Sandy color desert dog sitting with head tilted and paying attention during clicker training session

Living With A Deaf Dog: Essential Training And Safety Tips

BySusan Nilson

There’s no doubt that dogs are amazing creatures. They offer us companionship, love, and loyalty – and make our lives a lot more fun.

But what if your dog can’t hear? Does it limit her ability to enjoy life?

Not at all! Deaf dogs can live just as full and happy lives as any other dog – it may just take a bit of extra effort on the part of their owners.

In this article, I’ll discuss some tips for living with and training a deaf dog.

I’ll also provide some extra resources if you need more help in caring for your furry friend. Don’t worry – your deaf dog can still have a wonderful, happy life with you.

How can I keep my deaf dog safe?

Dr. George Strain of the Louisiana State University School of Veterinary Medicine points out that deaf dogs are more likely to be startled, which can lead to biting.

This is most likely because a deaf dog may react to a perceived threat before she has the chance to rationalize what’s happening.

So take extra care if you approach her from where she can’t see you, if you touch her without her realizing you’re there, or if you need to wake her up or move her for some reason.

How do I wake up my deaf dog?

It’s preferable not to wake your dog, but if you have to for some reason, then do it gradually.

Our senior dog Bertie began to show a loss of hearing around the age of 16 years (he lived to be 18½) and would sleep long and deeply. Although we generally didn’t disturb him, sometimes we had to wake him up to take him out for a bathroom break last thing at night.

To wake him without startling him, I used to gently tap on his bed a few inches from his nose. The movement and vibration would wake him gradually, and I’d then wait till he’d fully woken and had seen me.

I’d leave my hand there for him to sniff and only when he had fully gathered his senses would we move to the next step of going outside.

I’d always make sure to make eye contact and have a happy face to communicate with Bertie, and would use a hand flash in the same way you might use a marker word like “yes” or “good” or a clicker to mark good behavior (followed by a reward). I’ll go into this in more detail a bit later.

Another option for getting your deaf dog’s attention is to very gently touch or stroke her shoulder until she looks at you.

Sandy color desert dog lying in bed looking up at camera
Bertie would sleep long and deeply as he got older and deafer. We would always wake or approach him carefully and respectfully and give him a chance to orient himself before moving on to the next thing © The Cat and Dog House

Can I have my deaf dog off-leash?

Deaf dogs are “less protected from certain dangers, such as motor vehicles,” says Strain, so once your deaf dog is outside, it’s not really safe to have her off-leash unless she’s in a securely fenced yard.

You can always use a harness and a long line to give her some extra freedom.

Having said that, you can train your deaf dog to perform a regular check-in with you as well as a reliable recall so she can have some free, off-leash time. More of that in a minute.

When your deaf dog is outdoors, she may become anxious if she can’t see you or doesn’t know where you are. To get her attention you can try using a flashlight or simply just stay in her eyeline.

Again, teaching a regular check-in will help with this.

Sandy color desert dog wearing a red coat in the forest
As Bertie aged he lost most of his hearing, but he always stayed nearby and regularly checked in with us, so we were still able to have him safely off-leash © The Cat and Dog House

How do I train my deaf dog?

Training a deaf dog may seem like a daunting task, but it is actually very similar to training any other dog.

Deaf dogs can be trained using hand signals and visual cues, in the same way that many dog owners teach their hearing dogs. The most important thing is to use positive reinforcement to reward desired behaviors.

“Because dogs are so good at reading body language, training can actually be easier this way,” says author Sara Jackson. “The trick is having a clear signal for each [cue], and to keep that signal consistent.

“There are hand signals for [cues] like ‘sit,’ “stay,’ “down,’ and ‘come,’ but you’ll also need sign language for phrases like ‘watch me’ and ‘good dog!’

“The hardest part of training a deaf dog is getting him to focus on you without being distracted by his surroundings, so the first piece of sign language you’ll need to teach him is ‘watch me.'”

Earlier, I explained how I’d use a hand flash in place of clicker training to communicate to Bertie that he was a good boy whenever I wanted to mark his good behavior.

In this video, Atta Pup! dog training explains more about how to use the hand flash as well as a “clicker” when training a deaf dog:

How do I teach my deaf dog to check in with me?

I talked earlier about whether or not your deaf dog could ever be off-leash.

