Post by Brooke on Feb 8, 2004 1:47:05 GMT -5
Dog follows sign language
02/04/04
Barry Matulaitis
PHILLIPS -- Two years ago, Linda Haines had no idea that she was about to embark on a life changing experience. "I actually went to get my husband's four-wheeler fixed in Oxford," she said. "I came back with the machine fixed, supper and a dog."
The story of how she adopted the 10-week old golden retriever, which she named Kai, is interesting. It becomes fascinating when you realize that he lacks an avenue of communication that we all take for granted in our daily lives: Kai is deaf.
When Haines brought him home, she began thinking of ways that her family could interact with their new pet. "I came home thinking that I would get some books and learn American Sign Language," she said, noting that her sister has a deaf daughter. After learning the signs from her sister, she set about teaching Kai the various commands.
She demonstrates her method of feeding him dog biscuits, and one can see immediately that there is a bond between dog and owner that transcends sight. It is almost as if Kai can anticipate her commands before she actually makes them. She can sign in such a way that he will know when to eat dog biscuits, lay down, raise up, heel, go into rooms, come back out of them, give her a high five and retrieve balls. "I give him a lot of positive encouragement," said Haines. While she has taught him the sign for "bad dog," she rarely has to use it, as he is exceptionally obedient. "If I should catch him with anything that he shouldn't have, he gets a 'bad' sign," she said.
Kai is a quick study in how animals can learn such signs, as he picked up all of the basic commands within two weeks. Haines' two children, Dalton and Cassie, know the signs and can get him to follow the commands. She said that he would follow the signs for anybody who knew ASL.
"He's excellent with children," she points out. "He's a happy dog. Nothing fazes him."
The Haines family has another dog, a black Labrador named Jackson and a cat, and all three pets live happily with each other. "He gets along fantastic with the other pets," she said. She added that Jackson had become a protector of sorts for Kai, and had helped her show him around the house when she first got him. Haines has taught her other pets some of the same signs as the ones that Kai follows.
"He doesn't like to not please you," she said. Although he has been deaf since birth, Kai is able to make up for it by his exceptionally sharp eyes and observes every move that people make while they are near him. "I don't think Kai knows he's deaf, because he's never heard," she said.
He loves to play with a rubber toy that Haines has especially for him, and can be seen with her on a leash as they walk around the neighborhood. "He loves to be outside," she said. "And he's every competitive with the other dog."
When asked what advice she had for someone owning or wanting to own a deaf dog and teach them ASL, Haines responded that there were Web sites that could assist owners with this and that there was also literature on the subject. She emphasized that it was possible for anyone to train a deaf dog to follow the commands.
"I can't explain it except that there's a bond between us that's unspeakable."
02/04/04
Barry Matulaitis
PHILLIPS -- Two years ago, Linda Haines had no idea that she was about to embark on a life changing experience. "I actually went to get my husband's four-wheeler fixed in Oxford," she said. "I came back with the machine fixed, supper and a dog."
The story of how she adopted the 10-week old golden retriever, which she named Kai, is interesting. It becomes fascinating when you realize that he lacks an avenue of communication that we all take for granted in our daily lives: Kai is deaf.
When Haines brought him home, she began thinking of ways that her family could interact with their new pet. "I came home thinking that I would get some books and learn American Sign Language," she said, noting that her sister has a deaf daughter. After learning the signs from her sister, she set about teaching Kai the various commands.
She demonstrates her method of feeding him dog biscuits, and one can see immediately that there is a bond between dog and owner that transcends sight. It is almost as if Kai can anticipate her commands before she actually makes them. She can sign in such a way that he will know when to eat dog biscuits, lay down, raise up, heel, go into rooms, come back out of them, give her a high five and retrieve balls. "I give him a lot of positive encouragement," said Haines. While she has taught him the sign for "bad dog," she rarely has to use it, as he is exceptionally obedient. "If I should catch him with anything that he shouldn't have, he gets a 'bad' sign," she said.
Kai is a quick study in how animals can learn such signs, as he picked up all of the basic commands within two weeks. Haines' two children, Dalton and Cassie, know the signs and can get him to follow the commands. She said that he would follow the signs for anybody who knew ASL.
"He's excellent with children," she points out. "He's a happy dog. Nothing fazes him."
The Haines family has another dog, a black Labrador named Jackson and a cat, and all three pets live happily with each other. "He gets along fantastic with the other pets," she said. She added that Jackson had become a protector of sorts for Kai, and had helped her show him around the house when she first got him. Haines has taught her other pets some of the same signs as the ones that Kai follows.
"He doesn't like to not please you," she said. Although he has been deaf since birth, Kai is able to make up for it by his exceptionally sharp eyes and observes every move that people make while they are near him. "I don't think Kai knows he's deaf, because he's never heard," she said.
He loves to play with a rubber toy that Haines has especially for him, and can be seen with her on a leash as they walk around the neighborhood. "He loves to be outside," she said. "And he's every competitive with the other dog."
When asked what advice she had for someone owning or wanting to own a deaf dog and teach them ASL, Haines responded that there were Web sites that could assist owners with this and that there was also literature on the subject. She emphasized that it was possible for anyone to train a deaf dog to follow the commands.
"I can't explain it except that there's a bond between us that's unspeakable."