Could Skate the Puppy be Deaf?

Skate is one of the fluffy white puppies that we rescued from Alabama. I can’t help but wonder if he might be deaf. White dogs, blue eyes, pink noses ~ those are all warning signs for deafness, so I have been on the alert since this litter arrived. The first morning I noticed that when all the puppies came tumbling out of their crate, Skate kept sleeping. But that could have just been exhaustion from the trip. But when the other puppies are all excited, he often sleeps through it. I’ve called out to him, he doesn’t respond, but then, neither do my teenagers. 

Yesterday my husband and I worked together ~ Glenn distracted Skate while I came up behind him and clapped my hands inches from his head. No response. I whistled. No response. But when he saw the other dogs looking at me, he turned around and wagged his tail. That’s my Skate ~ always happy.

How do you live with a deaf puppy? Thanks to the internet, there are all sorts of networking resources out there, including deafdog.org. Through such sites, dog owners learn to communicate through sign language ~ amazing! I’ve known several people who have deaf dogs. They always speak so lovingly of their pet that I can tell there is a special bond.

Yes, there is a real possibility that Skate is deaf, but I don’t think it will hold him back at all. He is the most laid back of the litter, but still quite a player. He loves water, was the first in the litter to demonstrate it. The second day here he scooped all the water out of the water bowl and curled up in it. The next day, as seen in this photo, he skipped the scooping and just laid in the water. The day after that I found him sleeping in the puppy pool, his nose just above the water level. If anyone had made a wave, he’d have had a rude awakening!

Did I mention how beautiful he is? Skate has one brown eye and one that is mostly brown with a touch of blue. His soft, wavy, medium length coat is all white that in certain light has hints of fawn. The merle patch on his left eye is completely unexpected. His sister Skye is his mirror twin; she looks exactly like him except her patch is on her right eye.

What does the future hold for Skate? I’m sure it includes a loving home of his own. He is a special dog, not because of his possible deafness, but because of his loving spirit. If you know someone who wants a special dog, please tell them about ours!

~ Holly

June 17th Skate Adopted!:  

This evening Skate found his forever home with Chris and Maja. Rather than a turn off, they were attracted to Skate because of his deafness. You see, they are very active in the deaf community, teaching ASL (American Sign Language) and working with the deaf. They are not only looking forward to learning how to communicate with Skate, they believe that he can help inspire some of the folks with whom they work. What a terrific match! I hope that we are able to do as well for Skate‘s sister Pi who is also deaf!

The White Fluffy Puppies

left to right:
Pogo, Skate, Lexie, Skye, Pi, Austin, Aspen, Logan