Lynn couple welcomes deaf puppy into family

LYNN – Training any puppy can be daunting but training a deaf puppy opens up a whole new world for both animal and owner.”We’ve had blind dogs but never a deaf one,” said Lori Thompson, who along with her husband adopted Sadie Thompson, a 4-month-old American bulldog from a shelter in Maine.Thompson said typically breeders will destroy deaf animals because they can’t sell them but Sadie somehow made her way to a shelter in Missouri then found her way to Maine.Sadie’s coat is a merle pattern, her white fur is dappled with blue-black spots and patches, which is also a telltale sign of her condition. Thompson said she read that dogs with the merle gene are more likely to be born deaf.Thompson’s husband spotted Sadie’s picture on the “Helping Paws” website and was smitten and neither Thompson hesitated despite the dog’s condition.”I said she’s going to be a lot of work but if you want her, OK,” Thompson said. “Really, you just forget she’s deaf.”Thompson said she talks to Sadie the same way she talks to her 8-year-old American bulldog, Penelope.”Dogs tend to use hearing as their last sense,” she said. “They recognize body language and facial expressions. Body language is really the best way to train.”On an early morning walk Sadie strains at her leash eager to run, she prances and chases leaves and smells while Penelope strolls beside her, undaunted. Thompson said the older dog has become a good role model, is vastly patient and has had a bit of a calming effect on the puppy.”(Sadie) knows a few signs,” Thompson said, showing the basic dog command for sit.She said it’s the sign used with dogs that do agility training and it works well when she’s juggling two leashes and a clean-up bag because she can do it with one hand. Sadie also knows the letter T in American sign language and that it stands for toilet, and she is learning the letter S, for Sadie, Thompson said. And Sadie has figured out how to make the door open.”We have sleigh bells on the back door,” Thompson said. “She’s figured out that if she hits them or pulls them someone will come and open the door for her.”Sadie also wears a small bell so Thompson can keep track of her, since she can’t call her. If she is sleeping, Thompson said she’ll wake her up with a gentle touch on her haunch so she doesn’t startle her, which according to the website, Deaf Dog Education Action Fund, is exactly right.The website explains that living with a deaf dog is about learning a new way to communicate and tuning into vibrations, movement and light to do it. Experts also suggest learning American Sign Language or creating a sign language to communicate, both ideas Thompson has already embraced. The Deaf Dog Education site also notes that owning a deaf dog isn’t for the lazy largely because commands can’t be yelled across the room.Getting a handle on breaking puppy habits, like biting and chewing on things, has been a challenge, Thompson said. If Sadie bites, Thompson said she gently holds her mouth closed while signing the word “no” then slowly lets her go.”You have to do it slowly or she thinks it’s a game,” Thompson said.She’s said she is also relying a lot on an online video she found by a woman who adopted two deaf dogs. What she hasn’t found is anyone in the area with a deaf dog, which she said would be nice, if only to trade ideas.”My only hesitation about adopting her was that I wouldn’t find the skills she needs to develop,” Thompson said. “She’s so smart ? I just want to be able to give her the life Penelope has, which is fabulous. I just want to give her what she needs to be happy and she is just so happy.”