A tiny Blue Heeler who was born the runt of her litter has found the perfect family after her owners discovered she was deaf and taught her how to communicate through hand signals.
Pips was adopted in West Virginia by Dr. Michael Squires and his wife, Dr. Carlee Squires, who both work as audiologists and run Audiology Services of West Virginia Hearing and Balance Center in Parkersburg.
The couple adopted Pips along with her sister, Ruth, without realizing at first that the little dog could not hear.
Pips stood out immediately because she was smaller than the other puppies, with white, black and brown speckled fur.
Michael said his daughters were instantly drawn to her because she was so tiny and cute.
At first, the family did not think much about the fact that Pips was not responding the same way as her sister.
Michael explained that puppies, much like young children, are still learning how to respond to names and commands.
But before long, he and Carlee began noticing something different.
Pips was far less vocal than Ruth and rarely barked unless she was startled.
When she did bark, Michael said it sounded different from her sister’s.
That caught his attention because he knew from his work as an audiologist that people with significant hearing loss can sometimes vocalize differently because they cannot hear and monitor the sounds they are making.
The family became even more suspicious one evening when Michael called all of the dogs inside.
Every dog came running except Pips, who was asleep in the driveway.
Michael said he yelled, clapped and whistled, but Pips never reacted.
That was when the family realized she was likely deaf.
The discovery did not scare them.
The couple had previously owned a blind dog and already understood that caring for an animal with a disability requires extra patience and adjustment.
Michael also had childhood experience around the deaf community through an aunt who worked with deaf children at a camp program.
He later built his career around hearing and communication, making Pips’ situation especially meaningful.
Michael said he learned during his research that hearing loss can affect Blue Heelers and that some dogs in the breed are born deaf.
Carlee also explained that hearing problems can sometimes develop alongside other medical issues because certain organs and systems form during the same stages before birth.
Once the family understood that Pips could not hear, they simply changed the way they communicated with her.
Instead of relying on voice commands, they began using visual cues.
They flash lights on and off if Pips is across the room, wave to get her attention and gently touch her when she is focused on something else.
The family is especially careful not to startle her when she is asleep.
Michael said they will gently touch one of her back paws or lightly move the chair she is sleeping on so she can wake up calmly.
Pips and Ruth were later sent to obedience training with a family friend who is also a professional dog trainer.
There, Pips began learning hand commands.
She also uses a remote collar that vibrates rather than shocks.
The vibration simply tells her to look toward her owner.
Once Pips makes eye contact, Michael said she responds very well to commands such as “come,” “sit” and “place.”
Despite being deaf, Pips has no shortage of energy.
She loves playing fetch and can chase a ball for hours.
The Squires family lives on nearly 80 acres, and Pips regularly hikes the property alongside the family’s other dogs.
Michael said she relies heavily on visual information and her other senses to understand what is happening around her.
The family has embraced her disability rather than treating it as something that limits her.
Michael now hopes Pips’ story encourages more people to consider adopting dogs with disabilities.
He said deaf, blind and otherwise disabled dogs may require extra effort, but they are just as deserving of loving homes.
And for the Squires family, Pips has become proof that a dog does not need to hear a voice to understand love.
What a beautiful, touching story!