Take her! You will not regret it!!!!
Here's the advice we give all new deaf dog owners, it's kind of our mantra...
1-she is first and foremost a dog, 2- she is a dalmatian, with all the breed characteristics of that breed, 3- she has her own personality, and 4-she is deaf.
Deafness is not a big thing in her life, she doesn't know she's any different than any other dog. The only thing you need to make concessions with is that she cant hear you call her, so you need to get up to stop her from chewing something (or whatever bad thing she's doing), and you cant let her off leash in an unfenced area (though that doesn't stop me, I just train my deafies to check in). You can clicker train her, using an LED light or a thumbs up, in the same manner you train your hearing dog. You can teach her that a flick of the overhead light means to come find you, or a stomp on the floor means stop what you are doing! It's very simple and easy!
As for startling, some dogs need to be helped with that, some dont... my deafies dont get startled when snuck up on, they just look at me and ask for attention... my hearing dog jumps a mile high. If she does get nervous when startled, there is an easy fix I can help you with.
Most people have no idea my dogs are deaf, they dont act any different than hearing dogs, and they dont know that they are any different than other dogs. "Normal" dogs dont know my dogs are any different either. The only thing with a deaf dog and other dogs is the play biting... deafies dont hear their littermates yelp, so often dont learn bite inhibition, and bite too hard when playing (Mouse makes Oliver yelp now and then) but if you have a dog savvy dog, that will put a pup in it's place, then you wont have an issue there either.
Trust me, you foster this dog, you will not regret it!!!
Your dogs are exceptional, Sara!!!!
