Edison and Foster hate my new office. Like, capital H hate: The desk is too small to fit two napping dogs, it only has one window (and tinted at that) and it’s too far removed from all the action and adoration at the front counter that they demand. Curiously, my team and my coworkers are pretty insistent that, whenever possible, Edison and Foster hang out with them at the front counter. Though I’m sure their good looks and gentle personalities have something to do with it, I strongly suspect their deafness is a big part of the allure.
People who don’t share their lives with a special needs dog are usually amazed by how well a deaf (or blind or three-legged) dog adapts and all that they can accomplish. As I’m running through my day, I love overhearing the private laudatory conversations my colleagues have with new volunteers and customers, talking about my boys, boasting of their deafness, and then demonstrating one or two of the signs I’ve taught the staff at the Humane Society of Greater Miami team. I can hear a smile in their voice: they’re proud, they’re inspired, and damnit, there’s no humble in their brag as they ask Edison to sit, first with an ASL sign, offer a treat then ask him to sit again- this time using an obedience sign.
They may not understand it, but when Edison and Foster go to work with me, they too they have a job: to inspire my colleagues, to educate the public about the existence and the capabilities of deaf dogs and to be advocates for special needs animals everywhere.
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