Living with a Hearing Impaired Dog
My-Dog.info > Dog Care
We all know just how keen our dog’s hearing is. Hearing
the car engine of a returning family member a long time before we
do, hearing thunder in the distance before we tune in to TV or
radio and find a storm is on the way, and the proverbial response
to a can opener all let us know just how keen our best friend is
in the hearing department!
What happens though when because of disease or just old age,
the dog loses all or most of the capacity to hear. What can we
do?
Dog with reduced hearing?
This is the ideal time to start adjusting lifestyle and
interactions to accommodate the loss of full hearing capacity.
Picking up early hearing loss can be a challenge, but your
veterinarian can test the dog if you have identified any signs of
reduced response to sound/voice. Though most dogs go on to become
totally deaf, many will remain in possession of this faculty (to
some extent) for quite a while. This provides a good opportunity
for you to spend extra time to teach the dog hand
signals—signals that will gradually replace your voice
commands. Any command can be sent using body language instead of
your voice, so without delay, start the conversion to the new
command signal. As in the original training phase of the dog, use
plenty of positive praise to reward the dog for responding to the
correct signal. Initially, begin by using both voice and the
hand/body signal. After a number of repetitions that lead to
success and a reward, begin trying to use just the hand/body
signal.
Any correct response to a non-voice signal should be rewarded
within seconds of the correct response, and whether it is a pat
or a treat, make sure that the praise is clear, and start praise
as soon as the desired response BEGINS. A retraining phase must
occur for the owner too, since we often praise our dogs verbally!
Remember to substitute the words “good dog” gradually
with the new non-verbal form of praise or he won’t know what
a good job he is doing!
Gradually replace voice, and periodically praise the dog to
reinforce the new desired responses. Keep it simple such that you
focus on only a few commands at a time. No dog will master a
lifetime of command transitions all at once.
Dog with absent hearing?
In cases where hearing loss occurs quickly, the transition to
the new signals can be more of a challenge. When re-training,
avoid shouting, but if some residual hearing remains, perhaps in
one ear only, use a loud clear voice signal paired with the
hand/body signal at the start.
Use smell signals to get the fully deaf dog to pay attention.
Bring out a biscuit and begin to work in short sessions at least
twice daily. A session should only last 10 minutes or so. Use
your judgment. If pooch is pining for another activity,
don’t push it. Whatever caused the hearing loss may also
affect other aspects of health and we want to have enjoyable
training sessions at all times. If you are feeling frustrated,
remember to give yourself a break too! It will take a while to
substitute commands, and you may need to revert to leash and
gentle pressure on the hind end to encourage sitting, or use a
long leash to reinforce the "come" command, for
example.
You may choose whatever simple hand and body signals are easy
for you to remember. Just make sure that the dog can see them and
interpret them easily. There are a number of standard signals
used by obedience trainers, and there are good references
available to help you standardize the commands you select.
Safety tips:
Another aspect of caring for a hearing-impaired dog relates to
the avoidance of situations that may cause injury. Never let a
dog with this handicap run free. They will not hear a dog barking
a warning or hear an approaching car engine, squealing tires, or
the horn. They may also not be close enough to see your new hand
signals, and thus will be unable to respond to the usual
obedience commands used to control a dog.
When approaching a sleeping dog, never awake them by touch.
Always stamp a foot on the floor to produce vibrations. This will
alert them to your approach and thus avoid the startle reaction,
which can include a nip!
Your local veterinary team will have additional references
available. Talk to them about your concerns, and they can help
you accommodate the new situation. Hearing loss is not a
limitation if we are prepared for the situation!
Reprinted with permission from www.animalhealthcare.ca
|
 |
|
|
Save big on quality brand name pet meds and other pet supplies!
Pet Shed is the premier source for discount pet supplies on the Internet. Heartgard heartworm, Frontline Plus flea control, Advantage flea control, Revolution flea & heartworm, and many other pet medications.
|
