THROW ME A FRISBEE!: ECHO THE DEAF PITTIE MIX

The American Dog reports
Photos by gadaboutphotography.com

Echo came into being when his mama, named Tully, was owned by a homeless man and they were living on the streets in northern California. One day her owner got arrested, and Tully was impounded and taken to the shelter. A day later, Tully delivered Echo and 6 other puppies in this high-kill shelter.The shelter staff immediately began trying to find a rescue to save them, and the Mendocino Coast Humane Society (MCHS) agreed to take the whole family. The 7 pups and their mama were placed in foster care with one of the staff members, where they remained until they were old enough to be adopted. Echo was adopted when he was about 3 months old but was quickly returned when his “disability” was discovered.

Crissy Tadlock heard about Echo from her trainer at MCHS. He said there was a Pit Bull puppy, but he was deaf. Crissy says, “It didn’t bother me that he was deaf, but at the time I was looking for an adult female dog. Meanwhile, Monica Mankinen of Daisy Davis Pit Bull Rescue had taken Echo to an adoption event at the local pet boutique, Paws for Cats & Dogs. A short time after, I was at Paws and telling Mandy, the store owner, what I was looking for—and having no luck locally—and she suggested I go meet Echo. I did, and it was love at first sight!” Crissy says that Echo was then 5 months old; she figured the puppy part was temporary, and she would easily get over the fact that he was a male dog. “Also,” she says, “his hearing impairment didn’t concern me at all since I already had a senior Pit Bull mix who had gone deaf with age, so I had some experience.”

After Crissy adopted Echo and brought him home, she realized that Echo had a few behavioral problems. “For starters,he thought my furniture existed for his comfort. It took a little while for him to figure out that people beds are for people and dog beds are for dogs. Another thing we had to work on was his barking and yodeling. He was a noisy pup! To deal with it, I made him work for his meals. When he would bark or yodel, I would give him a sign so that I could get him to speak on command, which also allowed me to teach him quiet. He’s still noisy, but it’s greatly improved. When we meet people on the street, speak is generally one of the favorite tricks to show off in his goody bag,” Crissy says.

When Echo was about a year old, Crissy joined the Disc Dogs of the Golden Gate and got Echo involved in disc competitions. So far, Echo has earned a 1st place trophy, two 2nd place trophies, one 3rd place trophy, as well as a Crowd Pleaser trophy! Echo loves his Frisbee (disc), and Crissy says, “Sometimes we’ll train a couple times in a day and sometimes we won’t play with it for days, usually depending on my schedule. Also, if we have a tournament coming up, we do not play for 3–7 days beforehand so that he’s really excited to play when it’s time to compete. I do feel that our other activities contribute to disc; we’ll work on obedience, go for walks or bike riding. Echo is a very fit and active dog, but he does enjoy sleeping.”

Echo’s other priorities include playing with his best friend Rio, who is a deaf Pit Bull/American Bulldog mix and is his foster brother. The Tadlock family fosters Rio part-time, and the two boys are inseparable. “They love each other and have such a good time together. Rio has been with Daisy Davis Pit Bull Rescue for a year now and they’ve really bonded. Echo has really been in dispensable as a teacher for Rio. I’ve considered just adopting Rio, but I want the space to be able to foster other dogs in need.” Crissy says that she’s had other foster pups come through their home as well—puppies who Echo has enjoyed having around and to whom he’s been a mentor.

Echo does live with a 4-legged brother, an Australian Shepherd mix named Puck. And Echo also enjoys the visits when he gets to see his mama Tully. “She’s been with MCHS all this time, and I have volunteered to walk and train her for the past 18 months. Echo and Tully enjoy spending time together, and thankfully Tully went to her own permanent home on October 14,” Crissy says.

Outside of his disc competitions, Echo has earned his AKC Canine Good Citizen certificate and has won two ‘Smartest Dog’ contests. “Echo is just an average dog who loves to eat, play, sleep, and be with his family. I want Echo to be able to show the world that a rescued dog, a deaf dog, and a Pit Bull, can be an amazing pet and a joy to have as part of the family,” Crissy says.

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