The Festival of WAG

At this year's Wagfest, Lottie Moon and her sis Kimba did double-duty. Long-time representatives of Speak!For the Unspoken Special Needs Rescue, Lottie and Kimba also were representing our new family venture, Sky Dogs. Since August 1, we have been the new owners of an agility and training facility. The former Buckeye Region Agility Group (BRAG), which has been my training club for almost 20 years, recently decided to close its doors. It was an opportunity for me and Joe to step up and take on the fun, and burden, of a wonderful club and facility. We are calling it Sky Dogs, named after my 14 year old agility Pomeranian, Skye.




So Lottie and Kimba represented Speak, and all the wonderful that is a part of rescuing these beautiful special-needs souls, and they also represented Sky Dogs, to show how training and fun can enrich all dogs, even those with special needs. I'm teaching a Deaf Dog Basics class this session at Sky Dogs, and we have 2 deaf dogs enrolled in Agility Level 1 this session. Next session I have a Deaf Dogs Agility on the calendar, and also a Special Needs Basic class, expanding to include both deaf and blind dogs. There was so much interest at Wagfest, partnering with Speak and offering special needs classes at Sky Dogs worked very well for both of our groups' interests.

Lottie and DM puppy Othello

Lottie and DM puppy Hazel Grace

And as usual, Lottie and Kimba were rock stars. It was super hot, it was Africa hot, but luckily there was lots of water, and ice, and ponds available for doggy cool-downs. Lottie is not much on swimming, but Kimba decided she wasn't a bit afraid, and she swam and swam and swam! It was her first time in the water, so we'll have to make sure she has plenty more opportunity to practice her doggy-paddle. 

It was hot.  It was Africa-hot.

Kimba also went to the Brilliant K-9 booth, and was fitted with her new harness. Joe chose the tie-dye pattern for her, which fits the little flower-child nicely. Lottie wore her zebra stripes harness, as usual. We love the Brilliant K-9s for our blind/deaf dogs, because they are so comfortable and allow us to guide our blind girls through crowds so easily. Terry was so wonderful when we met her last year at the Columbus Pet Expo and she fitted our Speak  dogs with harnesses, I always like to give a shout-out to this wonderful company. Check them out at www.brilliantk9.com.

Deaf Dog Awareness Week. Yes, really.

     Since last month was National Deaf Dog Awareness Week (Spetemebr 21-27, 2014), I thought I would reflect on how deaf dogs have affected my life . . .  Wow.  Where to begin?

 

 

If you've read this blog, you know the beginning of my work with deaf dogs: it all started with a dog named Dhalia, who is completely deaf and blind. She was adopted by a friend of mine, and I was asked to help with training her.

Dhalia

 I became thoroughly entranced, and this fascination with Dhalia led me to search for my own deaf and blind dog to train, and I adopted Lottie Moon. Lottie came to live with me in February 2012, and from that day on, my life has never been the same. Lottie's multiple handicaps are in reality, not handicaps at all. She is happy and bold and fearless and relentlessly determined. She can do anything my other dogs can do. And she is an inspiration to me every single day. After adopting Lottie, I was contacted by a local rescue who knew about by blind/deaf girl, because they had a deaf aussie that needed a home. I took in little Hope, and eventually I found her a wonderful, loving home to call her own. About this time, Dhalia's owner was hatching her idea for a rescue specializing in blind/deaf dogs, and Speak for the Unspoken was born (www.speakfortheunspoken.com). This was the perfect outlet for me to foster, transport, educate and promote the amazing abilities and wonderful, joyful temperaments of these unfortunate outcasts of the dog world, deaf and/or blind double merle dogs. Speak has saved hundreds of dogs in almost two years, and it has been a joy and an honor to be part of such a beautiful cause.




  Along the way, I have fostered many, and welcomed 3 more deaf dogs into my family: Keebler the Chihuahua, Kimber the Aussie, and Spring the Border Collie.

Keebler

Spring

Kimba

  When a friend commented to me one day that deaf dogs would not be able to be competitive in agility, I decided I had to prove him wrong, and I started my search for a talented deaf border collie. I found my beautiful, crazy nut Spring, and brought her home to Ohio from a breeder in Texas (http://deafdogsrock.com/springs-happy-tail). I wanted a training challenge, and I certainly found it in Spring (www.facebook.com/starringspring).




















 Because of the deaf dogs in my life, whether permanent family members, or merely passing through on their way to their new lives, deaf dogs have made me a better trainer (http://www.naturalawakeningsmag.com/Natural-Awakenings/March-2014/Dog-Scouts-of-America/) (http://deafdogsrock.com/introducing-your-new-dog-to-your-pack), and more importantly, a better person. I will never be as quick to judge, as quick to assume, as quick to condemn, as I was before deaf dogs entered my world. I have recently started teaching deaf dog obedience classes, and in October I will start teaching deaf dog agility classes  (www.skydogs.org)

 I have seen so much prejudice against deaf dogs that is completely unfounded, and my goal is to continue to work to enlighten as many people as possible that deaf dogs are not to be pitied, not to be feared, but to celebrated and cherished. Deaf Dogs Totally Rock!