4-year-Old Girl and Dog Communicate With Sign Language

— -- Nothing can come between Neeva and her dog Baxter, not even the challenges that come from being deaf.

Neeva Goff, 4, doesn't speak to her dog with words you can hear. Instead, Neeva, who is deaf, uses words you can see.

And Baxter understands it all -- from the usual sit, stay and come, all the way to "let's go tuck you into bed."

Neeva's mom, Chelsea Goff, told ABC News that "they have their own secret language."

Baxter was adopted from the local humane society in Albuquerque, New Mexico. His calm demeanor and willingness to learn, Goff said, made him the perfect dog for their family.

"He really pays attention to Neeva," she said. "They had an instant bond."

In the deaf community, Goff said, you get someone's attention by tapping them on the shoulder. That's exactly how Neeva gets Baxter to look at her so she can tell him what she wants him to do.

"He's caught on really fast," Goff said. "He gets what is expected of him."