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Some Considerations When Living with a Deaf Dog
By Lyndsey Bennett
Consideration
Most importantly your deaf Dane is a dog first and a Dane
second and a DEAF Dane last.
Training Suggestions
Regular rules apply, a tired dog is a good dog, go to
obedience, be consistent, have clear expectations and
guidelines. Have fun with your dog and love your dog!
Laugh often; spotty dogs are the clowns of the Dane world.
There is no ONE way to sign to your dog. You may choose
to use American Sign Language, obedience commands,
your own commands or a mix thereof. The key to being
successful is consistency. Make sure everyone in the
household is using the same signs for the same reason and
your deaf Dane will learn quickly.
I always train "yes/good" (I use thumbs up) and a few
versions of "no" first. I have a scolding finger (shaking
index finger no) for many minor “no” moments. I use the
ASL signal for stop for more naughty moments, when I
want the behavior to stop immediately. Good is easily
trained quickly with treats.
Once you have a “yes/good” and “no” you can
immediately start shaping other behaviors the way you
would with a hearing Dane, simply using signs.
TALK WHILE YOU SIGN! I know it sounds silly, but if you
are a hearing person, your posture and facial expressions
change when you are talking and when you are not. Your
deaf Dane will get clues from your posture and facial
expression and you will better/faster success if you talk
and sign at the same time.
If your dog has ANY vision issues (and many deaf Danes
have a form of night blindness), think about how easy it is
to see your signs from farther away. Some ASL signs may
be too subtle and you may want to make them larger and
simpler.
Use exaggerated facial expressions when signing. Your
Dane will look to your face and body for clues on if they
are doing the right thing or not.
If you’re happy, LOOK and act happy, smile, wiggle, be
loose, etc. (exaggerated based on need). For example, I
know many of us when potty training a deaf dog have
clapped, jumped, and wiggled outside in the yard when
they’ve gotten it right. If you are unhappy, look unhappy,
frown, be stiff, cross your arms.
I know some puppy behavior you don’t want MAY be cute,
but if you’re smiling wide and signing no, you are sending a
very confusing signal to your deaf dog, so don’t be
surprised if they don’t respond the way you want them to
right away.
You do not want your deaf dog to think their name is NO!
Try to reward good behavior twice as often as you correct
bad behavior. It is an excellent thing for your dog to know
when they are doing the RIGHT thing as they will want to
offer these behaviors more often. I find I need to think of
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rewarding good behaviors more when training a deaf dog
than a hearing dog because I simply can’t say “good dog”
or “yes”. Rewarding the behavior can be a good sign, a
treat, or a pet or play time reward. I recommend making
sure you reward positive behavior often, it really pays off
and motivates your dog to please you while building a
positive bond.
Deaf Danes watch you more often for cues.
This can be misinterpreted by some as “flat staring” which
in hearing dogs can be a sign of aggression. Deaf dogs get
a lot of their information about their world visually.
Especially when you teach things like “watch me” and
“checking in” it is a good thing when your dog looks at you
for cues.
If your dog is exhibiting other signs of dominant or
aggressive behavior, that would be a warning cue to train
and react with caution, however most times they are
simply watching you to see if you want or need anything.
How do I give my deaf Dane a name they will know?
Most deaf Dane adopters give their dog a name sign. This
can be the ASL sign for the first letter of their name given
near a body part that signifies something special for them.
For example, my deaf Dane Carson had an ear that was
really beautifully marked, so we gave the ASL sign for “C”
next our ear on that side of our head. Consistency lets
your deaf Dane learn that this name sign means you are
“talking” to them the same way rewarding a hearing Dane
for looking at you when they respond to their verbal name.
Go to obedience class, a group classes if possible so that
you can train your dog with distractions.
Find a reputable school that uses positive reinforcement
methods and go, go, go. I cannot stress it enough. Very
few exercises need to be modified and it helps build a
bond and working communication between you and your
Dane. Instructors do not necessarily need deaf Dane
experience; just remember to use consistent signs and
rewards.
Deaf dogs like to be REALLY close to their owners, they like
to be in the room that you’re in, follow you from room to
room (even the bathroom). They may lie on your feet, on
your body, close to other dogs, etc. so if they are asleep
you should signal that you’re leaving the room. Deaf dogs
may become startled if they wake and you have left the
room.
You can either train your dog with a touch cue (can be a
consistent spot) as part of startle training to wake up
calmly each time you leave a room as a signal to follow you
if your deaf Dane is particularly anxious waking up and
finding you’ve left. I never leave the house without my
deaf Dane being aware I’ve left as I don’t want her
frantically searching the house looking for me when she
wakes up.
