I have greater understanding of what my brother and his wife have faced with their girls) and it's not the same trip I expected but who's to say this one won't be even more fun?! Brooklyn is smart and so funny. He's generally quiet unless he's sad (when he whines) or when he gets mad (and boy does he!), you can just see the frustration as he gets all snarly when he can't get his point across! Can't wait to see how he turns out! Human companions: J Other pets: Calvin (retriever/border collie), Leo (aussie/border collier), 3 cats: Fitch, Noisy and Claire plus my niece's cat Stripey plus 4 horses, a llama, some sheep, goats, chickens and a duck. Email: jlisham_AT_hotmail.com
Kate	Town: Saint Paul, Minnesota Deaf dog: Kate is a 3 year old Australian Cattle Dog. We found Kate on Petfinder. She was rescued by Southern Indiana Cattle Dog Rescue from a high kill shelter in GA. I chose her because I just fell in love the moment I saw her adoption page. I was looking for a deaf dog and a friend and I drove 600 miles to adopt her and bring her home. Kate is super smart and loving. She knows several hand signals including sit, shake, high five, wave, spin left or right, heel, come,down, off, up, play dead, roll over, bow, dinner, cookie(treat), walk, ride, quiet, and many others I am sure I am forgetting. I use ASL and some modified or made up signs. She actually listens better than my 3 other hearing dogs. We could not love her more. Human companions: Don and Angie Other pets: Anna, and Stella Jack Russells and Larry a beagle mix Email:adtima-AT-comcast.net
Shaggy	Town: Albert Lea, Minnesota Deaf dog: Shaggy is a 5 month old Old English Sheepdog. We rescued Shaggy when he was 12 weeks old. He was born deaf confirmed by BAER test. He is the smartest Sheepdog in the world!!! He has learned sit, stay, come, no, in a very short time. He has 2 hearing dogs, a Border Collie and a Beagle/Basset to help him along the way. he is so sweet- and too smart for his own good. He has learned to open my kitchen cupboards on his own, he has been spotted walking away with my electric mixer, canned goods, and a big bottle of vegetable oil! Needless to say we have puppy proofed the cupboards! Human companions: Michael, Kari, Ben- 14 and Noah- 11 Other pets: 2 other dogs and several special needs cats. Email: kaulrich@me.com
Kirby and family	Town: Rochester, Minnesota Deaf dog: Kirby is a Boxer of unknown age. Kirby was found out in the country outside of Rochester with no tags/collar. She was down to about 35lbs, lethargic and had a severe case of worms. She most likely was dropped off after a long car ride by someone who didn't understand her needs, I can see no other reason why someone with a deaf dog would be so careless as to not make sure tags were on her at all times. Even with all she had been through she was very sweet when we first met her and brought her home. She has been with my husband and I for a year and half now and is a healthy 65lbs, she has the best disposition and is such a good companion! She has one eye that is half blue and half brown, the other brown. She has such a good personality and we lover her a lot, she sleeps in the bed, sits in our laps and has many toys. We have taught her hand commands for sit, lay down, shake, and stay and she is always eager to show off her smarts and please us Human companions: Stacy Fuhrman Other Pets: Our family has a history with Boxers and currently my Mother in law and Sister in law both have Boxers, Kirby has two boxer cousins, Izzabelle (8) and Miles (3) Email: asazk82@yahoo.com
Marley	Town: Moorhead, Minnesota Deaf dog: Marley is a 1.5 year old Aussie / Border Collie. Marley was adopted from Aussie Rescue of MN in the summer of 2007. There were puppies available as well, but we were told there wasn't any interest in the deaf Aussie, so we took her! We were told she was found by DNR running the woods with who they thought may have been her father.She took to my daughter, who is her main trainer! We use sme ASL & basic obedience signs with her. She is VERY bright & has caught on quickly! We are hopng to get her into Therapy Dog trraining. We also have Jazz, a hearing Red Merle Aussie about the same age, also a rescue and our 13 Yr old hearing "granny" Maggie, a Blue Merle. Also in a menagerie are 2 cats & an African Grey Parrot who yells commands at hem all! Human companions: Ilene, David, Daniel & Hannah Other pets: 2 Cats,2 other Aussies & a Parrot Email: coneyisland@gomoorhead.com
