My Experience With How to Train a Deaf Dog

Here's my story about how to train a deaf dog - I'm sharing this because I wish someone had told me earlier.

I felt so guilty when I realized what was happening. question:

I’d like to adopt a deaf dog, but I’m wondering if they will be difficult to train?

Answer:

Deaf dogs can make great pets.

They adapt to their hearing loss quite well because a dog’s primary sources of communication are body language and scent.

I wish I had known this sooner.

while barking and growling are additional ways dogs send messages, they aren’t their primary method.

When training any dog, the most important factors are:

This is true for deaf dogs too.

But since they’ll be relying on visual cues as opposed to your voice, it’s important to be very precise and clear with your hand signals.

Even though your dog is deaf, it’s important that you have the same behavioral expectations you would of any dog.

Don’t make the mistake of allowing your dog to get away with negative behaviors just because you feel sorry for him.

Once you make the adjustment to communicating through body language and hand signals, you’ll be well on your way to enjoying a great life with your new companion!.

If you're going through something similar, know that you're not alone. And definitely talk to your vet - they know way more than I do!