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Training A Deaf Dog - How To Protect Your Pet

Loss of hearing or congenital deafness is a handicap more for the dog owner than the pet. Usually the other senses strengthen to compensate for lack of hearing.

Problems associated with deafness involve a lack of response to spoken commands and the tendency for a pet to stray into dangerous situations. The deaf dog must be trained to respond to hand signs which can also be used to teach SIT and STAY.

Direct physical contact is the only reliable training tool for deaf dogs. The only supplies required are beanbags and pea-sized pebbles.  Your deaf pet must learn to keep his visual attention on you at all times. Therefore, teaching sessions are held in a safe but busy areas. Each time his attention is drawn away from you, toss a beanbag at his legs as you turn and walk away. Remember that dogs have wider peripheral vision than people and are better able to see objects in their peripheral field of view.

During this process, try walking away before tossing the beanbag to test his visual tracking and response. If he turns to follow, crouch down and make movements to attract him. When he approaches, pet him for a few seconds before the process is repeated. End the session when he follows reliably, about 6 times in a row, without the need for tossing a beanbag.

Sessions should be short, about 15 minutes long and at least 3 hours apart. The process should be repeated at least twice daily over a 6-week period in increasingly distracting situations. For instance, the first few sessions might be held in the backyard or in the house. Once the dog is progressing well, field trips can be taken, using only a few pebbles as substitutes for the beanbags. If he becomes distracted, toss a pebble to remind him to pay attention to you. This process should involve every family member who may be responsible for your dog, even children. Once he learns to always concentrate on the family and stays close, hand signals may be used to teach SIT, STAY, and HEEL.

Deaf dogs that like to chase (cars, joggers) should be taken through the same focus and orientation process to eliminate this behavior. However, some dogs chase when their owners are not around. These pets must be taught through behavioral response communicated by the owner, that such activities are not acceptable. For this reason, the owner orientation of deaf dogs must be strongly ingrained in their behavior. Gradually, the deaf dog should be exposed to dangerous situations under controlled circumstances to measure the success of the modification.

The dog is walked toward the dangerous area such as a quiet street. As soon as he exhibits the first sign of recognition of an approaching car (driven by a cooperating companion), the owner must toss a beanbag at the dog\'s legs (to gain attention) and then withdraw from the area. This procedure must be repeated until the deaf animal exhibits retreat behavior before the owner\'s act on several occasions.

The situation should then be repeated, with the owner at increasingly greater distances behind the dog. When the dog fails to respond properly, the beanbag must be tossed again and the process repeated. This entire regimen must be continued for several days until the pet responds reliably when the owner is absent.

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