Chica and Mia	Town: Crosslake, Minnesota Deaf dog: Chica ia a 2 year old Australian Shepherd. I got her from a rescue out of Wisconsin that had gotten her back from the previous adopters because I was told they didn't believe she was deaf and didn't like the way she obeyed them. It was love at first sight! She is attached to me at the ankle and loves to go everywhere with me. She is very attuned to my every move. She is also blind (under developed) in one eye and has starburst pupil in the good seeing eye. She is best friends with everyone but her special buddy and wrestling partner is our female French Bulldog. When I got her at 1 1/2 years old in May 2007 I could only find two hand signals that she recognized. Now she is learning many home made and universal signs. She is very good at turning her head away from me to "Not See" the hand signal to come in the house when she knows I have to leave for work and she wants to come with me in the car. She is so smart and lays across the doorway or hallway so I have to step over her to get past her there by awakening her so she always will know where I am! She has learned that riding in the car with Mom or Dad is a great joy going to Grandma Ellen where she is spoiled rotten, or going into the woods to run alongside the ATV's or just for walks is great. She loves everyone, kids, other dogs and even enjoys boating and swimming. So many people have fallen in love with her and want to take her home with them but she is our special little girl. She's always kept on a leash in public but at home back in the woods she just loves to run free but never gets too far from "Mom". It is amazing how quick for adopting an adult dog, we bonded. Human companions: Tom, Jean, and our 6 year old son Rory Other pets: Layla (hearing)-blue merle Aussie, Mia her best buddy a French Bulldog, Toots-(rescued) Brussels Griffon, Henna-Cairn Terrier, Chumpie (rescued) Yellow Lab and several Horses and indoor Birds. Email: deerhill@crosslake.net
	Town: Hasting, Minnesota Deaf dog: Mildgirl is an 11 week old Maltese. She is gorgeous and petite! She has a great personality and loves everyone. Her mother is 6 pounds and father is 5.5 pounds. She has been Vet checked and is ready to go. Human companions: Mary Engstrom Email: maryengstrom@yahoo.com
	Town: Saint Paul, Minnesota Deaf dog: Callie is a German Shorthair Pointer that is 1. Callie was advertised on DeafDogs.org website. At first glance we found her to be so cute. We got her and had no idea how high energy she was. We didn't bother to investigate her breed. However, it turns out (after some obedience training and tons of work) she is a wonderful dog who is making great progress. Well, she no longer jumps on the kitchen table and eats the windows so I call that progress. Callie has a wonderful personality and she is a very loyal dog. She has become very attached to myself and her other owner in the few short months that we have had her. We are both really happy to have her. We use ASL in the home between us so using it with her was no big deal. She has picked up on it rather quickly. She is a wonderful dog and we are happy to have her in our home. Human companions: Brein & Jackie E-mail: wacko70509@aol.com
Franny	Town: Anoka, Minnesota Deaf dog: Franny is a 1 yr old Boxer. Human companions: Tara Olson Other pets: Hunter (boxer), Kyzer (boxer) and Hyrum (feline) Email: tkolson@yahoo.com
Angelica Lefty Ray-Ray	Town: Minneapolis, Minnesota Deaf dogs: Angelica, Lefty and Ray-Ray Angelica is a 10 yr. old Bull Terrier who is retired from agility. She currently does therapy work and is a Target Corp. Bullseye Model. Lefty is a 7 year old Bull Terrier who is also a therapy dog. He also competes in agility in both NADAC and CPE. His current titles include: S-NJC, O-NCC, O-TN-N, TN-O, TN-E, CL1-H, CL1-F, CL1-S, CL2-H, CL2-F, CGC, TDIA, TDInc., 2005 AKC ACE Award Honorable Mention-Therapy, 2006 and 2007 NADAC Championships Competitor, 2006 and 2007 NADAC Top Ten Elite Tunnelers by Breed-Ranked #1 Bull Terrier in the US. Ray-Ray is a 3 year old Bull Terrier who has started agility training and just started competing as well. Human companions: Debbie and Camille Rodden Email: rodden_d@email.msn.com