Or, you may also choose to train your deaf dog to find you
like a game of “hide and seek.” When they find you, smile,
do your GOOD command (may be better than a simple yes
or thumbs up, personally I clap) and you may choose to
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give a treat. Teaching deaf Danes to check in can be a very
helpful tool.
When a deaf dog has their back turned to you or is not
looking at you, there is a good chance that they do not
know you’re there.
Teach your deaf Dane a signal that you are behind them or
approaching that doesn’t startle them completely. I use a
gentle poke to the behind or a pet to the hind end so that
my Dane recognizes I’m there. Suddenly grabbing a deaf
Dane who is unaware you’re there by their collar, scruff,
etc. would be exceptionally frightening for a Dane and
could cause a bite.
Deaf Danes sleep more deeply than hearing Danes because
they are not disturbed by sounds around the house or
neighborhood. It is good practice to “startle train” a deaf
Dane so that they wake from sleep calmly.
Pick a consistent wake up cue to begin with, it may be a
touch anywhere on the body you choose, a calm press to a
shoulder, stroke down the back, tickle behind the ear,
whatever you’d like. When your Dane wakes up, smile,
give them a special treat, and a good sign (mine is thumbs
up).
After they’ve gotten their one startle command down and
are waking up slowly, calmly and happily, you may wish to
progress to different wake ups. I have moved their dog
beds, changed the pets, touched suddenly anywhere on
the body, lightly grabbed a paw (it is so helpful if you can
clip nails when they’re sleeping), etc. so that my dogs can
be in ANY situation and be awakened and not have an
issue.
This is a very gradual training process with an emphasis on
ALWAYS setting your dog up for success. Lots of treats,
smiles, petting, and you won’t have to really think about it
after a while. If you entertain at home often, your guests
are not likely to know about a startle signal so this is a
good safety precaution.
Deaf Danes more easily fixate on behaviors than hearing
Danes because they aren’t distracted by noise. They can
totally hone in on what they are doing. With a chewing
puppy or adolescent Dane this can mean severe
destruction. It can also mean licking behaviors, hot spots,
etc.
CRATE TRAIN your deaf Dane. I will go into this on the
next row, but it is so important to keep them safe. They
can become totally engrossed chewing on one piece of
furniture or tearing open a trash bag, etc. Crate train
young dogs when you are not at home.
Deaf Danes can also scent things out better and can root
out things you’ve left out by accident, and are less
distracted when trying to figure out how to remove
something from your countertop or table.
Take the time to train boundaries, and always be close
enough to visually supervise your deaf Dane while training,
you need to physically stop behaviors you don’t like
(touch) and correct (sign) and redirect (replace with
something that’s OK like a toy, chew toy, Kong, etc.)
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It is not like having a hearing puppy when you can yell “no”
or “stop” or “ah ah” from another room when you start
hearing things crash.
For other behaviors like incessant licking, get their
attention, sign a gentle no and replace the unwanted
behavior with desirable behavior like a toy, Kong, chew
toy, etc.
Deaf dogs are notoriously harder to crate train. As they
can’t hear themselves there is NO volume control on the
noises they will make. They can sound exceptionally sad,
can cry, make odd sounds, and bark LOUDLY. The absolute
critical key here is consistency.
I have gone so far as leaving a sign on my door that I am
crate training a deaf dog and I apologize for any noises it
may cause! Set aside short blocks of time to crate your
puppy. I’ve found that if they can’t see you it works best,
so I have used a separate room.
You may choose to crate your deaf Dane in a room with
other Danes or independently, do whatever works best.
Start with a short 5 minute crating period, I always use
treats to lure them in and a Kong, leave for five, wait till
they are quiet for a few minutes, out and good (don’t
make a HUGE deal). Gradually increase the time.
I keep a special treat for crating (may be cheese, cream
cheese, a piece of Vienna sausage, etc) that they ONLY get
when they crate up. If you are consistent with the treat
and the Kong, many deaf Danes will walk into their crate
automatically when they see the treat or Kong come out.
The big, big thing is to not let your deaf Dane out of the
crate if they are making a huge ruckus. Then you are
training them that if they throw a fit, they get what they
want and un-training this behavior is not fun.
Crate training deaf dogs can be not a lot of fun for the first
few days and it can be exceptionally noisy, however it
DOES pay off, and it is completely worth it to ensure their
safety, the safety of your house, and your sanity!
How do I get my deaf dog’s attention when they are across
the room and doing something I don’t like?
