From a backyard outside of Philadelphia, a 12-week-old rough collie puppy named River is thrilled to have discovered a rubber dog toy. River’s tri-color tan coat bounces as he trots around the yard with the prize, his white paws pattering across dirt while his black-tipped ears stick straight up in the air.
His foster mom, Carla Boyd, watches nearby as River convinces her fully grown Akita to chase him. Like most dogs, River loves playfully wrestling other pups and chewing on toys. But he’s still learning the basics of training—for instance, he still yips audibly when put in his crate to communicate his desire to get out and go for a walk. Like most trainers, Boyd will give River a reward as he learns his puppy manners, such as learning to sit when told or not whining from his crate.
But unlike most pet owners, Boyd will also reward River for other seemingly basic behaviors, such as orienting himself toward her voice when she says his name. This is important because River is blind in both eyes—and while he cannot see, he is expected to operate in the world like every other dog. Despite his blindness, River will learn to identify where sounds are coming from and “look” toward his owner for commands. Many people may never realize he cannot see them.
“If I sent you a video of River, you would ask, ‘Where is the blind puppy?’ because he runs around all over the place,” says Boyd, a 10-year foster parent for Blind Dog Rescue Alliance. “They are a dog first, even if they have a special need. Even with disabilities or problems, they can still live a good, quality life.”
The idea of a “special needs pet” can encompass many different conditions—but cats and dogs who require additional care can still experience full, happy lives with a little accommodation and patience. A special needs pet might come to your household with a physical ailment, such as blindness or a missing limb. Others can develop a medical condition after they are adopted, such as cancer or an immunodeficiency. No matter the circumstances, there are resources and a community of love surrounding these animals.
Advocating for a Special Needs Pet
Christina Lee, the founder of Deaf Dogs Rock in Salem, Va., was introduced to the world of non-hearing dogs after a friend who worked at a local animal shelter asked her if she would consider adopting a deaf boxer puppy named Nitro. Despite some nerves because of the lack of information surrounding deaf dogs, Lee agreed.
“One of the things that surprised me about Nitro was how detached he was. That worried me at first,” Lee says. “I was also worried I knew absolutely nothing about raising a deaf puppy and there was not a lot of information out there to help me.”
Lee and her husband, Chris, took Nitro to group training classes that focus on positive reinforcement—the same style of training that Boyd used to teach River to orient himself toward her voice. Deaf and blind dogs benefit from socialization with other animals, which can make group training classes a great fit. While at home, both Boyd and Lee endorse clicker training or marker training.
“The biggest misconception is that a new deaf dog family will need a special deaf dog trainer, and they don’t,” Lee says. “The training is the same for training a hearing dog … the only difference in training is that the handler will use sign cues instead of verbal cues, and they will use a visual marker instead of the sound of a clicker to mark the exact second the dog makes the right decision directly followed up with a high-value treat.”
Nine months after adopting Nitro, Lee and Chris created Deaf Dogs Rock to serve as a resource for people to learn how to train hearing-impared dogs and adopt them. Lee receives emails every day from people asking her to help rehome their deaf dogs—many because they never trained their dog and ended up with a pet who has bad manners, while others are going through financial hardships and do not have the money to care for a deaf dog.
“I think over the years what I have gained more than anything else is empathy,” Lee says. “I used to get upset when I first would get these emails because I was coming from my personal perspective of taking care of my deaf dogs, but I learned it was unfair to judge anyone asking for help. I try very hard to recognize and understand each individual circumstance and try to place myself in their shoes.”