Misha	Town: Minnetonka, Minnesota Deaf dog: Misha, a 2 year old congenitally deaf Italian Greyhound. "Mom and Dad have been part of my life since I was 4-1/2 months old. I had been returned once before that because other people said that I didn't listen. I have been through Puppy obedience and Basic I training, and I started Agility - for which I need to focus on more. I know about 30-35 hand signals and I have two big sisters, Dottie and Cinder, I can look up to or beat up on. I am the cutest, loving and most brialliant dog of my clan even though my sisters may argue otherwise. I am always happy and my favorite sign is I love you." Human companions: Britt and Rick Gage Other pets: Dottie, a 4 1/2 year-old hairless Chinese Crested; Cinder, a 2 1/2 year-old German Shepherd/Black Lab mix; two kitties, Mufausa, who is 7 years old & Lil Hog who is 10 years old. Email: brtll@aol.com

Moore's All Flash (Gus)	Town: St. Paul, Minnesota Deaf dog: Moore's All Flash, aka Gus, a white Boxer, deaf but not disposable! Gus's official name is now U-CD Moore's All Flash, CGC, FDX. Gus earned his UKC Companion Dog title with a high score of 191 1/2. Gus has now earned a total of four titles, and is working at the open level in obedience. Human companions: Mary and Mike Moore Other pets: Gus has a new black and white Border Collie little brother named Partner (who has completely turned Gus and his family's life upside down) Email: mooreboxers@prodigy.net

	Town: Minneapolis, Minnesota Deaf dog: Bunny, a 1 year old congenitally deaf Pit Bull Human companions: Marlee MacLeod Other pets: Buzz the Wise and Benevolent One-Eyed Pit Bull Email: MacLeod123@aol.com

	Town: Coon Rapids, Minnesota Deaf dogs: Paxton & Kelly Paxton is a 12 year old Tri Color Sheltie, who has gone deaf due to age. Paxton was 4 1/2 months when he came to us. He has been able to hear and was trained with verbal and hand signals. He has made a good adjustment as his hearing got progressively worse. We work with him to keep him sharp and well behaved. He responds well to Tasha's body language to know when we have come home or are preparing food, when someone is at the door etc. Kelly is a Blue Merle Sheltie that we adopted from K9 Rescue. She had been in foster care. We have only had her 1 1/2 weeks. She is a wonderful animal and has acclimated quickly to her new environment. She is a quick learner. She also has picked up Tasha's body language to understand things happening in her environment that only dogs really care about. Human companions: Sheryl & Dave Ekberg Other pets: Tasha, a Sable Sheltie, who is 11 years old with good hearing Email: s13d22@aol.com

	Town: LeSueur, Minnesota Deaf dog: Adam Joseph is a less than 1 year old congenitally deaf Great Dane, whose family knew he was deaf when they got him. Human companions: Gary and Wendy Newman, and 7 children still at home with us Other pets: Daisy Mae (Adam's sister), various farm animals. Email: wendy@newmanacademy.com

Farley	Town: Brooklyn Center, Minnesota Deaf dogs: Farley and Corporal CPL. Farley Vaughn Schramm is an English Bulldog. He says "'Ello Love, my name is Farley. I was born deaf and was given to KC at two months old because she seemed like a nice person. I am just over a year old and loving every minute of Life! I have some pretty big goals to achieve within the next couple of months-I'm going to be famous! Mom is hoping to get me a career as a model cause she thinks I am a good looking pup-can't argue with that! Look at me-I'm one hot dog! Mom thinks she's really smart because she taught me a lot of cool tricks but little does she know that I think she's the best and I'd do anything for her-and those animal crackers! Farley finally recieved his Canine Good Citizen Certificate and passed basic obedeince with flying colors!\| If you are the owner of a deaf dog I highly reccommend getting him or her out in the community and proving that deaf dogs are not throw aways or unruly. E-mail my mom, she likes to brag about us!" Human companion: KC Schramm Email: ka_cjones@yahoo.com

