This story was sent into us by Debra Bahr. Thanks Debra for sharing Sarge’s Happy Tail with us! Sarge totally Rocks! ~ Christina Lee – Deaf Dogs Rock

From Debra: Well I thought that my grown kids had lost their minds… What was I going to do with another dog? We have our Black Lab, our sons pit mix and his two Jack Russels, not to mention 4 cats.

They brought him home and it was instant love (on my husbands part). He was 18 months old, had 3 previous owners that we know of. So we decided to give it a try. We would call him, shake the food bowl, and no response. He was very calm and the other Jacks were bouncing off the walls..What is going on here? He was laying on the coach one night and a lid fell off the counter in the kitchen.I don’t know what was more noise the lid or the dogs. Wait Sarge as we named him did not make a noise until AFTER the other dogs started barking.

Off to the vet. appointment for shots. We mentioned to him that we thought that he was deaf. “No, his breed usually isn’t deaf. Let me try this. Get his attention and I will be behind him.” CLAP CLAP CLAP and nothing, no movement. “Yeah I would say he is totally deaf” is what the vet now says. I asked “How do I train him?” “Just like any other dog, he doesn’t know he is deaf”

My husband and I took him and the black lab with us on a weekend camping trip to see how he would do camping. The black lab was to afraid to leave the trailer unless both dogs and both of us were out with her. This would not work we are traveling for the next month. The kids took care of the rest of the animals, and Sarge came with us on out month journey. We started on our journey and he made friends at the first campsite, the rest stops, the gas stations. The next site was at the Rally, that we had been planning for 1 year. He stayed in his kennel when we had to leave him alone, he cried. Everyone thought he was a gentleman, quite, calm and well behaved. Imagine their surprise when they found out he is deaf. I have been teaching him a few hand signs, come- go- stay- no bark and of course sit.

Well Sarge is a big part of the family now plus he got real spoiled on the trip.” So spoiled no one would want him” says the hubby. He never has to change families for the rest of his life, he has his forever home.