Amy's Dals

Amy's Dals Editor's Note: This story spans FOUR adoptions as early as 1997 through 2007, having just received it, I decided to place the story in the 2007 directory. Amy is a special person and these are indeed four very lucky dogs!

	In 1997 (with two older Dalmatians) I adopted Abraham from Dalmatian Rescue of Colorado – he became the absolute love of my life! In the next couple of years I fostered for a time (until we moved into town and could no longer help in that way). During our fostering time we adopted a little deaf Dalmatian who we named Oliver. Oliver is sweet, wonderful and extremely sensitive. He followed his hearing buddies around but was always hungry to learn new sign language. When Abraham became older and did not play with Oliver much anymore we adopted Penelope from Phoenix Dalmatian Station (now called Lucky Dog Rescue) as a new playmate for Oliver. We saw her on the Dalmatian Rescue of CO website as a little deaf puppy in Phoenix. I contacted them, was approved and then had to figure out how to get her.

A wonderful man from Arizona’s Wolf Rescue volunteered to drive her ½ way here if I would meet him in Albuquerque. The 1st photo is our first meeting in a hotel lobby in Albuquerque – love at first sight! She came with a few of her own signs and I had the challenging job of translating them into Oliver’s version of sign language. Being a smarty pants – Penelope quickly became “bi-lingual” and responded to both sets of signs. I felt like I was on “candid camera” at times with all of the new and double sign language going on to each dog. (Her wonderful foster dad emailed me each of her signs with explanations of how to make the sign and what it meant to her.) Penelope being 6 years younger than Oliver was wearing him out with her constant need to be chased! Whew! He was a good sport but it was clear she needed a playmate closer to her own age. She also spent a lot of time snuggling with Abraham who was very slow now but still “the king of the house”. Penelope would lie by him for long periods of time to clean him, cuddle and show her respect.
Abraham died last Spring and it was devastating to everyone – It’s amazing how empty a house can feel even with two Dalmatians in it – Abraham was such a strong presence - it has not been the same here since. Oliver became very depressed after losing Abraham and so Penelope tried her hardest to cheer him up. She would do her crazy, silly “tap dance” to make him play then sit with him and clean and comfort him but he just missed Abe and she needed a playmate. SO ….we checked out Dalmatian Rescue again to find a playmate for Penelope so that we could gently give Oliver the care and comfort he needed to get over his grief. We found Petee – a deaf Dalmatian mix and quickly went to visit him. What a goof ball! We fell in love with him and knew that he and Penelope would be wonderful playmates. Petee is amazing and learned both sit and shake (in Oliver and Penelope’s sign language version) in just 4 minutes and 11 cookies. He has even picked up signs simply by watching the other dogs. He wanted to learn the sign language at a faster pace than I had planned to teach it to him. He is incredibly smart, gentle, sweet and silly. He and Penelope became a big rolling ball of chaos – constant wrestle, tug-of-war and endless chase. Oliver could then get more of the love and care that he needed with tons of the pets, kisses and snuggles that has helped him to feel better – he is finally getting back to normal.

Some people think I am crazy to have 3 deaf dogs but I honestly feel that I can communicate with them better than many people communicate with their hearing dogs. Oliver, Penelope and Petee currently know 11 signs. They look to me for signs constantly, want to learn more and more, they wake each other when something important is happening, they take turns watching for us to come home and they feel the pressure changes in the house and know when our doors open and close. Better watch dogs that you’d think – huh?!! I never saw myself as someone with the patience to care for “special needs” but after Abraham’s body began to give out (which required many months of carrying him up and down the stairs, surgery, lots of special medications, ramps, lots of $ and a slow and patient pace around here) and then everything I have learned from these little deaf dogs … who are amazing, brilliant, sensitive and incredibly sweet … I don’t think I would know what to do with a “normal” dog now. Losing Abraham was one of the hardest things in my life as I felt such a connection to him. He taught me to be a very good and very patient “dog mom” and I learned and gained more from him than from any other experience in my life. At the moment Abraham passed away I actually felt a tremendous blast of heat pass into my body. I believe that my soul mate, Abraham, passed into me at that moment so that he can stay with me and continue to teach me to be a better and more patient person. Dalmatians have the most incredible way of taking care of their humans – don’t ya think?! Thank you Dalmatian Rescue for my family. Amy Hoh Longmont, CO

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