The Story of D.O.T.
In November 2008 we made a decision to do a breeding between two very
incredible dogs. Our choice was well educated & we knew full well that any merle
to merle cross had the potential to produce excessive white pups, deafness &
sight problems. To us the potential hard working ability & good conformation
possible in this litter  out-weighed the negative possibilities so we crossed our
fingers & made the match anyway.
On January 27, 2009 our 2nd litter was born to El Dorado's Towanjila. D.O.T. was
the 1st to be born & was the only female. Needless to say we were expectant but
mildly disappointed. As the weeks wore on we continued to watch this little
female trying to decide our options & knowing that there was a good chance that
she was bilaterally deaf.
As a breeder it is difficult to look at the newborn life in front of you & to make an
executive decision whether one pup will have a better quality of life over another
& with Catahoulas among many other breeds deafness has the potential to lead
to aggression if the dog does not have the right temperament. In many cases
these dogs are euthanized rather than being allowed to become a liability. It is
one of the most difficult choices a responsible breeder has to make but there is a
line that has to be drawn when placing a puppy or dog in an appropriate home for
both the safety of the new owners & the life long well-being of the dog.

Fortunately D.O.T. had a wonderful personality. She was fearless & wasn't phased by
sudden movements or by being woke up unexpectedly. She reveled in our children's over
animated actions believing everything to be a game. She had an almost carelessness
about her. She climbed, balanced & leaped from everything she could find & with true
Catahoula instinct she bayed kittens, birds & pot bellied pigs. At 9 weeks old she could
respond to physical communication. She understands our "good dog" command & "come".
She has also come to understand our displeasure when she plays too rough & we have
taught ourselves to treat her as a mother dog treats a pup.  Her willingness to learn &
desire to be a part of everything we do overcame our concerns about how her disability
would affect her ability to be placed in an appropriate home. The question was finding
such a home.
Until this time we had never owned or trained a deaf dog ourselves. We had read stories
& dealt with dogs with similar disabilities in outside situations & have owned unilateral
hearing dogs over the years but we had never experienced a dog like this ourselves. We
talked to trainers & show folk about the potential difficulties in training non- hearing
dogs. Though the prospects were not impossible our many concerns for D.O.T.'s future
came flooding back in waves.
One evening we sat for hours watching D.O.T. play with our children & her other
siblings & wondering what to do. We knew that there were good people out there
that would love her & give her everything she could possibly need but without
having experienced life with a deaf dog we didn't know how to guide someone
through the trials & tribulations of raising one. Owning a Catahoula was a challenge
in itself but a deaf one? Who could we ask to take on such a difficult task when we,
ourselves, never had? For some reason this little girl brought out a protective side
of us we had yet to acknowledge & gradually we fell deeply in love. Our final
decicion...she would stay with us forever.        
It is sometimes necessary, as a breeder, to make a decision in order to preserve
the qualities of a breed. It's not always the breeding itself that makes a choice
responsible or not but how we choose to deal with the results of our choices. Many
dogs with disabilities can be placed in loving homes & are treasured for the rest of
their days & yet there are those that, despite a breeder's efforts, can not be placed
for any number of reasons. It is the breeder's responsibility to make the difficult
choices, whatever those may be, so no one else will have to.
We are not martyrs but we are self-proclaimed eternal students & we have found
an almost spiritual calling in this special little dog.  In working with D.O.T. we have
began delving into the world of training non-hearing dogs & with D.O.T. as our
canvas & teacher alike the sky is the limit. It is a surreal experience to absorb
ourselves into her silent world & create a language we can understand together.
D.O.T. can stand for "Destructive, Obnoxious Terrorist" or maybe it means
"Deafness Overcame Today" but it doesn't matter what we call her...she will never
know her name; yet she will always understand the smile on our faces when she
looks up at us wagging her tail.
In the Beginning...
Choices
Integrity
Check back as D.O.T. grows up to see her
accomplishments & learn along with us about life with a
non-hearing Catahoula. On this page we will post links &
other info for owners of deaf dogs to use for their own
purposes.
Last updated 06/27/11
Portrait by Sindi Short
Links

DDEAF
(Deaf Dog Education Fund)

ASL University
(American Sign Language Online)

Because D.O.T. is a non-hearing dog, she is oblivious to us when we call her name or ask her to do anything. Therefore we must teach
her how to pay attention to us so she can receive instructions. The command is "watch me." In ASL we have chosen to use the sign
for simply "WATCH."

There are a couple of ways to achieve their attention:
With D.O.T. on a short leash, I tug gently until she looks at me. When her eyes are on my face I give the "watch" sign & then
give her a treat. I only do this 2 or 3 times in any one session but I do it at least 3 times a day to keep her motivated.
(remember she is only 9 weeks old at this point)
Another variation is to sit down at her level & get her attention with gentle tugs on the leash & with a treat in your mouth give
the "watch" sign. You can either let her take the treat from your mouth or you can spit it on the ground in front of her. (Her
attention will stay on your face longer if you allow her to take it from your mouth.)

When our 5-10 minute session is over I give her the sign for "GOOD", offer her a treat & as I release her from the leash I sign
"GO". This release will come in handy later. (We have chosen to make the sign for "good" without using the left hand so that it is not
confused with the sign for "stop").

Eventually I will increase the number of times per day that I practice this command with her until she understands the sign and her
responses become consistent. If you find additional methods that work don't be afraid to try them. The actual sign is not as important
as your consistency. Don't forget to end on a positive note & remember that your attitude during training is very, very important!

Photo examples coming soon!
(all sign links are from ASL University)
The Basics
WAKING THE DEAF DOG

Deaf dogs may become startled by sudden movements so we need to exercise a certain level of respect for D.O.T. when she is asleep.
When we want her to rouse we walk up and very softly begin to stroke her shoulder. Gradually we add a little more pressure until she
opens her eyes and looks at us. We make sure we smile and give her a good pet. Body language is everything!
UPDATES
D.O.T. has learned to
working on loves rewards,
her favorite being fetch
with an empty water bottle.
Sheremarkably pleasant
with people & other
animals. She has been
spayed and will continue to
live out her life here on the
farm.