Deaf dog with exceptional skills joins US National Guard as sergeant

A three-year-old white Dogo Argentino named Axel has joined the 1st Battalion of the 125th Infantry Regiment in the US National Guard with the rank of sergeant, despite being deaf since birth. He was sent to a shelter after his previous owners realized he had difficulty hearing.

According to the New York Post, Axel understands more than 50 commands, including some in sign language, and has spent countless hours training for his new role. He works alongside soldiers in the field, wearing a custom vest and collar designed for service duties.

Michigan National Guard specialist Karazim adopted Axel when he was still a floppy-eared puppy and immediately recognized his potential for service training. Karazim’s role involves working with chaplains to support hundreds of soldiers from various companies, so she developed a system of visual signals and gestures to communicate with her four-legged companion.

Karazim trained Axel for many months before he became a member of the battalion. She said, "I used to take him to battalion events to see how he would interact with the members," and spent countless hours training the dog, emphasizing that none of the effort was wasted. "This whole experience has been incredibly valuable, and Axel has been a valuable asset to the department from the start," she added.

According to the American newspaper, the US National Guard published a message on Friday about Axel’s appointment on its social media pages, where the dog received praise from commenters. One user wrote, accompanied by an American flag emoji: "Keep the troops in line, Sergeant!" Another commented, "God bless our soldiers, including the furry ones."