Year of Birth 1993- August 23rd 2004 

Spotted Horse came into my life quite by accident in May 1995. He was "owned" by some people who purchased him as a puppy, kept him on a chain and muzzled so he wouldn't bark. At about 20-24 months of age they finally learned that he was deaf, they planned to euthanize him. They simply "did not want a defective dog" as they put it.  The defect was NOT with the dog I can assure you.

I will only say that at this point Jenkins- renamed Spotted Horse came to live with us. What a dazzling man he was! He wanted so much to be loved. He had never barked so he didn't have a clue. I'll never forget his first "bark", I've heard  pups with more bark to them! His was more of a yelp! But in time he got it down pretty good! 

My other two Danes, Buck and Trixie showed him the ropes and he learned quickly.....most especially when meal times came!  I always laughed and would say "That boy swallowed a clock once upon a time. He knows when it's mealtime before I do!"  Heaven forbid I should oversleep his breakfast time- he'd stand in the doorway and bark at me. If that didn't get movement from the bed, he's stomp his foot and whine, then bark some more! I'd lay there, just laughing myself silly!  7:30 am and 5pm never came without Spotty telling me 20 minutes before hand! Just to make sure I didn't forget!
 

Spotty was a deaf Dane but had excellent eyesight. When I first got him, I had no idea about teaching  ASL to dogs, so I just invented what signals I wanted him to learn. In the end he knew a complete vocabulary - come, sit, stay, down, heel, wait, leave it, back up, etc.! Deafness alone is NOT a defect if the dog is willing and the teacher patient. It was a lot of work and continuous education.

Spotty was more my son Michaels dog than any other. Spotty adored Michael and he likewise. They slept together when Michael was still living at home, and Michael would often come back home "just to see the dogs", most especially Spotted Horse.

He loved to go- anywhere, anytime! Walks or rides, it didn't matter as long as he was on the move!

Spotted Horse was the survivor of 2 different types of cancer. The first was easily removed and seldom grows back- never did in his case. The 2nd was an Epilys type that grows in the hollow space in the jawbone. It was easily removed, along with 1.5 inches of his lower jaw. Spotty managed just fine for the next 6.8 years like this, never slowed him down a bit! He just dribbled water bit more when he drank!

By age 10 Spotty was slowing down however. He was developing cataracts and had arthritis in his hips and ankles. Supplements such as MSM and SynFlex helped him much in that final year and half but in the end the pain over came him. By this time he wasn't seeing well at all, the cataracts having all but blinding him.

On August 23rd, 2004 the pan had became more than he could bear and I helped him to the Bridge.

I lay awake most mornings now, missing his antics at the door over breakfast. He was a monstrous presence in this house, it seems empty without him.