When people come to my classes or training sessions, they are often surprised to learn my main demo dog is completely deaf! I’ll often be a bit naughty and reveal at the end of the session or show that he actually can’t hear, and no one has ever figured it out!
Sherlock
I’ve shared my home with deaf dogs for the past 16 years and have trained many others online across the globe. Sherlock, my deaf dalmatian, has helped many nervous dogs and children and holds many sports titles. The problem I often face when training a deaf dog is not the dog itself, but the stigma attached to a dog with a disability, such as a lack of hearing. Common myths include that they are aggressive, untrainable, and lack any quality of life.
In fact, some organisations and breed groups still recommend that deaf dogs are put to sleep – something that hasn’t changed in the last 16 years of me owning these dogs. Part of my job and passion is therefore to prove how capable deaf dogs can be and to help end the stigma that surrounds them.
Thunder and Lightning
Firstly, let’s go with something that actually we could consider a positive: thunder, lightning, door knocking and any other sudden noises are absolutely not a problem. You can often see Sherlock watching fireworks out the window, and this usually actually creates a lovely calming influence over other dogs. Although don’t be fooled, he’s the first to know when a packet of crisps has been open!
Next comes the top things people ask me: can they bark, and can they go off the lead? The answer to both is yes! Deaf dogs tend to lack volume control and can have slightly weird-sounding barks and howls, but they can bark and howl. They’re also more than capable of learning a recall. I do so by teaching my dog to look at me regularly and automatically offer eye contact when he spots another dog or a person, for example.
Hand Signals
I communicate with my deaf dog using hand signals, something I now incorporate into all of my training with all dogs. Sherlock has cues for basics like sit, down and stay and then for more complex behaviours like emptying the washing machine and getting the post. I encourage all owners to have a couple of hand signals their dog knows well, as it’s a good long-term plan for when dogs get older and begin to lose their hearing: you don’t have to start from scratch!
As for the fact that they have no quality of life, I think Sherlock has a pretty good one! He goes off-lead regularly. He’s been on holiday. He has doggy dates. He takes part in a variety of sports, trick shows, has helped loads of nervous dogs and has a spot on the sofa tucked underneath his blanket every night! We should never underestimate deaf dogs and they definitely deserve a chance.
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Author: Jayde Davey
Jayde Davey runs “That Dog,” based in Wrexham. She offers a variety of classes, including tricks, fun gun dog training, teenage sessions, award progressions, and, of course, puppy classes! That Dog also provides one-to-one training, online sessions, podcasts, and specialises in the training of deaf dogs. Jayde has trained deaf dogs virtually across the world, holding sessions for dogs in the USA, Brazil and France, to name a few! Her deaf Dalmatian, Sherlock, holds trick titles, various obedience titles, and participates in sports such as agility, scent work, and “stooging” for nervous reactive dogs in individual sessions!
