Dogs have always been known as the most loyal and smartest animal to humankind. They have a different kind of love and affection towards their owners or parents. And there’s no doubt that dog parents treat them as their children too. Recently, a story of a dog came to light who was deaf by birth but quickly managed to learn sign language to communicate with his human parents.

The Story

Jo Le Page of Guernsey attempted to train her seven-month-old Spanish Water Dog, Rafa, using signs after learning that the canine was deaf. The dog has so far mastered nine distinct signs, including sit, stand, watch me, spin, give paw, lie down, come, stay, and be safe, which is indicated by the dog approaching Jo before turning around and remaining in place. Using Jo’s cue, he can also take a toy out of his owner’s hand. Jo wants to keep teaching Rafa new sign and help him lead a wholesome and fulfilling life.

The Journey

Jo shared her furry pet’s journey of learning sign language so far. Rafa came into Jo’s life in June of this year, and she was completely unaware of his deafness until she started noticing the signs. Once she had it figured out, Jo and her family decided to train him using actions and not words. It was a different experience altogether and opened a new world for the family. She hopes for Rafa to be a therapy dog one day. She believes that by sharing Rafa’s story, other dog owners will be motivated to keep their handicapped pets. Jo and her family were aware of how hard this journey would be, but one thing that helped them was education. Reading and learning about his condition and ways to overcome it has made their journey slightly less bumpy.

For the past twenty years, OtterBox has targeted a less physically active but still sporty demographic with the company’s new line of gaming accessories. It is mostly for mobile players; however, there are a few items that event console gamers can enjoy to the fullest.

OtterBox Easy Grip Controller Shell

This special accessory is installed on the handles of the standard Xbox One or Xbox Series X/S gamepad to prevent scrapes and nicks while leaving the buttons and thumbsticks free so their sensitivity won’t be affected in any way. The special grip pads on each side can be swapped out for easy cleaning and a whole different look. The shell costs $40 and comes in three color schemes: dark gray, light gray, or purple with green piping that glows in the dark.

Gaming Case

OtterBox hasn’t forgotten its core strength as a manufacturer of phone cases. The Easy-Grip Gaming Case costs $55 and offers an exterior that’s easy to hold, and it’s also bacteria-resistant, while the interior is designed to vent heat away from the device.

OtterBox’s products are precisely aimed at phone gamers, starting with the $30 Mobile Gaming Clip. It doesn’t look all that different from the products of other companies; however, the clip is more easily adjustable, even if people decide to use it with larger phones. It doesn’t use any kind of spring mechanics, so gamers can swap their device in and out with one hand if needed. It can also be taken off easily when you want to switch to using the controller with their computer or console instead. The clip folds flat for easy storage, even when it’s still attached to the gamepad.

These products may not be considered affordable, but neither is repairing a busted controller or phone. Pre-orders for OtterBox’s entire gaming line will start January 25 via Microsoft, GameStop, Verizon, and, of course, OtterBox’s site.