Monty Is Deaf – He Is Not Disabled.

I read comments on Monty being deaf – and it’s disheartening to say the least. Once comment said that if his dog went deaf – he would know it right away. Maybe, maybe not. The difference between you and I – I have no dependence on Monty’s ability to hear me cause I don’t need voice commands. I don’t need to control my best friend – he’s not disabled – he’s deaf – his world is silent.

And in reality – the only adjustments I have had to make with Monty is dealing with the people in the dog parks and general public – not the dogs. Kids around here are pretty cool – can I meet your dog. Yes, he’s deaf – so don’t sneak up on him and touch him – you’ll startle him. Make sure he sees you – then approach. He loves children.

If you are completely dependent on your voice commands controlling the dog – then yes, you might pick up on your dog being deaf right away. And yes, it’s going to be an issue for you. If you are completely dependent on using your voice – and dependent on your dogs ears to listen – then you are in trouble – no? You will need to find another way to communicate and to that end – generally reach for tools.

I am not dependent on Monty’s ability to hear to have that relationship with him. Never have been – and that’s a hard thing for people to understand. He doesn’t need ears to communicate. If I went deaf, it wouldn’t be a concern for him either – because his barking has never been a form of communication. For us, it’s the universal language that all animals share – body language. I don’t need to introduce another form of communication when the one we have works so well.

Monty is very expressive and I know those expressions. Those big ears tell me everything that he is feeling in the moment. His ears and body language tell me when he is scared, when he’s annoyed, when he’s happy, when he’s unsure – and I will deal with each one – or not – accordingly as they happen.

His world is silent – why would I make it a big deal when it isn’t a big deal? Do you think other dogs treat him different cause he can’t hear? Do you think other dogs are dependent on Monty’s ability to hear? People are too focused on the dogs senses and not focused enough on body language.

I see often enough – people post to facebook groups that their dog is deaf. And it’s always the recommendation to use some form of tool. Ecollars on vibrate are primary – but is an attention getter enough? I don’t need to shock my dog or vibrate him to get his attention – he always knows where I am – we are best of friends. It’s that animal connection that people don’t seem to understand.

When we go to dog parks – nothing has changed – and nothing needs to change. Videos from 2 years ago won’t be any different from videos I post down the road. But people don’t seem to understand that.

And the fact is – If I didn’t tell people that Monty was deaf – you wouldn’t have a clue to begin with.

When Monty is off leash – it’s his time to get out and be a dog. It’s his time to get away from me and be independent. We are together all the time – and he needs time away from me too.

And that doesn’t require ears.