Tuesday, September 22, 2009

In Honor of Squirt


Did you know it's Deaf Dog Awareness Week? It is, and in honor of DDAW, I'm blogging about my deaf little cutie pie Squirt. I adopted Squirt on March 30, 2006 from Second Chance Rescue out of Merriam, Kansas. I had adopted Bandit from them a couple years before. They knew I had become active in dog sports with him, and contacted me when they had "crazy little heeler/terrier mix" in rescue. I told them I'd post her to our frisbee list to help her find a home. When I went back to check her Petfinder listing a week later, they had her listed as a deaf dog. They discovered she was deaf while in rescue because she slept through sounds that a lot of other dogs reacted to. When I found out she was deaf I said I'd take her, sight unseen (except for a Petfinder photo that was pretty darn cute but didn't do her justice). I can't exactly say why, but I just felt like I should. From day one with her, I am so glad I made that leap of faith.

For any three year old dog, Squirt has accomplished a lot. She's a frisbee fiend who has qualified for several world championships, she's traveled all over the place as part of the Incredible Dog Team, she's become a pretty good agility and dock diving dog. She's accomplished all of this despite the fact that she can't hear a thing. Her future is limitless, and I think her accomplishments have helped create some awareness of the ability of deaf dogs to be amazing sport dogs. But these aren't the best things about Squirt.

The best things about Squirt are . . . that she makes me smile every time I look at her (even when she's being bad), that she's always smiling, that she's perfect with the other dogs in the house, that she always wants to lay next to me when we're watching TV at night, that she gives 150% at everything she does. Squirt is all heart, and I love her with all my heart.

1 comment:

  1. I have recently become aware that the best dogs are the ones that make you smile when they do naughty things.....(ahem...) Nice blogpost. The deaf dogs fascinate me. They definately possess something other dogs don't. Can't describe it. Hats off to Squirt!!

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