Carolyn Holm

Dear Poppy,
I’m concerned that you may be losing your hearing, sweetie.
Love, Carolyn

Dear Mom,
I hear all the things!!!!!!
XOXO Poppy

Dear Poppy,
But a couple of times I started out the back door, and looked around, and you weren’t with me. You are usually right on it! But you were napping and didn’t wake up. That makes me wonder if you just didn’t hear me.
Love, Carolyn

Dear Mom,
I always hear you!!!  Maybe I was just sleeping really really really soundly. And didn’t want to wake up.
XOXO Poppy

Dear Poppy,
The other day you were across the garden from me, and I said “ok, let’s go in now” and usually that gets an immediate reaction. But you just stared at me. I wondered if you were trying to figure out what I just said. 
Love, Carolyn

Dear Mom,
I probably was trying to decide if I would obey you or not. 
XOXO Poppy

Dear Poppy,
Of course, that’s a possibility. As dogs age, some of you seem to get wily about obedience. And you are nine years old now. Definitely middle-aged. But there we were, out in the garden, you staring blankly at me, and I gave you the “Come Along” hand signal and you came running right over. So that seemed to indicate poor hearing, not disobedience.
Love, Carolyn

Dear Mom,
I love the Come Along signal. Seeing you slap your thigh is always more exciting than just words!!!!!
XOXO Poppy

Dear Poppy,
Thank heavens for hand signals. Over the years, several dogs in our household have become deaf, and it was a godsend that we already had hand signals for the important stuff, like Come Along. And Sit and Down and Stay.
Love, Carolyn

Dear Mom,
And the signal that means “I’m leaving now but you are staying here and I promise I’ll come back”. That’s a very reassuring message.
XOXO Poppy

Dear Poppy,
Amazing that just one quick hand signal can replace so many words. And our Molly used to know one for doing a Pirouette. She won “Cutest Dog” at a Berkeley Humane Society function because of her cute pirouette on cue.
Love, Carolyn

Dear Mom,
Molly was REALLY deaf. She needed all those hand signals.
XOXO Poppy

Dear Poppy,
And now possibly you are becoming deaf. If you are, we’ll be glad that you know the hand signals as well!
Love, Carolyn

Dear Mom,
But I’m not deaf. I can still hear my Squeaky Ball!!!!!!
XOXO Poppy

Dear Poppy,
Ok. Not deaf. For now, we’ll just say you might be Deaf-ish. Meanwhile I’m glad you can still get excited by the obnoxious noise coming from that Squeaky Ball. 
Love, Carolyn

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