	Town: Lino Lakes, Minnesota Deaf dog: Gretta is an 11 month old Boxer. Her family says "We decided to give Gretta a try after she was a dog that would be put down by breeder if she did not find someone to rescue her soon. We love her and I am looking forward to any tips when starting basic training with her. She surely is a gift, but we want her to feel more welcome." Human companions: Pam Gabrio and her husband Other pets: Ollie a 8 year old Brittany that needs company, she just lost her sister, a Golden Retriever Email: tjgabrio@prodigy.net

	Town: Dakota, Minnesota Deaf dogs: Cairo & Cadbury Cairo is a 5 year old Great Dane. His family says "Cairo was adopted from the local humane society as an adult dog after his owners decided he "ate too much". I had lost my first deaf Dane, Aztec, to a liver problem on the same day Cairo entered the shelter...and my life. I wasn't ready for another dog, especially one that looked exactly like the soulmate that had just been taken from me, but placing Cairo proved to be difficult.I realized I was being selfish by denying this wonderful boy a home that could understand and embrace his challenges. Cairo came home with me that very day. Cairo has his CGC and is a certified pet therapy dog who visits area care facilities and schools." Cadbury is a 2 year old Great Dane. His family says "Cadbury has a zest for life unlike anything I've ever seen. He loves everybody and everything. I adopted Cadbury from the shelter as a four month old puppy. He had been found by a boy scout troop picking up garbage along the road. I had just adopted Cairo, my other deaf Dane, five days previous to Cadbury coming to the shelter, and couldn't say no when I found out about the puppy. Cadbury has his CGC and is a certified pet therapy dog who visits area care facilities, schools, and serves as a 'demo dog' for shelter functions." Human companions: Kate Erdmann Other pets: Tonka and Scotia (Great Danes), Denali (Aussie), Mesa (Collie mix), Ichabod (Am Staff), Journey (Border Collie), five cats & miscellaneous reptiles Email: pinknosedogs@yahoo.com

	Town: Fairmont, Minnesota Deaf dog: Molly was my husbands' attempt at healing my aching heart - we had just lost our Lady, a 3-year old dal, to injuries she sustained when hit by a car. He drove 3 hours to look at the pups & decided after getting a late start, getting lost, & missing the "breeders" twice he was not coming home without a puppy! She was met with mixed emotions because I really wanted to make the selection when the time was right, not to mention that Molly is spotted much more heavily than I wanted. We knew before the 1st night home was over that something was wrong - nothing calmed her & when she finally slept she didn't respond to ANY noise. It was over 2 weeks before we could get her BAER-tested (she was 7 weeks old when she came home) and by the time we saw the test results, it didn't matter. We were hooked & all the test did was confirm our suspicions & let us know that her training would have to be of a different sort than our hearing dal, Maxwell. She has proven to be a very quick learner and knows 15-20 signs. She is very affectionate & enjoys tormenting her "big brother". She does seem to be very uncomfortable around small children & I would welcome any help on how to overcome some of this. We feel blessed to have her in our lives & would not hesitate to be adopted by another deaf dog. Human companions: Garry, Pam, Jason and Jenny Oskerson Other pets: Maxwell, a 7-year old hearing dal and Snowball, a 17-year old angora cat Email: team17@frontiernet.net

