Educational Resources

Getting your home and your life (or family lives!) ready for a special needs deafblind pet takes some preparation. We believe you need to understand what your adventure will require, and you need to learn the basics of guiding and teaching your animal. Then, if all goes well, you will be prepared to start yet another adventure towards teaching your furbaby the magic of the PAWtactile language – a touch-based means of communicating that helps your baby speak to you in ways similar to how you speak to them!

The columns below help you understand where to begin and how to move forward. The first one, The Story of Dog Languages, will offer you a short history of the human desire to be able to communicate with and understand what our pets want and need.

After this, columns two and three direct you to POSTING blog pages where you can regularly see instructional and entertainment videos. On the Touch & Tap page, for example, we offer insight into the core skills dogs need to get them learning in right and useful ways. Then, the conversation changes to introduce you to our innovative PAWtactile language and what it requires.

We hope you find these short writings and video guides helpful.

The Story of Dog Languages

Some 100 years ago, Dr. Doolittle wrote fantastical stories about the secrets of talking with animals. As it happens, also about 100 years ago, Helen Keller and her companions started advocating for the use of American Sign Language (ASL) for deafblind people. In the tale that follows, read more about the interesting connections between these dreams and why they have led deafblind people towards PROtactile and now PAWtactile techniques for keeping our pets in our hearts and conversations!

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Basic Touch & Tap Signing

There are two levels of dog learning. This is true for dogs with all of their senses (sight, sounds, etc.), as well as those living with other limitations – including deafblind and deaf dogs. The basic commands focus on teaching pets to sit, lay down, roll over, come to us, etc. These simple signals are critical for helping dogs and people live together and share their needs and wants. Once these basics are learned, animals can begin to move on to more complicated forms of interaction. Start here to understand and practice the BASICS.

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PAWtactile Conversations

Then look forward to more. The language of PROtactile interactions begins to move us beyond the basics and towards a true give-and-take process of humans and dogs interacting. PAWtactile signs seen here build on American Sign Language (ASL), turning it towards greater levels of two-way sharing. PAWtactile commands come from PROtactile methods but are unique ways that respect how humans and dogs “talk” naturally. Watch here as deafblind Yakoo and deaf Nuka learn what it takes to speak to and with us.

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