Zeus the "Defective" Cocker Spaniel

Zeus is deaf and has starburst eyes, the result of two merle dogs being bred to each other. He also has a heart murmur. Zeus does not bark. I assume that this is because he has never heard a dog bark. He does, however, have a heart wrenching cry when he is scared, lonely or sad. His inability to hear means that he can't be a hunting dog and would fail as a watch dog.

He was adopted and returned to the Sherman Animal Shelter in Sherman Texas. A second person adopted him and also returned him. Each time he was returned, his chances for finding a loving home diminished just a little bit more. As a volunteer at the shelter, I get to know the dogs who don't get adopted or who get returned. Zeus kept coming back. I felt so sorry for him that after a couple of days of thought, I went back to adopt him. In less than two weeks, he has learned sit, down and stay. He has learned to sleep in his crate each night.

Zeus is making great strides in house training. This boy is so smart that one day, I know he will be a great therapy dog and I envision him working with special needs children. He will show the children and the adults that having challenges does not mean that you cannot have a happy productive life, you just have to work a little bit harder to achieve your goals.

Becky Gebhard
Sherman, TX