Dobby's Adoption

Taking on a deaf and blind dog is a real commitment. We had fostered a deaf dog previously, and some of the hoarder Danes were vision impaired, but this was our first profoundly deaf/blind dog --  and he was Great Dane to boot. He was also one of the sweetest and most trusting dogs I've ever known. That made today a little rough.

Dobby had learned my scent and my touch and he knew I was the one who would guide him in and out of the house around here and bring him food. I took him hiking a few times and that was just icing on the cake for him, being outside, moving without hitting things, and being exposed to all the scents that woodland trails have to offer. He learned to trust me. That is the most gratifying thing about having a dog, I think, earning the trust of the most trusting creature on earth. The fact that he is deaf and blind means that his is trust is, necessarily, absolute.

That being the case, it was a little hard to say goodbye to Dobby today. But I know he was going to an excellent home. They had met him twice and had plenty of time to contemplate the decision. I know that they had done research into owning and training a deaf and blind dog. They have had experience with a large breed blind dog in the past as well, so it's everything we could have hoped for in an adopter's home.

One thing that the Dobby experience has really brought home to me once again, is the importance of touch. Dobby sort of learned his way around here, but when he would wander off in the wrong direction he would be lost. All I had to do was touch him, anywhere on his body, and he responded as if saying, "oh, there you are, I thought I had lost you." A simple touch of recognition brought him back to a place of calm.

With Dobby, touch was his only way of interacting with people really, but it's important for all dogs and people too. A simple touch is calming, reassuring. It lets someone know that you are there and that you care. A touch makes someone feel safe, protected, loved, and cared for. The laying on of hands is nonsense as faith healing, but it provides very real benefits, no matter what the problem may be.