Deaf Catahoula Leopard Dog ‘Callie’ Competes in AKC Rally

If you ask Dr. Elizabeth “Lizzy” Martino to describe her 5-year-old Catahoula Leopard Dog “Callie,” she’d say fiery and snuggly at the same time. Seeing this rare breed in an AKC Rally ring isn’t the only thing that surprises people when they see this team: Callie (EM Smilin Embrace Callie Grace RN BCAT CGCA TKA) is also deaf, and Dr. Martino uses hand signals to relay cues to her.

After just a few trials, they competed at the 2024 AKC Rally National Championship, achieving qualifying scores on all three runs, one of which was 98 out of 100.

A Third Dog, and Surprise AKC Rally Teammate

In 2019, Dr. Martino was in Oklahoma doing an internship for her undergraduate degree where she worked at four different vet clinics. One day, someone brought in a puppy with a broken leg. “I brought her home, and she healed from her fracture,” Dr. Martino says, but the dog, “Willow,” was never able to use her leg fully again. Willow and her senior dog, “Bailey,” quickly formed a close bond.

Bailey is 16 years old, and Dr. Martino worried that Bailey’s passing would be devastating for Willow. She began to look for another dog, and got Callie as a puppy. Dr. Martino’s trainer at the Phoenix Training Center, Cathy Cline, was shocked at her choice of breed. Cline noted that Catahoulas are known for being high-energy and independent, but that didn’t phase Dr. Martino.

What did shock the owner was something she discovered upon bringing her home. After just three days, Dr. Martino came to a stunning realization: Callie was deaf.

Melanie Haid

Dr. Martino had a lot to learn to train a deaf dog. It was nearly by accident that they got started as an AKC Rally team. “We’ve actually never been to a formal class for any of the events that we compete in,” Dr. Martino explains.

While she was in vet school, she’d bring Callie to Cline’s on weekends, and that’s when Cline got them interested in doing AKC Rally together. And Callie was a natural. “We entered our first AKC Rally trial, and at that trial is when Callie [qualified for] Nationals. She’d only done six AKC Rally runs before that,” Dr. Martino says.

Using Modified American Sign Language to Excel in AKC Rally

This AKC Rally team doesn’t let anything hold them back. But Dr. Martino remembers the uncertainty surrounding Callie’s future after learning she was deaf. “Multiple people told me to give her back, get a different dog. ‘You can’t trial with deaf dogs’ was one thing that we heard,” she says. “We’re still here today, and make a great team.”

In AKC Rally competitions, Dr. Martino relies on what she calls “modified sign language,” which is a combination of American Sign Language (ASL) and hand signals she’s created herself. But it isn’t something Dr. Martino or Cline advertise at competitions. They prefer to let Callie’s love of dog sports speak for itself.

Typically, Dr. Martino finds that competitors will ask about Callie’s breed and her handling style, before mentioning her hand signals. She’s happy to explain when people do ask, and finds that most people don’t expect it after seeing them in the ring.

“It’s definitely something that as a team, we don’t put that in front of us,” Dr. Martino says. “We let people see us for what we are and what we’re trying to accomplish.”

Wins in and Out of the AKC Rally Ring

Dr. Martino and Callie competed in the Novice class at the AKC Rally National Championships, and she hopes they’ll only continue going up from there. As she’s able to learn more about working with deaf dogs and their bond gets stronger, it’s easier for her to understand how to train Callie.

Callie qualified three times and got a near-perfect run score at the 2024 AKC Rally National Championship. Dr. Martino notes that just getting to Nationals was an achievement in and of itself, considering that she didn’t get Callie to be her AKC Rally partner. Through learning the breed and adjusting to owning a deaf dog, she and Callie have achieved a lot together.

Melanie Haid

But Dr. Martino felt that their greatest achievement wasn’t their score, or even qualifying in the first place. She was most proud of how Callie handled being in such a busy environment with so many other dogs. It’s something they’ve been working on, both because of the breed’s hunting instincts, and Callie’s attention to her handler since she can’t hear verbal cues. Dr. Martino says there was no sign of that during the competition: Callie was locked in.

“I’m extremely proud of how Callie took everything in stride at AKC Rally Nationals, trying her best to stay engaged with me in such a stimulating environment,” Dr. Martino says. “That was really our biggest achievement, and I’m beyond proud of her.”

Doing Dog Sports With a Deaf Dog

Alongside AKC Rally, Dr. Martino has tried multiple dog sports with high-energy Callie. While she loves AKC Rally, she’s not a fan of every dog sport.

“We found out that agility isn’t her favorite,” Dr. Martino says. “I think that she would be a dog that could excel in dock diving if she liked her face getting wet, but she absolutely hates getting wet, so I don’t think that’s in her future.”

AKC Rally is a perfect sport for Callie, since it’s very mentally stimulating. Her excitement can be seen by onlookers everywhere as she watches Dr. Martino for the next cue in the ring. Dr. Martino calls her a “crispy marshmallow,” since she can come across fiery and laser-focused while out and in a dog sports ring. But on the inside, especially when she’s at home with Dr. Martino, she’s soft and snuggly.

“She’s got that tough exterior with her protective side as well as her strong hunting and herding instincts,” Dr. Martino says. “But she is also a lovable, cuddly goofball.”