Abandoned Deaf Puppy Adopted by Deaf Couple, Learns Sign Language
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From the news we love department comes this beautiful tale of redemption for a deaf puppy from Ireland.
8-week-old springer spaniel Alice was taken in by an animal rescue center after she was abandoned. Shelter staff were soon aware that the dog they cared for could be difficult to re-home due to the fact that she was completely deaf.
In a fortuitous turn of events, a deaf couple happend to be looking for a dog and visited the Blue Cross Animal Adoption center where Alice was being held. After a brief meeting, Marie Williams and Mark Morgan agreed that Alice needed to come home with them.
Now that she’s settled into her new home, Mark and Marie are taking turns teaching Alice sign language.
Shelter manager Julie Stone said, “Alice is such a loving and responsive dog and she proves that with a bit of time and effort, a deaf dog can be trained and become a wonderful pet. It was amazing to see how Marie, Mark and their children immediately bonded with Alice and how they knew just how to get her attention. They are a brilliant match and Alice has found the perfect home where I know she will get the love she deserves.”
We had the same kind of dog when I was young and she was the happiest, most enthusiastic pup I’d known. Too bad the poor girl had to be abandoned first in order to find a loving home.
That is so totally AWESOME!!!
How awesome is that!!
How awesome is that!!?!
So glad this sweet girl has a loving home where she will get the proper training and love!
ahaha…I love the top 3 responses! JinX
That is really cool!<3
love love love:)
awwww, That’s incredible!! I love it!!
awwww, That’s incredible!! I love it!!
This is such a heartwarming story! I am hearing impaired, and I know how tough the world can be on “imperfect” people and animals. Thank God for working His miracle that day and uniting this wonderful family with this unique adorable puppy! I hope they enjoy many years together!!
She is so pretty.
So glad this cute pup has a loving home with wonderful owners.
Heartwarming
Heartwarming
BLESS!!!!! <3 <3!!
BLESS!!!!! <3 <3!!
Who else said good girl when she got up? Lol
Love this happy tail!
Love this happy tail!
That is awesome!
Too cute and funny. Glad the puppy found a loving home.
Too cute and funny. Glad the puppy found a loving home.
I have a deaf Basset. I honestly notice no difference from my other dogs, except when I first come home. All of my other guys bark and run up to me in excitement. I have to walk over to her and tap her, then she pops up wiggling and wagging. She follows her nose at dinner time, no problem there. We love her!
I have a deaf Basset. I honestly notice no difference from my other dogs, except when I first come home. All of my other guys bark and run up to me in excitement. I have to walk over to her and tap her, then she pops up wiggling and wagging. She follows her nose at dinner time, no problem there. We love her!
That is so cool!
That is so cool!
Awesome!!!
Awesome!!!
Yahoo!
A perfect match
A perfect match
oh what a wonderful story!! pawsome match indeed!!!
its a smart than average dog that can understand sign language in Irish. [jk] LOL
its a smart than average dog that can understand sign language in Irish. [jk] LOL
OMG what a gorgeous girl! Don’t dogs naturally communicate with a lot of body language, and read ours without us even meaning to express so much? Makes sense to me that they would easily be able to learn this way, and that a deaf dog is not in some way “damaged” or undesirable. I hope more people can learn to see it this way…
OMG what a gorgeous girl! Don’t dogs naturally communicate with a lot of body language, and read ours without us even meaning to express so much? Makes sense to me that they would easily be able to learn this way, and that a deaf dog is not in some way “damaged” or undesirable. I hope more people can learn to see it this way…
Great news!!
awe 100 thumbs up for that vid
This will truly be one happy family
shared this great news
shared this great news
Our deaf Australian Cattle Dog Chama just turned a year today!!! We’ve had many dogs that were deaf in their old age, plus I knew hand signals so we decided that we could handle her. I think her deafness makes her even smarter than the incredible intelligence innate to her breed. Since she can’t hear she watches everything very carefully. She was one of the top dogs in her puppy class. The noise of all the puppies in class whining and barking never phased her. She follows everything her two brothers do and never leaves our sight. If I need her attention, I call her brother. The three key things with her was I had to learn to use hand signal clearly and automatically, learn a clear hand signal for “no.” LOL. and always on leash when we are away from our house and yard. Please everyone out there…Deaf Dogs are Great, just a little bit of extra work and they are great pets!!!
I teach my dog in silence as well, they are so smart and I Love to see happy endings. Blessings to all <3
What a great story! You go Alice!!!
What a great story! You go Alice!!!
So sweet! This is a great story!
My brother is deaf and I’ve watched him over the years teach his dogs sign language. It’s amazing to watch dogs respond to him…even those who aren’t his own. It’s like they know he can’t hear and they watch him so intently. Animals are just drawn to him.
What a beautiful story!
I have heard that dogs actually respond better to hand gestures than to words at first anyway. My frengle can hear and knows the meaning of many words but still responds better to the hand signals. There is nothing wrong with a deaf dog. I wish them all the best of luck and a happy loving future!
What a beautiful girl Alice is! How could anyone abandon her because she couldn’t hear? We have all learned several hand signals, so we know that with the patience that lady showed, Alice will learn well too.
Woos ~ Phantom, Thunder, and Ciara
I think they will get it eventually, but you really shouldn’t say a command or do a command motion over and over without the dog doing it. That teaches the dog to ignore the command. If I’m teaching my puppy to do a sit, I do the motion or say the word once, then give the treat once he does it. I don’t stand there and say, or in this case, motion “Sit, sit sit sit”. I know, I’m nitpicking the happy story. Sorry.
Oh my goodness gracious!!! God bless the new owners for their love and devotion to that precious puppy,
Madi and Mom
<3
We could learn alot from dogs. My husband and I had a Golden Retriever hunt dog and after 12 years she began to go deaf. Thank Goodness for the hand signals she learned as part of her training when she was a pup. Abby would look to us for direction and in the house, we would march around so she would “feel” us coming. Visitors would think we were crazy stomping until we explained that Abby could not hear us but could feel us. Alice will have a great life !!!!
Oh, she is gorgeous! I said “good girl” when she got up, too! What a wonderful story.
Well, I used to work as a sign language interpreter, and I’ve had a deaf cat, but so far, no deaf dog, but I would love to have a deaf dog, at least one in my life! What a great story!
Don’t know where you live but check out the Australian Cattle Dog Rescue of Ohio. Here is their facepage. They list ACD deaf dogs and puppies. Deaf is found among ACDs. ACD are so intellgent and high energy that many people return them because they don’t know how to handle them. If they are deaf on top of that if makes it harder.
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1204482150#!/pages/AuCaDo-Australian-Cattle-Dog-Rescue-MI-OH/440169425248
read The Story of Edgar Sawtelle..a wonderful book about dogs and signing..as Edgar is mute..is reminds us how touch, feel, eye contact and generousity is fundamental..sometimes words are empty..actions speak louder.. what a wonderful dog..
The greatest love of all…
How ironically funny that Alice resembles Nipper, the fox terrier in the painting “His Master’s Voice,” used by RCA Victor on their record label.