Introducing Juno and Bear

Recently I received a Facebook message from a friend.  There was a dog at an area shelter who was believed to be deaf.  He was scheduled to be euthanized and she wanted to know if I could help.  I love helping all sorts of dogs, but deaf dogs just so happen to be my favorite to rescue.  Not only because they're most in need of saving, but also because they are so much fun to have around.  They sleep soundly, but then when they are awake they hardly miss a thing in spite of no hearing.  Someone knocking at the door?  The deaf dog sometimes barks before the hearing dog because they spotted the car headlights turning into the driveway, or the person walking up the front porch stairs.  Deaf dogs are good at noticing what is going on around them, and they are more attentive than most hearing dogs because they don't want to miss anything.  They bond more closely than hearing dogs because they have to watch you to see what is going on instead of just waiting until you call them.  They also are often easier to train because they aren't so easily distracted by the noises around them.  So while there are exceptions to every rule, in general I would always choose a deaf dog over a hearing dog.  And when I got this message from a friend, I just so happened to have room for another foster dog.  That is how Juno came to live with me.  And while checking out pictures of the other dogs at the shelter, I fell in love with Bear's picture.  And that is how Bear tagged along on Juno's rescue.

Juno was said by the shelter to be three years old.  The volunteers there knew better and guessed he was around eight years.  It turns out that our vet estimates him at at least ten years old.  This is Juno's picture from when he was at the shelter:

 He was very dirty and had double ear infections and was in a lot of pain. 

After a bath, some medicine, and a few days to relax, Juno turned into a different dog! 

I'd say that he's a completely different dog, but he's still grumpy sometimes!  He is hard of hearing, but it's most likely just due to age.  He has some arthritis in his back legs and doesn't like to be touched there or picked up (and he makes it very clear that he doesn't like it!)  So he's going to need a very patient home with no kids around.  In the meantime he's taken over the biggest dog bed in my living room and spends almost all his time there just relaxing.  I may have him for a long time, but he's the easiest dog ever and gets along with all the other dogs so it is no work at all to foster him.  He just deserves a place to live out his life in peace and quiet, somewhere warm and safe and clean. 

I was more worried about taking in Bear without being able to evaluate him first.  The facility was a couple hours away and I didn't have the chance to go meet the dogs before they were scheduled to be put down, so I had to take a chance on what the dogs would be like based on the volunteers and workers at the shelter.  The Animal Control officer said he dog-tested Bear and Bear did fine, but anytime you take in a large dog like Bear (he weighs 70 pounds) you have to be ready for anything.  Bear was very vocal and barked all the time at first.  But within a few days he settled in and started doing better.  He got along well with the other foster dogs, and it didn't take long for me to realize he was a wonderful dog. 


Bear's picture from the shelter

  Another foster volunteer took Bear home to evaluate him, and he did great with her other animals and with adjusting to a new situation.  He was already house-trained and knew some basic commands, and he quickly learned that it was much better to sit when wanting something than to bark.  This picture is from his foster home where he was staying after he was at my house. 

I sent this picture to my niece and sister because they were looking for another dog, and they quickly fell in love.  And last week, Bear was officially adopted!  He's doing great now at my sister's house.  He gets along well with her other dog, does great with the kids, and has received a new name of Truman.