Picking Out a Helpful Puppy

Image and text by Amelia Willows 

  Hello, I am Amelia. I am hard of hearing. I wear hearing aids.      

  To improve the quality of my Life, I have chosen to get a puppy that can help me by guiding me to things I don't hear too well. So on July13, 2022, I went to a Big farm about an hour away from my home to pick a puppy to bring home.

  Not just any puppy would do. I wanted a smart, loving, sweet, fun, yet protective type of puppy. I was shown the puppies. I knew I wanted a girl puppy. 

  I went through the litter asking about each puppy. No matter how good each one sounded, there was a puppy that kept drawing my attention. She was soft, a little long-haired German Shepherd that looked like a teddy bear and pranced like Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer.  

  I want to provide her with the best care and love I can. So after picking my puppy, I carried her to the car, placing her gently on my lap. Buckling my seatbelt, I held the puppy tight, letting her know she was safe and going to be okay. 

  I chose to name her Khaleesi. It sounds good and strong. 

  With me being hard of hearing, I thought I would teach Khaleesi American Sign Language in her commands, so that I could communicate with her without disturbing others around us. 

  The first thing I taught her in sign language was “No.” Trust me when I say she didn't like it. She didn't show me right away she didn't like it. It took Khaleesi a day or two before she started showing her mouthy side. She will growl and bark when I give the sign “No,” until she realizes I am being serious.

  Khaleesi and I pull weeds. She sometimes becomes a little overly excited and accidentally grabs my hand a little too hard when she goes to grab the weed and shake off the dirt. I know she doesn't mean it, as she is learning to be a bit softer. 

  I live in a very busy and loud area. Khaleesi would stay by my side if I didn't put a leash on her, but I love her too much to allow someone to take her, or for her to get hit by a car.

  Everything is so interesting to Khaleesi. There are people driving cars, trucks, motorcycles and bicycles. Khaleesi loves sitting outside watching all the people go by. She sits up so beautifully when she is alert.                                                                                      

    As I get her bath ready, I grab the brush to brush out her fur after she is finished with her bath. She does good at getting baths. But it seems to be pointless because afterwards she goes outside, rolling all over the fresh-cut yard so she can get her own scent back on her.                                                                    

  I put all the love and time into making Khaleesi a good puppy. I take her out to socialize at all the places where she is allowed: the veterinary, the dog park and puppy school one day a week. 

  She has already learned “sit, come, wait, retrieve, shake paw and lay down.” Plus. she has learned how to bump me when I am unable to hear the door or whatever I need hear.