Two easy ways, first, walk over, touch, sign, and redirect or
a quick squirt of a water bottle can get them to look at
you, and then you can sign and redirect. Some people use
vibration collars, personally I have never tried but I know
some have had great success (but remember touch and
sign training is always best and the first type of training
that should be used).
You may also want to teach an attention sign. I have used
pointing (if they happen to be watching) or waving to get
attention. If you teach waving as an attention getter it can
become a signal to your deaf Dane that others are
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“talking” to them. My Danes love to see people wave at
them. You can also teach a “watch me” sign when you
want your dog to continuously watch you (pick a sign and
reward, reward, reward for desired behavior).
How do I get my deaf dog’s attention when they are
farther away and doing something I don’t like?
This is where you might want to use long line at first, squirt
bottle (to an area that is not on the face, I use the hind
end), or another dog as a cue to look at you so that you
can sign. I walk my deaf Danes on a front attach harness
(Sense-ible) so that when I gently pull the leash, they turn
around to look at me.
When it is dark in the yard, I teach “come in” using two
flashes of an outside light. I have also taught hearing
Danes “go get ______” and rewarded when they return
with their deaf buddy.
As long as you have a plan and are consistent it will work.
DO NOT LET DEAF DANES OFF LEASH IN UNFENCED AREAS
where it can be unsafe. Some people allow their deaf
Danes off leash unfenced after MUCH training but it is
ALWAYS a risk (rabbit running past, bird catching, squirrel
chasing, car chasing, etc.)
Deaf Danes miss many social cues from other dogs when
playing. As puppies they were corrected more firmly by
their littermates for biting too hard because they missed
the yelp, cry, growl, etc. and got bitten to correct instead.
As a result, deaf Danes can have harder mouths. Train the
same way you would a puppy for a hard mouth, pull your
hand away, look upset, and STOP playing or good
behavior, give them a time out type moment and then
resume.
When deaf dogs are young, socialize, socialize, socialize.
They will start to learn to watch other dogs more carefully
during play. Give your dog lots of opportunities for success
and pair them up with playmates you KNOW will be a good
match for them. (socializing an undersocialized deaf Dane
or any Dane at a leash free park is a recipe for disaster).
How do I teach a deaf Dane to come when called?
A leash and a long line are very useful tools for teaching
any dog a recall. I personally have a sign for “here” that is
less formal and a “come” sign that is more formal. For
“here” I use a hand gesture towards myself. For “come” I
use a whole arm gesture towards myself so it can easily be
seen from farther away. Make sure your dog is watching
you, give the sign, and make a chase game, reward when
they reach you, use the line to tug gently to lure the right
idea if necessary in the beginning. With repetition and
gradually increasing the distance you will achieve success,
but only attempt off leash recalls when your deaf Dane has
a firm understanding of what the sign means on leash. This
is not a sign you want your dog to feel they can ignore as it
can be lifesaving, that’s why this is an exercise I put a high
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value treat to help encourage.
Teach your deaf Dane to CHECK IN.
This is a great tool to have. It can be a bit frantic for your
deaf Dane at first, but it will train them to watch you,
check in with you and know where you are which makes
communicating with them 100% easier.
I train "check in" using hide and seek inside and outside.
When my deaf dog isn’t paying attention, I walk away and
move out of their direct line of sight. When they find me,
there is a YAY sign and I either treat and/or pet for a
reward. I still do this with my adults to keep the behavior
fresh.
Deaf dogs can be LOUD as they have no volume control.
I have taught my deaf Danes a shhhh command “finger to
lips” and when they either stop barking or bark more
quietly they are rewarded.
Vibration collars should be used sparingly.
The more training you do, and the more hands on training
(touch, sign, attention) the better trained dog you will
have. Vibration collars are not the be all, end all of deaf
dog training. I have never used one along with many other
deaf Dane owners who have very well trained dogs. They
watch us and respond to us, because they are reacting to
their owner, not a collar first.
Deaf dogs DO NOT need hearing companions!!
This is a myth that personally drives me crazy. Deaf dogs
are complete and happy dogs unto themselves. They do
not know they are different and do not feel they have a
disability. They therefore do not have a desire to follow
hearing dogs to see how to go about “normally.” Deafness
is normal for them. Hearing dogs can be helpful in the
household to help “go get” deaf dogs from the yard, but
more often than not they simply cue your deaf Dane when
to bark.
Please don’t use laser pointers to play with deaf Danes
Laser pointers can encourage obsessive compulsive
behaviors like shadow chasing that can develop in deaf
dogs.