Your Support Can:
4000+ The number of deaf dogs whose lives have been impacted by the Deaf Dogs Rock community.
Signs of Hearing Problems with Your Dog
If your dog experiences the following, it could be a sign of deafness or another ear condition that should be evaluated by your veterinarian:
Dogsâ hearing mechanism is basically the same as that of humans, and they experience hearing loss for many of the same reasons: they can be congenitally deaf (deaf since birth), or they can acquire deafness due to having dirt, wax, ear mites, or other foreign bodies in the ear; an infection or inflammation of the ear canal; trauma to the head; noise trauma; exposure to certain antibiotics or other drugs; or old age. I do not know when or why Edgar lost his hearing â part of it was undoubtedly just part of the normal aging process.
But he also had an ongoing skin infection that extended into his ears, which I treated with antibiotics, either of which can cause hearing loss. His hearing seemed to have deteriorated overnight, but most likely, it was a gradual process that I didnât notice until he exhibited some of the more obvious symptoms: pacing around looking for his people, suffering obvious distress at being left alone, exhibiting a pronounced startle response at being touched while he was asleep.Related article
Dogs are especially at risk for ear infections. Hereâs how to prevent them.
âIn hearing, as in most other things, dogs are very adaptive and good at compensating,â says Dr. Colette Williams, DVM and electro-diagnostician at the University of California at Davis, Pritchard Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital. Among many other tests that she conducts, she assesses animals for hearing loss using brainstem auditory evoked response (BAER) technology. Many seeking her expertise are breeders, who use BAER to identify congenital deafness in their puppies.
Dr. Williams has tested thousands of dogs and has owned two deaf dogs of her own. One of her dogs, a deaf-from-birth Dalmatian, learned hand signals that Dr. Williams created. âThe key was consistency, and rewarding him with treats,â she says. âI had another dog who could hear at the time, and he was harder to train than the deaf dog.â Hearing dogs often aid a deaf dog, Dr. Williams points out. They give social cues and can help with training. Like Edgar has had to do, Williamsâ deaf dog accepted his condition and got on with life. âDogs donât have the self-pity that a lot of people have.â
Seattle-area dog trainer Diane Rich, who has worked with numerous deaf dogs over the past 25 years, points out the importance of developing other modes of communication regardless of whether your dog is deaf or has tip-top hearing. She teaches people to use a combination of body language, hand signals, and auditory cues. That way, if the dog loses hearing in old age, they wonât feel quite as isolated. âPeople want to keep up communication with an older dog,â she says. âIt takes a lot of patience. You have to learn how to communicate differently, not just verbally.â
Rich also recommends teaching all puppies a âwatchâ command in addition to the usual commands. Hold some alluring food near the dogâs nose and slowly bring it to your eye level, maintaining eye contact with the dog. Say âWatchâ or âLook.â Work on âfading the lure,â and eventually, youâll be able to just point to your eye and have the dogâs full attention. âDogs use an array of body language already,â says Rich. âPeople need to be able to use their own body language to communicate with their dog.â
While some people teach their deaf dogs American Sign Language, any hand signal will do, as long as youâre consistent. âThereâs no ceiling to how many words or signs a dog can learn,â says Rich. âThey can learn as long as they have a pulse and you have motivation and patience. If you make training fun, theyâre going to love learning, and itâs going to cement your bond.â She points out that itâs not true that you canât teach an old dog new tricks: sometimes itâs easier to train older dogs because they have longer attention spans.
Instead of feeling bad for your pup, take a matter-of-fact approach to your deaf dogâs disability. âDogs arenât saddled with ego,â she says. âIf we pity them, we can create a situation where the dog may either shut down or act out because they think they did something wrong to make us feel bad. If you act like the disability isnât a big deal, dogs will respond like itâs not a big deal.â
Every day, Edgar and I practice the hand signals we learned in puppy class 15 years ago, which he still remembers: come, sit, stay, down, good boy. I smile a lot and pat him while giving the âthumbs upâ sign when he does something well. I continue to tell him my jokes and he continues to give me a blank look, just like he always has. Though he requires a lot of extra care for all his special needs, it is care I am happy to provide in gratitude for the happiness he has brought me. In short, even though he has lost his hearing, arthritis has slowed him down, he sleeps most of the day and cannot participate fully in all of our old antics, he is still my best friend, and encroaching old age will never change that.Related article
Tip #4 Come Up with Check-In Symbols
Lets face it, dogs have a mind of their own. They will daze off and get distracted quickly.
Its not enough just to get your dogs undivided attention once during a training session.
Instead, you should come up with symbols or hand signals to get their attention.
I like to use the ‘eyes on me approach. With two fingers, I point at my eyes over and over until my dog is looking at me.
S1 – E3: What you NEED to know about DEAF DOGS – How to Train a Hearing Impaired dog!
Whether you have adopted a new dog that is deaf, or your furry loved one is losing their hearing, there is a lot that may change.
However, regardless of your dogs disability, they are still yours to love, care for, and enjoy.
Not everyone has the patience, time, or money to effectively train and take care of a deaf pet.