Deaf dogs - dog article
on Pets.ca
Deaf Dogs
How to determine if your dog is deaf - what a deaf dog
needs from you
The
story of Jacob, the deaf Boston Terrier, might make you second
guess your own dog’s hearing ability. But how can you determine
if your dog is deaf and not just a badly behaved dog that
is plainly ignoring you? Short of traveling to a veterinary hospital
that provides the Brainstem Auditory Evoked Response (BAER) test,
which uses electrodes to evaluate the auditory capability of your
dog, there is no other available confirmative test. Although the
BAER test is painless, quick, and easy, the dough you shell out
for the rather expensive test might be better put towards a training
tool for your potentially deaf dog such as the vibrating collar.
There are various rudimentary but adequate tests that you can
perform at home to support your suspicion. Such methods include
observing your dog’s responsive (or, would it be more appropriate
to say, “non-responsive”) behavior:
- When your dog is sleeping (e.g. when you come home from work),
call his/her name loudly, or clap your hands. It is a good
indication of deafness if he/she continues sleeping. Be sure
that you are not wearing any perfume and do not stand so close
that your dog may be alerted by your scent. Sometimes, the
draft of air created even by walking slowly past your dog is
enough to perk his sensitive nose.
- Have an assistant go into another room, out of sight of you
and your dog. Ask your assistant to make a sound such as rattling
a can of coins, or banging loudly on a metal pot (sounds should
not include stamping on the floor as vibrations created by
the stamping will surely attract your dog’s attention
and make the results inconclusive). These sounds should not
be pleasant so your dog may react by flattening his ears or
lowering his body to the ground. If your dog has no reaction
at all he is most probably deaf. If your dog happens to move
his ears and his head as if he heard something and was confused
as to where the direction of the noise is coming from, he may
be partially or unilaterally deaf.
What do you do when you are convinced that your dog is deaf? First,
you and your dog should visit and consult with a veterinarian.
Your veterinarian will proceed to view your dog’s ear canal
with an otoscope to ensure that the external ear has developed
appropriately and there no malformation. In some cases, problems
such as malformation of the external ear, or an ear infection,
your dog’s deafness may resolve upon treatment of the underlying
condition. In other cases, as with Jacob the deaf Boston Terrier,
they are destined to live in a silent world. Your veterinarian
will be able to advise you on your options and he/she can also
refer you to a specialist for the BAER test.
Although the BAER test may be costly, it is a definitive and reliable
test. Knowing the degree of deafness in your dog can help you adjust
your training methods to fit your dog’s needs. Here are some
reasons you might want to consider the BAER test:
- You are uncertain if your dog is unilaterally or bilaterally
deaf (deaf in one ear or both ears). The BAER test can determine
exactly which ear is affected as it may be difficult to ascertain
from rudimentary testing techniques done at home or in-clinic.
- In some cases, your dog may retain the ability to hear only
at certain frequencies. Newly adapted BAER tests can test your
dog’s hearing capacity at specific frequencies.
- You need a test to confirm your findings for peace of mind
- You may be concerned about deafness if you are breeding dogs
that are predisposed to congenital/hereditary deafness.
When you have ascertained that your dog is in fact deaf, you should
inform your breeder that your dog has inherited deafness and a
responsible breeder will stop breeding the specific dam with the
sire, or decide to not breed them altogether. It would also be
responsible of you as an owner to not breed your dog and have him/her
neutered/spayed if you haven’t already done so.
Many
owners who discover that their dogs are deaf go through the tough
decision of whether they want to take on the responsibility of
caring for a deaf dog. The following is a list of important responsibilities
that you will have to assume for the duration of your dog’s
stay with you.
- Your dog should never be off-leash in any area that is not
completely fenced-in. If your dog runs away, you will not be
able to call him back. In addition, if your dog does run away,
he might be at a higher risk of getting run over by a vehicle
because he cannot hear approaching traffic. This also means
that if you don’t have the luxury of a fenced-in yard
where your dog can exercise or play fetch, you will have to
be active enough to personally exercise with your dog every
day.
- Unless you get a vibrating collar for your dog, the only way
to get the attention of your dog when he is a distance away from
you is to physically go up to him and touch him on his shoulder.
Making the floor vibrate by stomping hard on the floor, using
a squirt bottle, or throwing things at him may startle him and
add to his anxiety.
- You will have to establish a calm demeanor in your dog, because
he will have the tendency to be highly anxious, being easily
and frequently startled.
- Training your deaf dog can be tricky and time consuming, especially
in the beginning when you have to establish the understanding
that he needs to read hand signals.
- Your deaf dog will never be a good guard dog. In fact, you
will have to assume the responsibility of his guardian throughout
his life.
- Some deaf dogs are quiet as a mouse, while other deaf dogs
bark incessantly. Teaching a deaf dog not to bark can prove to
be an arduous task. Still, there are many methods which you can
try to steer your dog away from such disruptive behavior.
- You will need to be mindful about your dog being alone with
other dogs even if he may know them well. His inability to
hear them bark or growl can put him in precarious situations
which may lead to him being bitten. Jacob the deaf Boston was
once bit by an American Bulldog, Reba, who was so old she could
hardly move. One day, Jacob walked by where Reba was resting
and she growled at him. He didn’t see nor hear her warn him and
in a split second, she had gotten up and had taken a huge chomp
on his little head. Nobody would have thought that sweet Reba
who hardly moved could deliver such a blow, but if Jacob had
been able to hear her, he would have moved out of harm’s
way.
Although the demands of raising a deaf dog are undoubtedly more
than that of a normal hearing dog, it is certainly by no means
impossible. Patience and diligence in training are the keys to
success. You will find that his training is only limited by your
imagination and creativity to find ways to communicate with him.
Remember, the only disability your dog has is his hearing, not
his mental capacity to learn, and certainly not his ability to
love you unconditionally. Raising a well-adjusted deaf dog
can be a noble and rewarding experience.
In this article, dogs are referred to as “he/him” only
because I write my articles with Jacob the Deaf Boston in mind.
By Serene Lai - Pets.ca writer
© Pets.ca
2007
www.pets.ca
