Read about other Clever Dogs Judy Small, 68, Mulgrave, Vic  When my beloved cattle dog Ben died of cancer, I thought I'd never be able to replace him. We had spent thousands of dollars trying to keep him alive, but he'd finally lost the fight in February 2009.
But when I heard about a local cattle dog breeder who was looking for a home for a disabled pup, I knew I had to open my heart again. They told me the puppy was deaf. Just like Ben. 'I trained Ben with sign language and I'm sure I can do the same with this little fellow,' I told my husband Harold, 73, one day. 'He'll be great company for Anzac.' Anzac is our other cattle dog. When he'd come to me in 2001, he had been a real tearaway. Everyone had given up on him because of his unruly behaviour. I wasn't really surprised when I discovered that nobody had even taken the trouble to house-train him. I took him to my friend Basil Theofanides, from Command Dog Training School, and with his help - and a lot of love - we trained Anzac into an exceptional dog who has even become something of a celebrity. He's been featured in that's life! and was even on Australia's Funniest Home Videos pushing a pram, which is one of his many tricks. More recently he was on the ABC in a program about dog intelligence. 
As Anzac had already known a deaf dog, I knew he'd be the perfect big brother. So I went to collect the new little pooch. I called the pup Chance, as in second chance. It wasn't so far from the truth. If I hadn't taken him it's unlikely Chance would have had a future at all. He was only with me for a couple of hours when I dropped a book on the floor and he came running. He must have felt the vibration and thought I was calling him! 'Well, I can see you've got a lot of potential,' I grinned at the attentive little fellow at my feet. Soon I had a sign for him to come to me - crossing my hands on my chest - and Chance picked it up straightaway. If I want him to speak - bark that is - I clench my fist and then stretch out my fingers. If I want him to get his ball I use both hands to form the shape of a ball. Training a deaf dog isn't as hard as people might think. They can't be distracted by noise so their undivided attention is on you as you teach. When I'm in the same room as Chance his eyes are constantly on me. All his remaining senses are heightened, making up for the loss of his hearing. I still say the word as I sign it. It's important that Chance sees my facial expression as I sign. But there are no written rules. You just have to go with what works for you. All it takes is time, patience and effort. Chance was a natural, soaking up signs like a sponge and learning around one a day. 
Now he knows about 30 hand signals and can come, heel, play dead, fetch, drop and crawl. He can ride a skateboard, push a pram, ring a bell and fetch the morning paper. He also likes to put his favourite Kong toy in the dishwasher, although I'm not sure that's a trick. The most important thing about Chance is that he shows deaf dogs can be trained and lead a life as normal as any other animal. There's a terrible tendency to put down disabled dogs. But Chance clearly demonstrates how ridiculous that is. Of course a deaf dog isn't for everyone. But with a little extra attention they're great companions. Chance doesn't even realise he's deaf. It's all he has ever known. Despite earning himself a few nicknames - Last Chance when he raided the kitchen cupboard and downed a bottle of cooking oil and Final Chance when I found him sitting in a nice bubble bath I'd just run for myself - he's the love of our lives. And Anzac thinks his new friend is pretty special too.
Clever dogs!Lassie A purebred collie, she is probably the world's most famous dog. The character was created by British-American author Eric Knight, and countless films, TV shows and books between 1938 and 2006 have documented her adventures. Bobbie the Wonder Dog As a two-year-old, this Scotch Collie/English Shepherd became famous in 1923 when he was accidentally separated from his owners during a road trip to Indiana. He turned up on their doorstep in Oregon, six months later after an epic 4500-kilometre walk. Sarbi This Australian Army bomb detection dog survived almost 14 months in the Afghan desert after being declared missing in action during a battle with the Taliban. She was feared dead until she was found out walking with an Afghan man. Bob the Railway Dog An icon of the South Australian Railway, this dog travelled all over the country jumping from train to train in the 19th century. A few of the railwaymen got together and had a leather collar made, inscribing it with Stop me not but let me jog for I am Bob the Drivers' Dog. The collar is now on show at Port Adelaide's National Railway Museum. Go back to top to hear Chance's story As told to Anthony Lambert
Photos: BARCROFT PACIFIC |
