Monday 19th - Sunday 25th of September 2022 is Deaf Dog Awareness Week.

 

As you can imagine, deaf animals need to be trained differently to hearing animals in order to keep them and the people around them safe. To celebrate Deaf Dog Awareness week, we will be sharing some of the basic commands we recommend teaching your deaf dog.

 

How not to scare your dog by touch

Deaf dogs can often be startled by an unexpected touch. It’s not always possible to make your deaf dog aware of your presence before you touch them, so it’s a good idea to practise desensitisation exercises to make them more comfortable with responding to an unexpected touch.

To do this, when your dog is relaxed, but not facing you, very gently touch them somewhere not too sensitive (their shoulder is a good spot) when they turn around, immediately reward them with a treat or toy. Repeat this a few times, and over time your dog will begin to associate an unexpected touch with good things happening.

 

Getting the attention of your deaf dog

If you need to get your deaf dog's attention from a distance, walk into their eye-line and their attention, from there you can use your sang signal (which you can learn more about below.) If that’s not possible then you could try lightly stomping your feet, so they feel the vibrations of the floor.

 

Letting your deaf dog know when you are leaving a room/ house

A deaf dog won’t hear you as you move around the house, leave the room, or even leave the house. Turning around to find that you are suddenly missing can cause anxiety and may lead to them searching around trying to find you. Before leaving a room, it’s a good idea to calmly get your dog’s attention so that they can see what you are doing. This is particularly important when leaving the house, so they do not try to search for you. As with any dog, you can help them feel more comfortable with spending time by themselves by very gradually building up the length of time you leave them on their own and providing them with an enrichment activity such as a Kong so that their time by themselves is a positive experience.

 

Signs we recommend you teach your deaf dog

• Watch me/look at me
• Good boy/girl
• Stay

 

If you need help training your deaf dog, get in touch with our centre on 01302 719790

RSPCA Radcliffe have a great video showcasing some commands to teach a deaf puppy if you would like a visual.