Fourteen-year-old Maya, a Jack Russell Terrier, obeys her owner well, although she has never heard one of her commands.
Maya can’t hear anything – but she does understand sign language.
Joanne Sparkman, of Gladwin, Michigan realized Maya was deaf when she was about four months old. Maya doesn’t miss a beat, though.
Sparkman and Maya have communicated through signing for the past 14 years.
“She learned sign language and she knows her commands,” Sparkman said.
When Sparkman and her husband, Matthew, suspected Maya was deaf, they tried yelling and making loud noises while Maya was turned away from them. The dog never flinched. They took her to the vet, and sure enough, Maya was diagnosed as hearing impaired.
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Joanne Sparkman gives a treat to her fourteen-year-old Jack Russell Terrier, named Maya, after successfully using American Sign Language to ask Maya to enter a crate Friday, April 1, 2022 at their home in Gladwin.
Katy Kildee/Midland Daily News2of5
A sign hangs in front of the home of Joanne Sparkman, who has a fourteen-year-old Jack Russell Terrier, named Maya, who is deaf, and responds to American Sign Language.
Katy Kildee/Midland Daily News
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Joanne Sparkman holds her fourteen-year-old Jack Russell Terrier, named Maya, Friday, April 1, 2022 at their home in Gladwin.
Katy Kildee/Midland Daily News
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Looking for a solution, Sparkman got the book, “Living with a Deaf Dog,” by Susan Cope Becker. Through the book, she taught Maya sign language and learned tips on how to give her a high-quality life.
“I knew it was doable,” Sparkman said of teaching Maya sign language.
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Source: https://www.myjournalcourier.com/news/article/Deaf-dog-well-versed-in-sign-language-17058280.php