{"id":300,"date":"2017-09-28T09:22:52","date_gmt":"2017-09-28T09:22:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.travall.com\/en-us\/?p=300"},"modified":"2017-09-28T09:22:52","modified_gmt":"2017-09-28T09:22:52","slug":"actions-speak-louder-than-words-life-with-a-deaf-dog","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.travall.com\/en-us\/actions-speak-louder-than-words-life-with-a-deaf-dog\/","title":{"rendered":"Actions speak louder than words: life with a deaf dog"},"content":{"rendered":"

A little over 6 years ago, our family decided to welcome a puppy into our home.\u00a0 We did thorough research on which breed would be most compatible with our family situation and our lifestyle and selected one that we felt would be the best match for us. He was (still is) totally gorgeous, a handful of fluff with big, soulful, brown eyes.\u00a0 Being responsible pet owners, we signed our puppy up for classes, so that we could have fun while we all learned together.\u00a0 It became clear after just a short time, that our puppy was the challenged learner of the group.\u00a0 If he was looking at you, he would respond, but if he was given verbal commands when he wasn\u2019t looking in our direction, he would do whatever he wanted to do.\u00a0 He\u2019s an extremely good-natured dog and very affectionate, but naively we thought that when he didn’t respond he was simply being a rascal with selective hearing and if we persevered with recall and other commands we would soon have him eating out of the palms of our hands \u2013 literally!<\/span><\/p>\n

After a good year of trying to work with him, we started to notice other things.\u00a0 If he was sleeping in his dog bed, he would stay asleep until one of us gently woke him.\u00a0 If we walked up behind him, he would be mildly startled if he was touched.\u00a0 If we dropped something noisily he wouldn\u2019t bat an eye.\u00a0 The penny suddenly dropped into place, he wasn\u2019t a disobedient pup, he was a deaf pup – a diagnosis that was confirmed during a subsequent visit to the veterinarian\u2019s office.<\/span><\/p>\n

Modified approaches<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n

Having a deaf dog isn\u2019t so different from having a dog without hearing challenges and we try to treat our dog the way we would treat any other dog. However, there are some additional things that we’ve found that we need to do and we modify our approach to dog care in certain situations.<\/span><\/p>\n

The biggest thing for us is that we can\u2019t take the chance of letting him off leash outside of our home environment. This is mainly because we couldn\u2019t rely on him returning to us or responding to commands, especially if there were other dogs or (heaven forbid) a squirrel around. Fortunately, because he is a small lap dog he doesn\u2019t need (or like) to run as much as some other breeds, so we tend to do long on-leash walks using a retractable leash to allow him a bit more scope for exploring.<\/span><\/p>\n

We do take extra care not to startle him by approaching him unexpectedly. \u00a0\u00a0Because of our dog\u2019s disposition, he doesn\u2019t react badly when startled, but this wouldn\u2019t necessarily be true of all dogs and is something to bear in mind when working with other breeds or other temperaments.<\/span><\/p>\n

Although he is very much a lap dog, he does like to dig, so we regularly check our fenced yard to ensure it has no escape routes. We know that if he got out, we probably wouldn\u2019t get him back.<\/span><\/p>\n

Instead of only using verbal commands, we also use hand signals too and try to be consistent in using these, so our dog knows what he needs to do.<\/span><\/p>\n

Some people like to attach a bell to the collar when they leave the house.\u00a0 Even though we always have him on a leash when we leave, we have experienced a leash breaking mid-walk. Having a bell on the collar allows you to hear your dog if he does manage to get off leash, even if you can\u2019t see him immediately.<\/span><\/p>\n

Taking a little extra time to give plenty of love and affection is important and a good stress reducer for us too.\u00a0 We try to ensure that even though our dog experiences life without one of his senses, he doesn\u2019t need to feel anxious or afraid, knows that he is loved, and lives a fulfilled and enjoyable dog life.<\/span><\/p>\n

Unexpected benefits<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n

There are some benefits to having a dog that can\u2019t hear:<\/span><\/p>\n