I first heard about Tink, I knew was she was a 5 yr old, white pit mix. I had to make a quick decision as she was going to be PTS that day. When I got to the shelter, I found out she was not 5, she was 1 and deaf. There really was no turning back, as I had already committed to saving her life. So…I ended up with a deaf puppy and had no idea what to do or if I even wanted to do it anymore.

 

The first week was not easy, she obsessed over shadows and would bark at them for hours. Sometimes, she would stare at a spot and just bark. I posted her picture on BadRap’s website (a local, high profile pit bull rescue in the bay area). She started attending obedience class and from the beginning she did well.

I learned how to communicate with her and she quickly responded. It was amazing the transformation in just a couple of months and all it took was for me to make a very small effort. She still likes to shadow chase but does not bark as much. She has a special bond with my male pittie and follows him around. He is her ears.

I adopted her in June after fostering her for 6 months. She is just family and I don’t really see her as deaf anymore.

Owning a specially abled (I hate the word disabled) dog has really helped me and my family learn that any being can overcome with patience and the right people around them. I will always have dogs in my life and in the future they will always be deaf.

This Happy Tail was submitted by Diana Asher. Thank you Diana for sharing your story with Deaf Dogs Rock.

*If you have a story you would like to share about your deaf dog please contact me at christina@deafdogsrock.com