Beansie stared at Doc Oliver. He did not say “Eh?” or “What’d he say?” Doc Oliver must have been used to Beansie, because he spoke loudly enough for the old man to hear.

But Charles could hardly believe what he was hearing, even though it was what he had suspected all along. “Really? Stella is deaf?”

“I’m afraid so,” said Doc Oliver. “From the things you’ve told me and what I’ve seen … well, it’s pretty clear.” He stroked Stella’s ears.

“But — why? I mean, why did she go deaf?” Charles reached out to pet Stella, too. How could this happen to such a sweet little puppy? Stella wagged her tail, just the tiniest wag, and looked up at him with her shiny black eyes.

Why is everyone so serious all of a sudden?

“She was probably born deaf, and has learned to make her way in the world by watching carefully,” Doc Oliver said. “It’s not as unusual as you might think. Many animals with a white coat — cats and dogs — have problems with their hearing.”

Charles looked at Beansie. So far, he had not said a word. The old man’s lips were a straight line, and his face was pale. Then he finally spoke. “We’ve had white dogs before,” he croaked. “They could all hear perfectly well.”

Doc Oliver nodded. “Of course. Not all white dogs are deaf. But many deaf dogs are white, or partly white. Like Dalmatians, for example. It’s not at all unusual to meet a deaf Dalmatian.”

Beansie was still pale, Charles noticed, and he had not stepped forward to pet Stella. He shook his head. “The poor little thing,” he said. “How am I going to tell Frank? She loves this pup so much.”

Doc Oliver smiled. “It’s not the worst thing in the world,” he said, his hand on Stella’s head. “Deaf dogs can get along perfectly well, with a lot of love and a little help.”

“How do we help Stella?” Charles tried to ignore the way Beansie was shaking his head. “What do we have to do? I’ll do anything.”

Doc Oliver crossed his arms and looked down at Charles. “Well,” he began, “you’d need to teach her some hand signals so she understands what you expect of her.”

“She already knows the one for ‘lie down.’ ” Charles showed Doc Oliver the sign he’d used with Stella. “She’s so smart, really. I know she can learn fast.”

Doc Oliver nodded. “Deaf dogs can surprise you. My assistant, Mary, has two deaf dogs. She has taught them so much. She uses a combination of the hand signs many dog trainers use, plus some American Sign Language. You know, the language used by deaf people? I’m sure she could help you learn.”

“Cool,” said Charles. He glanced at Beansie, hoping for a smile. But Beansie did not look convinced. Charles turned back to the vet. “Can her dogs do tricks and stuff?”

“Sure,” said Doc Oliver. “They know how to sit and shake and roll over and all that — but they also know the signs for things like ‘get off the couch’ and ‘want to go for a walk?’ ”

Charles looked down at Stella. When most dogs heard the word “walk,” they perked right up. Stella didn’t even move her head. She really was deaf. He was still getting used to the idea, so he could imagine how hard it would be for Beansie, her owner, to understand.

“Does she have a habit of nipping a little too hard?” Doc Oliver asked. “Sometimes deaf puppies are like that, since they can’t hear the squeals of their moms or littermates.”

Charles remembered Chewy, a Chihuahua his family had once fostered. Chewy wasn’t deaf, but he had not learned that it wasn’t okay to bite hard. Charles had helped train him to stop by making sure to say “Ow!” out loud every time Chewy had nipped him.

“She used to.” Beansie spoke up. “When we first got her, she used to bite my hands really hard. But I would give her just a little touch on the nose, and she learned to stop.”

Doc Oliver nodded. “Deaf dogs can be quite sensitive to touch. It’s a great way to give them praise, since they can’t hear you say, ‘Good dog.’ Some special petting will let her know she’s done the right thing.”

“What else?” Charles asked. “What else do we need to know about caring for a deaf puppy?” He ruffled Stella’s ears and bent down so she could kiss his cheek. Maybe she was going to be fine after all.

“Let’s see,” said Doc Oliver. “It might be best to keep her on a leash when she’s outdoors, just to be sure she’s safe. She can’t hear cars coming.” He scratched his head. “Oh, and she may startle easily — jump up and maybe try to protect herself — if she’s surprised when she’s resting or sleeping. A gentle pat is a good way to let her know you’re there.”

Charles nodded. It didn’t sound very hard. “Can you show us some more hand signals?” he asked. “Like for ‘sit,’ and ‘come’?” Charles looked at Beansie. Why wasn’t he joining in the discussion?

“Even better, why don’t I ask Mary to come in and show you?” said Doc Oliver. “Let’s see if she can give Stella her first lesson right now.” He took Stella off the exam table and set her on the floor, then went to the door and called for Mary.

Charles looked at Beansie, hoping to see a smile. But Beansie was frowning at the floor. “What’s the point?” he croaked. “We can’t possibly keep this puppy. Doc, can’t you just help us find her a new home?”

Doc Oliver raised his eyebrows. “Well … what if we at least try to train her first?”

Mary came in, smiling. “What’s up?” she asked.

“It seems that Stella here is deaf,” said Doc Oliver.

Mary nodded. “Well, I know from experience that it’s not the end of the world,” she said. “I’d be happy to help you learn how to help her.”

Beansie’s shoulders drooped. “I don’t see how we can do it,” he said. “Frank and I? We can barely hear anything ourselves. Plus we’ve got the whole campground to take care of, and we can hardly keep up with that. We’re a couple of old dogs, way too old to learn new tricks.” He looked at the floor again, as defeated as a ballplayer who’d just struck out.

Charles couldn’t stand to hear Beansie croaking out those sad words. “Can’t we at least try?” he asked.

Beansie shrugged. “Go ahead,” he said. “I’ll wait outside.” He stalked out of the office.

Mary and the vet looked at each other. “Some people really have a hard time with this,” said Doc Oliver. “Some people even put deaf dogs to sleep.”

Charles gulped. He knew what that meant, and he didn’t even want to think about it. “Stella already knows the sign for ‘lie down,’ ” he told Mary.

“Great. Let’s start with that. Stella, lie down,” she said, lowering her palm in front of her. Right away, Stella lay down, looking up at Mary hopefully.

I know that one!

“Good girl!” Mary gave Stella a big thumbs-up and reached into a nearby jar to grab a biscuit to give her. Stella jumped up and gobbled the treat. Mary held another treat over the puppy’s head. “Now, sit,” she said. She moved the treat backward so Stella had to look up to see it. Stella’s eyes followed the treat, and as it moved, she sat. Mary gave her the treat with one hand while she raised the other, palm up, toward her own body. “That’s the sign for ‘sit,’ ” she told Charles. Then she gave Stella another thumbs-up. “What a good girl. She’ll learn fast,” said Mary.

“If only Beansie could learn fast, too,” said Charles.

“Speaking of Beansie, tell him I’ll send my daughter Emma over tomorrow to help at the campground. It sounds like they’re swamped, and she’s been looking for some part-time work,” Mary said, smiling at Charles. “And don’t worry. Stella is going to be just fine.”