Here at Deaf Dogs Rock we absolutely love stories of deaf dogs training and passing their Animal Assisted Therapy Tests. This is the story of deaf Rottweiler Patton who was adopted, went into a great home, did his therapy dog training and passed his Assisted Therapy Assisted Therapy Test. Did you all know deaf dogs excel in therapy dog work because they can go into medical and rehabilitation centers and not have anxiety over all the loud noises? We call it a deaf dog super power!
Patton Passes His Animal Assisted Therapy Test by Tamara Wade
After seeing Patton’s adoption photo and reading that he was deaf, I had to have him. I contacted the deaf dog foster who was fostering Patton and set up a home evaluation to see if we would qualify to adopt Patton. Once we were approved to adopt Patton, we brought him home and that is when all the fun began.
Patton has the best personality because he makes us laugh and smile every single day. He is so much fun and he loves to play.
I had a blast with his training and he was eager to learn new things. We were such a great team! I taught him hand signals for his obedience cues. When he is being ornery, which is often, he will turn and look the other way so he won’t see me giving him sign cues to perform different actions. We just laugh at him.
Patton passed his Animal Assisted Therapy Temperament test for Baylor Scott and White Hospital. He is seen around Dallas Fort Worth, Texas visiting Baylor hospitals. Patton has been such a wonderful blessing to us and now he is a blessing to others when he visits them at the hospital.
Above: Patton visiting Baylor Institute for Rehabilitation in Fort Worth.
Photo above: Patton visiting Stanley Korshak in Dallas at Christmas
Photo above: Patton and his Animal Assisted Therapy friends greeting people and handing out Blue Bell Ice Cream at Sammons Cancer Center in Dallas.