Beautiful Cloud was pulled from a high kill shelter.  She is a special needs dog, as she is deaf, but that should not discourage anyone from wanting this love bug.  She is crate trained and will bark to alert you if she needs to go out.  With proper training, she can learn sign language.  We have had other dogs at our facility who were deaf and very successfuly learned sign language.  Cloud is truly a great little girl! Everyone who meets her just loves her!  She is very intelligent and has already learned the hand signals for sit and down. Being deaf doesn't slow her down in the least.

8-14-16 Dog for a Day Update (Make sure to check out the new pictures at the bottom of her page!   Love Cloud!  from the beginning Cloud was a great, she lay down in the back with her toy. Got her home and went to the back yard where she ran and ran and ran. Loves chasing after a ball and sniffing trees.  Since it was a hot day we would do short visits outside. Inside we still liked playing fetch (we also like cat toys, since they too are about the size of toy she normal plays with).  She is very active and loves to pace around the house.  She wore out my boyfriend with playing.  Knows hand gestures for sit and lay down.

Dog for a Day Update:   C loud is an incredible dog! She might not be able to hear, but that doesn’t stop her from squeezing all the joy she can out of life, and she shows it with the biggest smile. I had her for a total of three days, and she stayed the night at my house. She did great. In my opinion, her house manners were excellent. At one point she wanted to chew the pedals on the piano, but after only three or four times of shaking my head at her and making a no sign (two fingers on top of two fingers and a kind of match-strike motion seemed to work really well) she left them alone completely. Also, probably 7 or 8 out of every 10 times, I could get her to sit by touching my nose and then putting my hand out slowly and making a stop sign. “Stay” would take some more work, but she obviously wants to communicate and learn. She doesn’t get on the furniture (or counters or dining table, if that’s important to you), but she does like a soft rug to stretch out on and rest. She plays like a puppy and sleeps like a senior dog. :-) If she wakes up and can’t see you, she will go looking for you immediately. She does best with company and someone close by all the time. Very good about going into her crate when you need to run an errand or feed other animals. She’s also an energetic girl who needs a lot of activities and exercise, either via walks/jogs or time in a fenced yard to run and play. I bet she’d make a nice little running buddy, if you can get her to stop smelling all the grass and flowers! She ran laps around my tree and was thrilled with the whole yard-exploring experience.  

I took Cloud to a Pet Supermarket near my house. She did so well there! She did pull on the leash a lot, and she’s strong, but I feel it was due to excitement over seeing all the toys and treats. She would be easier to control with a harness or vest instead of a collar leash, I think, and maybe more comfy, since she can’t hear your voice and needs a tug to get her to look at you for direction. Sometimes you even have to take her face in your hands and turn her toward you. She was very friendly and the center of attention at the store—even scored a couple of free peanut butter dog cookies! This is one bright little girl who loves to play and nap and just enjoy life. I couldn't find a way to keep her because I have young cats who couldn’t adjust. I’m crushed not to have her and will definitely never forget this sweet, trusting, and fun-loving girl.  

Based on my time with her, I feel she would do best in a home without cats, or at least with senior couch potato-type cats that mostly lie around. Cloud startles easily and wants to nip/chase when something comes up to her from behind, and of course younger cats love to creep around and sneak up on things. She will bark and cry when she’s afraid, but can calm down pretty quickly with a shoulder massage and either a treat or a little time with a toy to distract her. She is otherwise very quiet. She loved the chew toy and tennis ball I gave her, and also a tug rope, and a stuffed toy that actually belonged to my cats. Willing to make a game or playmate out of just about anything! She had trouble getting in and out of the car; I think she’s just not had to do it often, and it scared her. I would pick her up and put her in the back seat. Once she’s in, she settles right down and rides like a pro. By the end of my last day with her, she was able to slide down onto the floor and then sort of tumble out on her own. She’s a fast learner but really needs a more experienced dog owner who’s naturally gentle and super patient. Another (also gentle and patient) dog might be good, too, for her to learn from and help build her confidence. I can’t imagine anybody regretting fostering or adopting this amazing dog. All she needs is patience, playtime, a comfy sleep spot, and tons of love.    

I found some great information and tips about deaf dogs on this site, and especially on the first two links on page 3: http://www.quickanddirtytips.com/pets/dog-training/living-with-a-deaf-dog