Living with a Deaf Dog

You may have heard that deaf dogs are aggressive, or that they're impossible to train. Actually, deaf dogs learn just as well as hearing dogs do, and they can be wonderful companions.

I didn’t realize until I started preparing this episode how daunting many people find it to have a dog who was born deaf. It’s great to be able to deliver good news! If you’ve been worried that you won’t be able to live with your deaf dog because you can’t teach her anything, or because you’ve heard that deaf dogs are all aggressive, you can kick those anxieties to the curb..

First, learning. Deaf animals learn the same way hearing animals do – when a behavior is rewarded, the animal learns to do it more often. Behaviors that don’t work tend to fade away. You’ll need to practice communicating without your handy voice, of course. But check this out: my friend Jess has taught her deaf dog, Calvin, dozens of signals and touch cues for all kinds of tricks and good manners: “Let’s go,” “Down,” “Touch [a target]”, “Jump,” “Heel,” “Spin,” “Give five,” “Give ten,” and that’s just the start of the list. Visit a YouTube channel called The Highland Rebels, where you can see a deaf white Pit Bull named Apollo strut his very impressive stuff. For more, see a deaf Boxer named Nitro.

Are Deaf Dogs More Aggressive?

Second, a folktale about deaf dogs is that they’re more likely to bite than dogs with intact hearing, because they’re more easily startled. The Dalmatian Club of America goes so far as to advocate the euthanasia of deaf puppies. (The breed is plagued with hereditary deafness.) I can’t even be polite about this nonsense. Not everybody who lives with a deaf dog believes that they’re easier to startle. But even if they are, it’s easy to alert a deaf dog that you’re coming – stomp on the floor, for instance.

Also, let me point out that deaf dogs are not the only ones who can be startled by a touch when they’re asleep. It’s common for even the most easygoing dogs to snap if you wake them by touching their neck. But you can desensitize your deaf dog – or your hearing dog! – to sudden touches. Here’s how: While he’s awake, lightly touch some part of his body, and then immediately give him a small delicious treat. Repeat many, many, many times over days and weeks to cement the lesson: “Sudden touch = tasty treat on the way.” Touch the same body part every time. 

Communication and Teaching

In the videos I link to, watch for the clear hand and touch signals the humans give in place of verbal cues. Many people borrow hand signals from American Sign Language. As for methods, clicker training and lure-and-reward are the way to go. I’ve gone into detail in other episodes, so here I’ll just point out the obvious – that since a deaf dog can’t hear a clicker, you’ll need a different signal. Some people use the flash of a penlight as their “click”; others worry that it may elicit light-chasing, a common compulsive behavior in dogs. My friend Jess advises staying away from laser lights altogether, and even from penlights if your dog has the tiniest hint of compulsive behavior or comes from a breed prone to it. For any dog, you can use a thumbs-up or a hand flash. The dog has to be watching you, but as Jess points out, “they often are during training.” Jess believes that a thumbs-up comes more naturally to people and that dogs find it easy to recognize.

Jess tried a vibrating collar as a “clicker” for Calvin. Most dogs easily figure out that a click sound marks their behavior, but Calvin had a hard time learning the same thing about a vibration. Jess reports the same was true for several other deaf dogs she learned about. However, you can teach your dog to look at you when he feels the vibration if you consistently follow the buzz with a treat. Then you can build up to teaching your dog to come to you when “buzzed.”

Some dogs may find the vibe on their neck alarming at first, so if you decide to use a vibrating collar, start by getting your dog comfortable with the sensation near him and then on body parts other than his neck. The trainer Elizabeth Catalano has a nice video showing how she worked with her deaf dog Elassar this way.

Unfortunately, there don’t seem to be any high-quality vibration-only collars on the market nowadays – Jess tells me that a couple of years ago she got one of the last – so you’d have to buy a shock collar that includes a vibration feature, and disable the shock. That’s easy enough to do, but many people are reluctant to add to shock-collar sales – a feeling I can get behind. But the ability to get your dog’s attention at a distance is so valuable that I’m not inclined to criticize anyone’s choice.

Should You Let Your Deaf Dog Off Leash?

I mentioned how you can use a vibrating collar to teach your dog to look at you and then to come to you when buzzed. That leads to a big decision faced by many guardians of deaf dogs: Should you ever let your deaf dog off leash in an unfenced area? Some people believe that if your dog can’t hear you calling him, the risk is just too high that he will get lost. Unlike your voice, a vibrating collar provides the dog no clues as to what direction to head in if he can’t see you. Others feel that if you’ve done a good job of teaching your dog to keep an eye on you and check in with you frequently, the risk is manageable.

Needless to say, there’s no data to be had on the subject, only more or less well-informed opinions on both sides. If you’re thinking of allowing your deaf dog off leash in areas that aren’t fenced, consider how close he sticks to you and how much he checks in without any special training. Ask yourself how much squirrels, rabbits, and other animals excite him, and whether you can easily distract him when he picks up a fascinating scent. If he chases animals in your backyard, does he hit your fence running and then pace the spot where his prey disappeared? Does he do that for minutes on end? Even if your dog never looks twice at a squirrel and sticks to you like glue, then if you’re planning to let him off leash, make sure he’s got plenty of ID and a loud bell, and teach that auto-check-in. Teach coming when called. And then teach these behaviors some more. 

Keep Your Deaf Dog Posted Concerning Your Whereabouts

“You must always let the dog know where you are. Although it is so terribly tempting, it is unfair to leave while the dog is asleep and let him or her wake up with a start and have to race around to see if they've been left behind (which they have). It is a fast track to separation anxiety, of course, but besides that it's just mean.”

Watch Your Body Language

“Deaf dogs tend to be absolutely expert at reading body language and cues, so pay extra attention to your gestures and your stance.  For example, even a slight lean forward [among dogs, that’s a “stay away” signal] can keep a deaf dog from approaching as close as possible for a recall, because they are scouring you visually for clues on what you want.”

Keep Your Cues Distinct

Just as a hearing dog may be confused by word cues that sound alike, a deaf dog may mix up cues that look alike. Jess says, “I have got into a bit of a pickle from teaching Calvin so many tricks and now competition cues: it’s hard to make them distinct.” But of course, that’s actually good news if you’re still thinking you might not be able to train your deaf dog. Au contraire! You may wind up having to get really creative with your signals. Jump up and down on one foot to mean “Fetch my slippers,” maybe?

Here are a two more resources for you to check out: the Deaf Dog Education Action Fund; Deaf Dogs Rock  and a busy Yahoo! group, Deaf Dogs. Unfortunately, there doesn’t seem to be a training guide specific to deaf dogs that incorporates modern non-coercive methods. Oh, and one other thing – your situation’s a bit different if your dog isn’t born deaf but goes deaf later in life. There may be a substantial adjustment period, especially if hearing is lost suddenly. As in any other training situation, use your good sense and kindness, and beware of quick fixes that rely on force. 

For more about teaching and living with your dog, check out my book, The Dog Trainer’s Complete Guide to a Happy, Well-Behaved Pet. and you can also write to me at basicdogtrainingmethods001.blogspot.com. I welcome your comments and suggestions, and though I can’t reply individually, I may use them as the basis for future articles. Thanks for reading!

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