b'Six months after Ashley and Bailey called the breederto let her know about Remington, they were faced withanother dilemma. The breeder called them to say thatRemingtons mom just had another litter of puppies. Oneof the puppies in the new litter was deaf. I would love for you to take her because of yourexperiencewithRemington,thebreedertoldthem.Perhaps sensing some hesitation from Bailey and Ashley,the breeder added, Its you guys or the shelter. TheydrovefromFloridatoIndianatobringherhome, and named her Indie.ItwasessentialforAshleyandBaileytoimmersethemselvesintheworldofdeafdogs.Now,bothRemington and Indie are thriving, thanks in part, to theuse of an e-collar. We use the vibration for recalls, saidBailey. Thats how we communicate with them.At first, Ashley was against the use of an e-collar ontheir dogs. But, Bailey had done a lot of research beforeevenconsideringit.Itsastimulation,notashock,she explained. I used it on myself first, and found myworking level is 16. Our dogs working level is six.There are some people who are diametrically opposedto the use of an e-collar, and they arent shy about lettingBailey and Ashley know. They generally do not engage.However,Baileyrespondedlogicallyduringourinter-view. It is the most effective way that we can ensure ourdogs safety, no matter the environment. It has allowedthem to live their lives. And, the big smiles on their facesare enough for us.Having two dogs who happen to be deaf is not asetback,andbothAshleyandBaileyenjoytalkingtopeople about their experience. The lifestyle change hashelped Ashley and Bailey as well. WecontinuetogrowfromourexperienceswithRemington. Weve learned to be more patient and kind,not only with one another, but with strangers as well,said Bailey. While they may have had their doubts earlyon, they both agree that Remington made it easy. We are determined to give him and Indie the bestlives they can live. In the process, its made us more awareof each other and ourselves, said Bailey. Yes, it was anadjustment, but honestly, training a dog who is deaf isactually easier than training a hearing dog. They cant beeasily distracted. Be open to adopting a deaf dog. It haschanged our lives. UDeaf Dogs Rock is a 501c3 organization that offers resourcesand support for those who have a deaf dog. 100% of theirdonations goes directly to helping deaf dogs and their owners.Everyone donates their time. The organization is also a portalfor rescue groups to list adoptable dogs in their care who aredeaf. www.DeafDogsRock.com36 THE NEW BARKER'