Establishing a connection with your pet is a very special moment.
Most of the time, it happens instantly.
It’s when you look into each other’s eyes, and you immediately know you will become a family.
This is how Karlie describes her first meeting with Rhett.
Karlie was born deaf, and when she was in elementary, her teacher told them about deaf therapy dogs.
Since then, she wanted to get a therapy dog of her own, but she wanted a dog who is also deaf.
Last 2018, she got a chance to meet some puppies.
Karlie and her husband drove to South Texas where they found Rhett.
As soon as the kennel door opened, Rhett embraced Karlie and gave her kisses.
Then, it just happened. They bonded and that was the start of a beautiful friendship.
Karlie and her husband adopted Rhett, and from then on, he never left Karlie’s side.
Many people asked what was it like teaching a deaf dog. What were the challenges?
For Karlie, teaching Rhett sign language wasn’t hard at all.
The beautiful dog knows over 30 signs. According to Karlie, even if you don’t know how to sign, it’s no different from teaching a dog voice commands.
Just be consistent with your sign and the dog would remember it.
When Karlie got pregnant, she taught Rhett new words in sign language, such as, “baby” and then she would point to her tummy.
Once the baby was born, Rhett understood who the tiny bundle of joy was.
When the baby cries, Karlie gets alerted on her smartwatch. With the help of the vibrations, signals are sent through an iPhone application.
This is quite the same for Rhett since he, too, feels the change in the vibrations.
Amazing, right?
He tends to his little sister and would sniff her to know if there’s something wrong.
Rhett and Karlie would go on adventures and would always spend time together.
Karlie would show Rhett his leash and would sign “walk” and he’d understood.
However, whenever Karlie goes to work, Rhett exhibits separation anxiety signs.
He would bark and drool and would show uneasiness while waiting for Karlie.
So the couple thought that maybe, it was time to give Rhett a sister.
They adopted another dog and named her Maggie May.
When she joined her family, it was like Rhett’s anxiety never existed.
He became happier than before and would play all day with Maggie May.
Sometimes, according to Karlie, she forgets that Rhett is deaf.
Rhett can do what other dogs can, and sometimes more.
For Karlie, Rhett is beautiful, smart, and easy to love.
He completed her small family together with her husband, daughter, and Maggie May.
Many people fell in love with Rhett as well, and this gave Karlie a wonderful idea.
They created a children’s book with the title “I Deaf-initely Can, Rhett the Heeler.”
It was written from Rhett’s perspective as a dog and tells his story.
You can know more about their book here and don’t forget to follow Rhett on his Instagram account.
Watch the beautiful story of inspiration, love, and how Karlie and Rhett support each other in the video below.
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