A two-year-old deaf male pit bull named Puck is seeking a forever home through the Randburg SPCA after arriving as a stray.

Puck faces significant challenges, including being born a pit bull – a breed commonly associated with aggression and violence – and being completely deaf. Volunteer animal behaviourist Tammy Gregor has been working with him for about three weeks. He has learned ‘sit’ and ‘good boy’ through hand signals. “Being deaf doesn’t interfere with his ability to love and play and have fun,” she said.

She has not identified any red flags but recommends a home with no cats. Any homes with other dogs are required to do compatibility testing to make sure the dogs get along. “As this is a special case, I would recommend more than one meeting,” added Gregor.

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Having a deaf dog is no more work than having a hearing dog, as only the approach is different, explained the behaviourist. To make his forever home the safest it can be, potential adopters must ensure their property is secure so that he cannot get out, as he cannot hear them if they call. Microchipping is essential.

Puck loves human interaction, so he needs a home where he is really a part of the family’s daily activities. “I would not recommend a home with small children per se. It is often harder to teach them how to behave around a deaf dog, increasing the risk of startling him, for example, when he is sleeping,” explained Gregor. On a similar note, she added that the onus is on the parents to teach the children how to interact with a dog and always provide supervision.

What makes Puck special?

What makes the dog exceptional is how extremely people-oriented he is. He cannot hear other dogs barking, giving him less chance of being over-aroused by them. Gregor added that because he cannot hear other dogs, if they give a warning growl for whatever reason, he cannot hear it. “However, dogs are good at reading body language, both human and dog, so he will use that to interact with other dogs and people,” she said. “Puck is truly one of the happiest and friendliest dogs I have met. He loves to flop on top of you and get belly rubs.”

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He is starting to learn to play, and that will increase as he feels more confident with the people he is around. He is inquisitive about the world around him and likes to stand and observe everything around him. “He is also a smiler when he greets you, which is super cute. His tail is always wagging, and, fun fact: dogs wag their tails more to the right when they are very happy, and I have seen him do this.”

If you would like to give Puck his forever home, visit the Randburg SPCA at 229 Northumberland Avenue, North Riding.

To help the society continue the fight against animal cruelty, you can find ways to donate at spca-rbg.org.za/donate.

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