simba

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We had moved back to England after a seventeen year absence where we had resided in Newfoundland, Canada. After being settled here a few months we realised that we missed the company of a dog.

We were so much in love with the English Setter breed that we made up our mind to get one. We tried everywhere and eventually found a breeder in Scotland. We went to Scotland to pick her up and instantly fell in love with her.

The journey home was awful, our little bundle did nothing but howl. Upon our arrival at home she picked her place in the house and settled down, just like any other puppy. We did however notice a few strange details, she wasn't responsive to sounds. She did not take notice of doors opening and shutting, and didn't even hear the rattle of sweets and crisp packets, which in my experience is quite unusual for any dog. We could even get up in the middle of the night without waking her from her sleep, very strange for a English Setter puppy who always seems to be waiting for any kind of sound that might suggest its PLAYTIME!

It wasn't until she was around four months old that our suspicions were confirmed. We noticed that she was easily spooked if we walked in the room without her first seeing us come in. But time has changed a lot, she has developed her other senses to the point where she senses and smells us coming up the driveway, long before we arrive at the door. She relies on eye contact and facial expressions, and she is surprisingly well behaved. We have made up our own hand signals and this works very well.

We named her Simba but sometimes I think we should have called her Shadow. She needs to know that we are not far away. This probably being the only draw back , but easily overcome.

I have owned several dogs, and by far Simba is the TOPS. She needs us as much as we need her and her loyalty is evident, (what a wonderful relationship!).

Nobody realises she is deaf, nature has many ways of making up for this. I would say that a deaf dog makes an ideal family pet, even more so than an hearing one.

Of course Setters are amongst the most clownish and sensitive dogs out there and believe me Simba is no different. In fact her handicap is the icing on the cake. What more could you ask for in a dog?

The only hardship for a dog is not to be loved There is no hardship for a dog to be deaf,

Well as you can see, Simba is a very important member of our family and gives us many happy times.

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