Emma has been working alongside TAG (www.tagpetrescue.org.uk) to teach deaf dog Shadow sign language. On our first session we covered the basic good boy (thumbs up!), sit, down and to speak/bark and to be quiet on command. He picked these up instantly. Shadow was guarding toys and stolen items (he particularly likes a tea towel) and any food on the floor was his and snarfled up in a second. So in his second session we spent some time teaching him some impulse control in the form of the “leave” command. I left his fosterer to practice for 2 weeks and this video is the result of her incredibly hard work. He will now leave food on the floor and she can take toys and stolen items away from him. The “leave” command is so well established that we need to teach him to “take it” when he is rewarded – he is still learning this sign. In his third session we started work on his “stay”.
Shadow is looking for his forever home. Interested parties should contact TAG in the first instance.