Special Needs: Serefine is deaf. For tips on living with and training a deaf dog, check out http://www.deafdogs.org/training/

Description:

Serefine was found running the streets up the road from our shelter in Sanford. Some kind soul pulled over and saved this sweet loving dog from being hit by a car. She is deaf so it will be important that whoever adopts her will not allow her to be off the leash in an unfenced in area and will keep her socialized with other dogs. She is probably best in a home that does not have very young children since deaf dogs are scared or frightened when you sneak up on them.

It is not an unusual situation for us to be placing deaf dogs.  You'd be suprised how many have found good homes.  I know of at least one person who has developed such an affinity for these dogs that she will only adopt deaf dogs.  Thanks to the internet, there are wonderful resources available to help families learn how to best live with deaf dogs.  A great place to start is the Deaf Dog Education Action Fund,    http://www.deafdogs.org/training/.  This group started with the goal "to speak on behalf of and assist in the betterment of life for deaf dogs everywhere."  They are doing a wonderful job!  Their website provides training tips, including the use of hand signals.  A smart dog like Serefine should respond well to training and, by default, leadership of her owner!

Foster update 6/25:To all reading this please let me issue a reminder.
This puppy has spent all of her wonderful little life either roaming fending for herself or caged.  I will address items mentioned in other updates for a status revise, as well as add in new items..

This dog is nothing short of spectacular.  With attention and work in just 7 days time she is house broken, and does NOT jump on everything.  Trips to the dog park show this dog completely friendly with anyone.  She is playful and submissive with all dogs and people.  While she will eat as much as you put down for her (and needs a lot) she has absolutely no food aggression.  Today showed an improvement in this and she is now leaving food in her dish no longer worried about getting more.

Yes she will bark a little bit (for about five minutes) sometimes when you cage her.  However in just this amount of time already that is changing, she goes to bed with no trouble at all in the cage.  She rides in the car with no problem and does extremely well in the marketplace.

She is currently in a home with both a small dog and a cat, she shows no aggression towards either of them.  She is very playful which is not always received well.  She has a lot of energy, and takes to the leash with pleasure.  A fenced back yard is recommend, she scratches at the door to go in and out.

She is deaf but responds well and immediately to correction and already understands the sign for no.  Stomping on the floor with one foot will get her attention from across the room and also serves as no if she is up to something she shouldn't be.  She is smart enough to understand which are her allowed  toys (chew bone recommended).  She has been shown correction with a choke chain (only appropriate uses have been implemented) but already getting her attention serves as correction.  She has been allowed one chair in my home and will now contentedly spends much of the evening in it chewing on her bone.

In regards to her barking there are certain items that will make her bark, like a specific toy or sometimes the ceiling fan.  Correction at the time will always amend it however if it persist replacing the toy works wonderfully.

 

Foster Update - 10/1 - I was fostering her but I had to take her back to the shelter because she didn't get along with my cats well at all, so if the potential adopters have cats you might want to let them know. I don't think she would have hurt them but she jumped over two gates (inside doggie gates) to get to them. Other than that though she was such a sweetheart. She is pretty hyper, but she's still a puppy so that's to be expected. When I had her out of her crate without my puppy around she was much more docile so I am sure that the extra excitement was about having a playmate. We went on at least one 20-30 minute walk a day while she was here. I was trying to get her to learn not to pull on the leash so we didn't get very far since I was stopping every 2 or 3 steps but she did eventually start to get it. If the people who are interested have the time and patience to work with her on hand signals I'm positive she will make an excellent pet. She definitely made me laugh while she was here because she makes some silly noises since she doesn't know what she sounds like.

Anyway, other than the cats there weren't any problems I had with her that I wouldn't have had with any other puppy. She needs a good home and people to love her.