..Doggie ping!
I have a mixed reaction to this. To the good, I’m glad they adopted the dog and that he has a loving home where he is appreciated. Being able to understand at least some sign language will be a useful thing. On the other hand, a dog can be so much more than a companion and a pet. The sense of hearing of a dog is so much more than that of humans, and this could be the difference between getting a crucial warning that something is awry or not. An approaching severe storm or tornado, someone trying to break into the house, a car roaring up out of control from behind them while on a walk, and so on.
protect these two from the cops, Lord. they can’t respond to commands and are sitting ducks for amped-up cops.
My best friend growing up was deaf. I learned sign language and basic commands for service dogs he had over the years. I adopted a deaf border collie many moons ago and the dog picked up sign real quick. He was a great dog. The only trick was carrying a water gun to get his attention sometimes.
My great-grandmother was totally deaf, but she was trained in lip-reading and she got along perfectly well in the hearing world - so long as she could see your face she was good to go. She was a nurse, but many people did not even notice that she could not hear a thing.
Poor thing won’t even be able to hear the shot of the cop’s gun.
My 15 year old (late) Golden Retriever went deaf gradually and taught herself sign language. We didn’t even notice that she couldn’t hear us — my neighbor pointed it out to me. But, she responded to hand signals, and we all got along fine until she died.