	Town: Spring Valley, Minnesota Deaf dog: Wow...where to begin? Angel is a 4 month old Jack Russel Terrier. My husband was looking online for dogs...he's had it in his heart to add another to the family. We have a Scotty already, Buddy. Well, when he came across Angel(she wasn't named on the site)..it mentioned what kind of dog she was, that she was deaf, and was in Iowa...not too far from here. It tugged on my heart knowing she was deaf, and he insisted we go see her that day!...SO, we loaded up our three children, his parents followed us in their car...and we drove to meet her. We ended up getting lost on the way....going the wrong way on a highway..driving through a ditch..calling the people three times on the cell phone for directions..at one point our van started acting funny, like it was losing power..but then we finally made it to their farm around 8 pm :) The moment I saw her I knew she would be called Angel. She's pure white!! I'm looking forward to training her myself.It's really intersting having a non hearing dog in the house..it really makes you think before you act!..lol. We are so happy we found her though! Human companions: Gabe, Andrea, Ethan, Isaac and Noah Other pets: Buddy our Scottish Terrier and Katie our calico kitten from Washington State. Email: wtsnboys@deskmedia.com

Malcolm and Isre	Town: Bolingbrook, Illinois Deaf dog: Mal was rescued from being euthanized down in Atlanta. A wonderful woman fostered him for a while, and found me on the Internet. Malcolm has been a wonderful addition to our family - we are all deaf ourselves, except for Isre - and it's just a delight watching him grow. Human companions: Trudy Suggs, Randy Shank, Anita Kroll, Kent Kroll Other pets: Isre, my two-year-old pointer mix who doesn't bark ever (but Mal does enough barking for them both!). Email: trudysuggs@aol.com

	Town: Minneapolis, Minnesota Deaf dog: Fionn is a 1 year old Whippet. "Fionn was born deaf. He is silly, playful, wild and funny. He keeps me laughing when he isn't snuggling with me. He has been through Beginner III obedience and has started agility. My old greyhound had died and I was looking for another dog as a companion for my greyhound, Annie, and me. I met Fionn though a friend and thought he was as cute as a bug's ear. I did a little research on the DDEAF web site and knew he might be a challenge, but I was ready. I didn't know how much I would love this little dog then though." Human companions: Christine Canard Other pets: Annie, retired racing Greyhound and Gwyn, a Siamese cat. Email: ccanard@mpls.k12.mn.us

Jeb	Town: Blaine, Minnesota Deaf dog: Jeb is a 9 month old German Shorthaired Pointer. "We rescued Jeb from the Coon Rapids Animal Shelter on 4/13/2004. He is so sweet and loveable that we could not say no to this little guy. We knew he was deaf, but that did not discourage us at all, if anything it encouraged us to adopt him. He is doing well getting adjusted to his new home and his brother Boomer. They get along great and Boomer has taken on the job of helping train him. We have started to use hand signals and Jeb is picking up on Boomer's lead. He knows what 'off' means (since he likes to jump), as well as 'sit'. We feel very lucky to have gotten such a wonderful loveable little guy." Human companions: Ryan, Christine, and Tom Stanton Other pets: Boomer, 1-1/2 year old white Boxer Email: christinestanton@all-ins.com

	Town: Duluth, Minnesota Deaf dog: Deaf Jam Tropper is a 14 week old Pit Bull Terrier. "I somewhat strong-armed the person who owned Tropper into giving him to me. I didn't really need another dog but the face, that face, nothing could stop me from taking him. I was prepared to take her to court, she didn't resist too much when she found out he was deaf and needed to be fixed. She gave in, after all if he couldn't hear, how could he protect, and if he is not good for breeding and it is morally not right to sell him without disclosing his issues, why did she want him? And so, the Tropper saga begins, he's so eager to be part of whatever is going on, he has learned 5 hand signals so far and loves all other animals in the house including the cats, but people are his favorites. I feel he will be a good citizen, and a credit to his breed. I look forward years of active fun and friendship with my Tropper." Human companions: Sandra Other pets: A Rottweiler mix, a Chihuahua, and 4 cats. Email: geegee844@aol.com

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