Merci

Entrant's Name
Fara Robinson

Pet's Name
Merci

Breed (or best guess!)
We had her DNA tested: Staffordshire Bull Terrier/Lab/Australian Kelpie/Belgian Malinois and more!

Your Pet's Story or Bio / What Makes Them Unique
Merci was my first foster failure. She was dumped by her original owners at the Lancaster SC shelter when she was just 14 weeks old because she was "stupid and wouldn't listen". The losers had her since she was 8 weeks old and still hadn't figured out that she was deaf.

We never intended to keep Merci, and normally foster puppies get adopted quickly. Especially ones as pretty and unique looking as my girl. But she went 7 months without a single application - nobody wanted the "damaged" puppy. And when I realized the though of someone else adopting her made me physically ill, I knew we would never give her up. She became an official part of our family on December 9, 2011.

Shortly after adopting Merci, we had her DNA tested. With her white fur and back spots we were certain that there would be Dalmatian in the mix. Wrong. The test revealed that she is a little bit of everything EXCEPT Dalmatian. She is part Staffordshire Bull Terrier, Lab, Tibetan Spaniel, Australian Kelpie, Belgian Malinois, and Irish Terrier. My husband calls her The International Multi-Dog of Mystery. It has a little more panache than "Mutt".

Merci is many things, but stupid is nowhere on the list. She is funny and sweet and ridiculously brave. She loves high places. I've found her standing on the mantle before. And she once climbed all the way up the wobbly, pull down ladder/stairs to join me in the attic! She is wonderfully responsive and easy to train. She knows hand signals for Sit, Down, Place, Leave it, Off, Give, Let’s go, Ride, Speak, No, Come, Touch, Crate and many more. She is so attuned to reading body language and facial expressions that she seems to almost be able to read my mind much of the time.

Sometimes people ask what it's like to have a "special needs" deaf dog. The answer to that is easy. Deaf dogs are just like any other dog. There are plenty of things that make my Merci extraordinary – her sweet, happy temperament, her love of high places and sense of adventure, her serene nature – but they have nothing to do with the fact that she’s deaf.

"Failing" at fostering this sweet, beautiful pup is one of the best things I ever did.