A two-year-old white Staffordshire bull terrier named Gordon is awaiting adoption at the Mayhew Animal Home in London. But while a new family has yet to take him in, the staff at the center is teaching the dog a cool trick -- sign language!
Gordon has a hearing problem, but while his deafness can be seen as a liability, the rescue staffers observed he's a quick learner and can follow commands using body language, according to the Mirror.
The center's dog adoption officer, Lisa Guiney, is optimistic about Gordon's situation as there have been deaf dogs that were re-homed before. His training may be more extensive than usual compared to other rescues, but handling Gordon, who was rescued from the streets back in November 2014, isn't a problem. The dog, the workers at the animal shelter say, has a "huge personality." Despite what he's been through, the pooch is not an aggressive and defensive angry dog.
"Our staff are teaching him sign and rewarding him with treats," said Raffy Hamid, who works at the center, via The Dodo.
"He responds by wagging his tail (very enthusiastically), jumps up to get more affection and pats on the head when he's done something right like sit, stay or stand or walk," says another staff, Eric Hugenberg, who describes the dog as "very affectionate."
Gordon already knows the basic sign languages for sit, stay and shake hands, among other things. While he enjoys getting hugs and kisses from his trainers, Gordon also gets along with the other rescues easily. The center says that he's most appropriate as a pet for teenagers.
Mayhem Animal Home posted Gordon's profile on their Facebook page in the hopes of finding people who will take him into their home. The post said, "This intelligent, loving two year old is deaf as a post, but that doesn't stop him kissing everyone and wagging his tail non-stop. Can you please please please share this and help find Gordon the home he deserves?"
To know more about Gordon, the center also has a dedicated site page for him: https://themayhew.org/dogs/gordon/
