so frustrated trying to get my deaf foster adopted

[Bridget]

Thanks for all of the suggestions. Vicky, wish you lived in Iowa LOL! Maybe prejudice was too strong a word and showed a lack of understanding on my end. Just wish I could get people to understand that deafness is really no big deal. My day job (in addition to taking care of all these animals!) is at an agency for folks with disabilities and I have learned that people with deafness don't consider themselves disabled. Neither does Ashley. We don't know if she was deaf from birth or not.

[Rerun]

Re: the suggestion of using her as a therapy dog - if she's snappy and barkey, as OP described, then I wouldn't suspect she'd make a very good therapy dog.

Regarding getting her adopted - I've spent well over a decade fostering hundreds of animals, mostly dogs, and can tell you 100% that it is better to be upfront from the getgo. I would be so ticked if I was a potential adopter and the person didn't disclose a major issue such as deafness. While it may not seem different to YOU, it is still in fact a major difference and will require different training than the average joe is used to. It's not about them being vain. It's about them not wanting to venture into the unknown. You are better off finding someone who will ACCEPT the deafness for what it is, and understand that the dog is still a dog. vs someone who doesn't want a deaf dog and is going to blame every single problem that occurs on the fact that the dog is deaf, and give up on her.

[Bismarck]

I have had my foster dog for close to 2 years now.
He came to us with huge hematohma's (sp?) in both his ears.
We took our time, and treated those, cleaning them, nursing him, and just caring for him.
He went from my home, to a different foster home, that very night we get a phone call saying he's throwing up, non stop (del has stomach issues). I went and picked him up, and he threw up for another day before we were able to get it to calm down.
We took him to get his allergy shots, and found out he is one of the most allergic dogs they'd ever seen. he is allergic to humans, no joke.
Del takes allergy shots, and with his allergies, he still throws up.

I have found that being straight up, and honest with people is by far the best thing you can do for yourself, as well as the dog. People know what they want, there's no sense in trying to change their minds.
i have worked with del non stop, and he is one of our "dog test" dogs. del knows me, del trusts me. i get endless comments about how well behaved he is, etc... and they enquire as to his status, that's when i go into my spiel. they say, oh we're not looking for a special needs dog, sorry. i thank them and move on.
del can stay with me for as long as he requires, i do know there are people out there that are willing to take on special case dogs, you just have to be patient and bide your time. train your dog, as it will make it more appealing to others.