Secrets to Training a Deaf Dog

In many ways deaf dog training isn’t much different than hearing dog training. Some issues, however are unique. The main way you will communicate with a deaf dog is by using hand signals along with your facial expressions and overall body language.

You can teach your dog basic obedience commands like sit, down, stay, stop and come using hand signals, but this vocabulary will need to be expanded for you to have the ability to fully communicate with him. Some people communicate with deaf dogs using American Sign Language (ASL) or else make up their own signs.

It will be necessary for you to have a way of getting your deaf dog to pay attention to you as well as praising him and providing feedback in a way that he understands. You also need to consider that fact that a deaf dog needs to be safe as well as desensitized from being easily startled from unexpected touch as well as distractions.

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Tips For Getting Started

Deaf dog training is a lot like other dog training in that it requires a great deal of patience, consistency and time. Punishing your deaf dog or puppy for behaving in an undesirable manner is much less effective than positively reinforcing good behavior through rewards. Deaf dogs and puppies like to be rewarded with treats. Enthusiasm and affection are effective ways of rewarding an older deaf dog.

It is fortunate that dogs tend to communicate with visual signs more than verbal language anyway, so teaching your dog using hand signals shouldn’t be too hard. Hand signs need to be distinct, consistent and clear.

A good way to start is by using a few basic commands like stay, sit and down. It is important that you have a “yes” signal which can be followed up with treats or other rewards. Using positive reinforcement through treats and other rewards will make your deaf dog training go much smoother, although you will still need to have a lot of patience and use plenty of consistency and repetition in the training.

Another thing you need to have is some means of gaining your deaf dog’s attention. You can do this in several different ways. One method is to stomp on the ground. Your deaf dog can often feel or sense the vibrations underneath him. Light touch or tossing some object ahead of him are other possible ways. Turning lights off and on in the dark can also work sometimes work in gaining a dog’s attention.

Keep This In Mind

As part of deaf dog training, it is important to teach a deaf dog not to startle easily from unexpected touch or being woken up. Touching a sleeping puppy or dog lightly on the shoulder or holding your hand near their face so that they can smell it are a few things you can do to help desensitize a dog. Or touch him from behind.

When they respond by turning around, always give a treat so that being touched unexpectedly is not associated with something bad. This form of training needs to be handled gently. Keeping your deaf dog safe is extremely important. Always keep your dog on a leash when outdoors unless he is inside a fenced yard.

Deaf dog training is something that can be extremely rewarding for your dog as well as you. General dog training will cover quite a lot of what a deaf dog needs to learn, although there are some specific areas that need to be addressed. Your deaf dog or puppy and you will do well as long as you are patient and consistent in training.

For more training tips, check out the Dog Training Handbook.

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Secrets To Dog Training

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