Deaf Dalmatian

jodie3

jodie3

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Hi all - I have just taken on a deaf Dalmatian bitch, 18 months old. She seems to know a signal for come and also one for sit but anyone got any advice or experience with deaf dogs?

Also, does a deaf dog bark? So far she hasn't!

Thanks in advance.

Jo
 
Yes, deaf dogs can and do bark!

I'm new to this world too with a deaf spanner of only a few months standing. I found good info here (albeit USA) http://www.deafdogs.org/

I use a vibration collar on her to attract her attention when out and then visual cues or sometimes couple her to one of my other dogs.

Clicker training can be made to work by using a torch on/off instead of a click! :D
 
Thank you.

A vibration collar sounds a good idea as I don't want her to have to stay on the lead all the time but was unsure how to get her attention when she's not very close.

I'm hoping that she will stay close enough to one of my other two so that she will see when they respond when called back, so long as their selective deafness isn't in operation!

Website looks interesting too.
 
Hi! I have a deaf lurcher who is highly trained, he does obedience, HTM, agility, and has over 50 signs for trickwork as well as all the day to day signals that I couldn't even begin to list!! I use a vibe collar but only as a clicker, I feel very strongly about relying on something that can fail for recall. My dog is offlead in apropriate areas (ie no livestock, not right near roads, basically all the places you would think twice about most hearing dogs) and he has been taught to check in with me every 15-20secs to see if I want him for any reason.

I have a lot of friends with deafies, and none of us have chosen to use collars for recall. It takes a bit of time to teach the check in, but once you have it in place then it is much better - they keep an eye on you, and you don't need to carry a control everywhere, or risk equipment failure if they go in water, or it's pouring with rain or they go out of range. Yes, I know the really expensive ones are waterproof, but I'm afraid I don't have over a hundred pounds to spare for something I don't need. My collar cost £13 on ebay, I thought I would use it loads but I have only used it to teach tricks that involve looking away from me. My usual clicker is a keyring torch.

Vibe collars are often suggested by people who believe deaf dogs need a direct alternative to being called, but out of an awful lot of people with deaf dogs, I don't think I actually know a single one who has tried a collar and stuck with it, most don't bother in the first place because they quickly find it's not necessary! There are lots of american youtube videos about the dog pager, but I honestly don't think there is anything in them that is actually enhanced by the collar - the trainer still uses signs and signals to communicate, and if you watch carefully and listen the pager is often ignored by the dog anyway.

I am more than happy to help you adapt, but my best advice for anyone taking on a deafie is to treat them as normal until you find something they can't do, and then think about how to adapt. Signs can be anything that works for you - my boy usually chooses his these days, I teach a behaviour and then when it comes to putting it to a sign he will pick up on something I do and give me the behaviour and hey presto, that's the sign!!

Can I also direct you to the Deaf Dog Network - we were set up a year ago to help support and educate people about deaf dogs, and have a really thriving facebook community of people sharing ideas. There are really experienced deafie owners, and new people, and trainers who have deaf dogs coming into class etc, but there are no stupid questions and you can get several different opinions and ideas before deciding how you want to do something with your dog. Please think about joining, it's a great place and has helped loads of people since this time last year!!

Feel free to PM me if you want more info, or if you want step by step instructions for teaching the check in.

http://thedeafdognetwork.webs.com/

https://www.facebook.com/groups/thedeafdognetwork/

Hope that helps!
 
Oh, and yes, deafies DO bark, and it is often very high pitched, but sometimes it takes a few weeks for a rescue to be comfortable to bark! Deafies are often very talkative as well, with a wide range of grumbles, growls, and a chewbacca impression is quite common too :-)
 
dollyanna - thanks for an excellent post with links to great support.

I've got a 3 yo deaf cocker and have found advice (from people experienced with deaf dogs) impossible to find :(

We've muddled along and now rarely have any issues, but I think the best thing that happened to us was not knowing he was deaf for 7 months! So by that time he was used to being walked off lead without me panicking :o

And his bark is a super weird high pitched shriek :p
 
My pleasure. That lack of good advice is one of the main reasons why the network was set up, it is brilliant to share stories and experiences, we have a wide range of breeds and crossbreeds as members now, and it is great to have somewhere to compare deafie behaviour.

When I was researching deaf dogs before I brought mine home I was really struggling to find anything that wasn't either really negative, or was actual help - usually it is just a few suggestions of signs and that's about it. The network has developed into the kind of thing I wish was around when I started, and it is great to be able to support people through anything that crops up - you can almost guarantee there will be someone who has been there before!! On the whole we all deal with dogs in a positive fashion as well, so there is no aversive training recommended, or if it is then there is usually a good healthy discussion about it.

Hope to see you there!!
 
Dollyanna - very helpful, thank you. I have asked to join both sites.

She is a real sweetie and seems to have settled amazingly well considering I only picked her up yesterday. Because I have two other dogs I am already finding I am just treating her as a 'normal' dog. I am lucky in that I live on a farm and the fields are sheep fenced so I feel able to let her run off the lead. Took her out on her own yesterday in a smallish paddock and tonight on a proper walk with the others with no problems at all. She does seem to check in with me alot but time will tell if that is just because everything is all so new to her or something she has been trained to do.

The sad thing is that in the litter that my spotty boy came from there were two or three pups who didn't come home from the hearing test.
 
Take advantage of every check in that she does naturally and reward it - as a dally you should have no problem rewarding with food!! Then you can build on it. She will keep an eye on you a lot more in the first few weeks while she is on unfamiliar ground as she gets her feet under the table she is more likely to get confident and start wandering, so if you reinforce the natural behaviour now then hopefully you won't lose too much when he true character starts to show.

Sadly out of all the breeds the dally breeders and club are the ones who have been most uncooperative and bullying towards the network since we were set up. Obviously not all of them, but it is noticeable :( At least one more has got a good home now though!! Look forward to seeing you in the group :)
 
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