Dogs can't open jars, they do not have thumbs. This is a statement of fact. I challenge you to place a tightly closed mason jar in front of your dog and teach them to open it. It’s pretty much impossible, yet Charlie (@Deafdal) can open jars, oh yes, he most certainly can. This dog can take a sealed jar of coconut oil off your desk, move it to the center of your bed, and tediously make tiny little bites around the edge of the lid until he somehow manages to remove it. Then, he can proceed to lick the coconut oil in said jar, ingest it, and have diarrhea all over the place. I know this from first-hand experience when I babysat Charlie.
I work for animal management company Pets on Q (@PetsonQ), and Charlie is our mascot. So I guess that kind of makes him my supervisor. My supervisor sucks… Okay, he’s not that bad, but being around a dog this smart can have its draw backs (jar opening) and challenges (he always gets his way).
Charlie didn’t always have a life full of unconditional love and trips to the dog park. By the time Pets on Q founder Colleen Wilson rescued Charlie, he had been through several owners who couldn't handle his activity level and headstrong personality. Realizing that part of his issues might be due to a hearing loss, Colleen did some simple testing and realized that he couldn’t hear a thing! She started training him with ASL and other visual cues immediately and Charlie began to understand humans for the first time in his life. Now he knows over 50 signs (many of which are traditional ASL), he does therapy work in hospitals and even models for photo shoots and has walked the runway at New York Fashion Week! He is starting to get quite a following online and works hard to be an ambassador for his breed.
Colleen talks about Charlie as if he is a person, “We have a very unique way of communicating that only he and I can understand. He is the highlight of my day – even though he can be a total jerk! He makes weird noises that he can’t even hear, he wakes me up all the time and destroys things and never lets me have a minute to myself, but he is the greatest thing that ever happened to me. He is the reason I started my business, he is the reason I get excited to work with animals every day!”
He will also eat an entire bunch of bananas off the counter, peels and all, if you aren’t watching. If you are sitting nearby and he wants to sit on your lap, there isn’t a damn thing you can do about it. Oh, and you better be sure to lift his royal highness into the car every time, even though he can easily make the jump.
Dalmatians may not be a fit for everyone, but this Dalmatian seems to have found his perfect fit!
More info: petsonq.com
Charlie loves you
If you sign "I love you" in ASL, Charlie will give you a kiss.
Charlie on set
Sneak peak of Charlie working on set.
Look at those eyes
Like many other deaf Dalmatians, Charlie has two different colored eyes.
Certified therapy dog
Charlie is a certified therapy dog and he does work with children and adults at hospitals around Los Angeles.
Before proper socialization
Charlie is quite a handful, but he has improved tremendously with Colleen's communication and training over the years.
A model and a model
Charlie on set doing a photo shoot with a beautiful woman, lucky dog.
Motivation
Mmmmm, doggy cupcakes!
Beach time
Charlie loves living in Southern California! Photo credit Christian Shenouda.
Blue steel
Charlie takes his work very seriously. Photo credit Christian Shenouda.
Mascot
The official logo for Pets on Q features Charlie's unmistakable mug.