Friendship, Spelled D-O-G

Helen Keller’s dogs were comforting companions.

- Barb Rosenstock

As a kid, Helen described herself as “the little girl who loves dogs and all other animals.”

Six-year-old Helen Keller sat on the floor, hugging her dog, Belle. An illness at age one had made Helen blind and deaf. Trapped by her dark, silent world, she threw tantrums. Being unable to communicate “made me so angry at times that I kicked and screamed until I was exhausted,” she later wrote.

But dogs made her feel better. She buried her nose in their fur and felt the gentle wag of their tails. Dogs were comforting— patient and accepting.

Teacher’s Game

To help Helen, the Kellers hired teacher Annie Sullivan. Annie made finger movements in Helen’s hand to stand for words, but Helen couldn’t grasp what they meant. She tried making the motions on Belle’s paw. Maybe Belle would understand this game.

For weeks, Annie “talked” into Helen’s hands. Then one day, it all made sense! The movements in her hand stood for things around her. Water. Teacher. Dog!