Pickles by Brian Crane for March 26, 2018

if Emily lives in an upstairs apartment (which allows pets), that flamenco dancing would disturb the neighbors

It will. When I met my husband, he and his dad had an apartment on the the second or three floors. Their upstairs neighbors were flamenco dancers.

What a great dog. Companionship and aerobic exercise all rolled in one.

As far as the dog is concerned, his name is “Stomp! Stompitty Stomp! Stomp!”

We had a cat who went deaf at 19, for 2 yrs we used a cane to bump on the floor and he’d come running to that room :)

Be thankful you’re a cartoon, Emily. Because if you were a real elderly person, you wouldn’t last 2 minutes doing the Flamenco!

A companion and aerobics. Win-win

if it was an Irish setter you’d call him by step dancing

Do a youtube search for Paddy and Nico — there are always exceptions! Huzzah for Emily adopting a special pet! I hope she and Buster appear in more strips!

Our 15 year old, Border Collie mix, is mostly deaf. Stomping does get her attention. A lot of noise stresses her. :(

Learn ASL and teach her/him the signs.. Had a friend with a deaf cat loves the vibration of rumba, might work for the dog….

A pocket flashlight or a laser pointer is also good for deaf pets, shine it on the floor in front of them and then bring their attention to you. I love shelter stories and get really annoyed when people say that they don’t go because then they would leave with all of the animals. My response is that they should go and just try leaving with one.

It would work with me too and I CAN hear.

Sometimes….I’m not sure they’re really hard of hearing. Know what I mean??

Completely white dogs are likely to be deaf. (Source: Temple Grandin in one of her books.)

One of the best dogs I have ever had, was my last one, a 90 lb. American Pit Bull Terrier, who thought he was a lap dog. He was ( as are many pure bred white dogs ) born deaf.

I rescued him when he was a little over a year old, from owners who refused to believe the breeder, that the dog was hearing impaired. They thought he was just being stubborn when he wouldn’t come when they called him….. Idiots !

Owning a special needs pet takes a lot of patience, and different training techniques, but he was a joy to have in my life.

He was my constant companion for 10 years, until I moved to Ecuador and felt that the trip would be too much for him.

Fortunately, I found a wonderful couple, who were perfect pet parents for him.

For those who wonder how you train a hearing impaired pet, it’s done by teaching it hand commands. Even though he couldn’t hear me, I would talk to him. He could sense my moods, and read my ‘body language’.

Discipline was done by the look and the point ,( effective on kids, too ), then turning my back and ignoring him. APBTs hate to be ignored !

BTW. He passed away in his sleep at the ripe old age of 16 this last January….. R.I.P. Zeke !

Before she took up Flamenco, the dog could hear fine.

Cue Earl. He’s sure to have a pithy comment.

I have to loud clap for my 18 year old. And wave her to “come’on”

I have to loud clap for my 18 year old. And wave her to “come’on”

We had a Maltese that was born deaf, and even when she was asleep you could call her by tapping on the floor.