Mina Milanović 29/01/2016 Mina Milanović 29/01/2016

Dog photography in Twickenham, South west London _ Dog photographer Richmond, Twickenham, London

Meet Gordon. He is a staffie who was found abandoned and scared on the streets of London. After nobody came in to reclaim him from a council pound, he was taken in by the Mayhew Animal Home. The staff at the centre noticed that he didn't hear them entering his kennel in the morning and after a series of test it was determined that Gordon is completely deaf. Staffies struggle to find a home even if perfectly healthy so Gordon's deafness was another setback in the adoption process. However, the staff at the Mayhew were determined to give him a second chance and they started teaching him sign language, and urging him to use other senses to compensate for his lack of hearing, giving him new tools to communicate with people. He responded really well to training, and soon learned a few commands like sit, stand and stay, and started bonding more easily with people. After 9 months, the wait was finally over - a couple came in to see Gordon and they instantly fell in love with him! Gordon now lives with Josanne and Richard (and a rabbit called Munch), who continue to teach him sign language and train him at Rachel Worley's Reality dog training classes. I photographed Gordon just before New Year, after he won the first prize for best trick at Rachel's Christmas class (he barks when he sees an appropriate sign). It was the first time I ever encountered a deaf dog and I was touched by the special bond Gordon and his owners share. I was also amazed by how many different commands he knew, and how in tune he was with Josanna and Richard. Our photoshoot included a session at home to capture some cozy home moments, and a session outdoors where Gordon enjoyed running around and showcasing his many tricks. This is such a heart warming story, which I hope inspires others to follow Josanne and Richard's steps in adopting a needier dog. You can read more on Gordon's story by following his blog, or reading articles that were published in Brent & Kilburn Times and the Mirror.