{Freehand Friday} Patience.

Have you ever tried to train a deaf dog?

I have.

Snow is my wonderful pit bull mix who happens to be deaf.

I adopted her back in 2013 from a local dog shelter. She was seemingly poised and polished in behavior, with the most luminous white coat I’d ever seen.

I only intended for her to be a pet.

Snow and I started working with a trainer, and soon she received her Canine Good Citizen Award.

One day, my trainer said, “Snow’s highly trainable. She could be a service dog.”

In case you didn’t realize by now, I’m a wheelchair user. (No, it’s not a new drug.) I have muscular dystrophy. As the year’s pass, my muscle tone degenerates. It’s increasingly difficult for me to perform daily activities.

I didn’t realize she had the capability.

Snow and I began working with a specialized trainer, so Snow could learn to perform mobility tasks to help me with certain daily activities.

She’s really smart.

But me, not so much.

I mean, have you ever tried training a deaf dog?

It’s essential you are equipped with the right hand signals and armed with a plethora of puppy treats.

During training, we run a gamut of emotions.

She is always poised, polished, and ready to perform.

Me, I go from being determined to drained in 10 minutes flat.

I’m used to communicating my needs with sound. Snow can’t hear. She only responds to body language and energy.

Training a deaf dog requires the utmost patience.

Just like copywriting.

From explaining SEO keyword spamming to clueless clients to handling their mangling of my best writing, it requires patience.

I have to be understanding and tackle anger management in order to educate some of my clients.

I can’t just walk away because I’m frustrated. I have to put my big girl panties on, wiggle a little bit, and handle every situation like Snow does; poised, polished, and ready to perform.

Because if I’m not on my A-Game, my clients won’t receive my best.

I truly believe you don’t get the dog you want, you get the dog you need. Snow teaches me patience; a skill that’s helped me build a successful business.