Safety must always come first and before you even consider having your deaf dog off-leash in a non-secure environment, you will need to train “uncued attention.”

In other words, your deaf dog needs to be able to “check in” with you on a very regular basis.

Deaf dog training expert Dr. Morag Heirs explains how she trains this in both hearing and deaf dogs:

“This exercise explicitly asks handlers to avoid calling the dog’s name (or tapping them if deaf), to resist the temptation to tug on the leash or shuffle their feet or to make kissy noises.

“If the dog chooses to reorient to the handler, or even indicate with an ear flick that their presence has been noted, then the handler clicks and treats.

“For the deaf dog, this may require moving your hand round into the field of vision or making sure that the flash of light falls where it can be seen. For the visually-impaired dog, you can reward any orientation back to the handler.

“The key to this exercise is the dog being on-leash (to prevent too much wandering off and self-rewarding behavior) and the handler rewarding any effort on the part of the dog to check in.

“The handler is NOT trying to get the dog’s attention. Rather the dog is responsible for making the effort to check in and gain rewards. This exercise is crucial in the early stages of teaching a deaf dog to orient to their human.

“Since we have very few ways of attracting our deaf dog’s attention once he is out of touching range, especially if he is facing away from us, it is vital that the dog has a pre-trained behavior to seek out the handler. 

Once the dog has received his reward, the handler steps away or otherwise allows the dog to go back to sniffing around in a limited area (probably using a leash). The handler then waits for the dog to choose to reorient.”

How do I train my deaf dog to come back to me?

Going back to what I said earlier, you can absolutely train a deaf dog to come back to you.

Here’s expert trainer Terrie Hayward demonstrating how to do this:

Can I play games with my deaf dog?

Here’s another video from Terrie that highlights a simple game you can play with your deaf dog using a hand target.

Of course, your dog can enjoy plenty of other typical dog games too!

How do I communicate with my deaf dog?

Terrie also has a great video on how to communicate with your deaf dog:

Teaching your dog American Sign Language

Need some inspiration for trying out a hand gesture to use in your deaf dog’s training?

This video showcases some ideas for various hand signals, based on American Sign Language (ASL):

Tips for living with a deaf dog

Living with a deaf dog does require some adjustments so here are a few tips to help you make the most of your relationship with your furry friend.

Body language

First, it’s important to get on your dog’s wavelength.

Learn to read her body language and facial expressions, as this – as with all dogs – will be her primary means of communication.

Use hand signals

Second, as I’ve already said, it’s also important to use visual cues when training your dog.

I recommend you train your dog hand signals and visual cues as a matter of course regardless of whether she’s hearing impaired or not.

That way, if she does experience a loss of hearing as she ages, she’ll already know all the visual cues and you’ll already have that channel of communication open to you.

Teach a regular check-in

Third, another adjustment you might need to make is in how you play with your canine friend.

Since she can’t hear you call her name or squeak her toy, you’ll need to get her attention by teaching that regular check-in.

Try running around with your dog in the yard or playing fetch with a soft ball.

With a little creativity, you’ll definitely be able to keep your pup happy and active.

Some deaf dog owners even do dog sports like agility and canicross with their dogs and are very successful at it.

Finally, it’s important to be patient with your pup and use clear body language when communicating with her.

If in any doubt, you can always enlist the help of a certified positive reinforcement trainer to help you.

“Living with a deaf dog is not hard,” says expert trainer Lara Joseph of the Animal Behavior Center.

“Coming from a training perspective, it definitely has its advantages because sound is not going to interfere and be a distraction.”

Lara shares several tips and training demonstrations to help with common behavior concerns surrounding deaf dogs in this video:

Why is my deaf dog barking a lot?

The study I mentioned earlier by Farmer-Dougan et al. (2014) found that HVI dogs were more likely to chew on random objects, consume feces, bark excessively, and engage in compulsive licking behaviors.

But why barking in particular?

Deaf dogs may bark excessively for a number of reasons including:

  • Separation anxiety
  • Distress
  • Attention seeking
  • Frustration
  • Confusion
  • Boredom
  • Hunger
  • Checking in with you
  • Pain or discomfort
  • Inadvertent reinforcement (i.e. you’ve rewarded it – with attention for example – without meaning to)

Deaf dogs may also bark extra loudly or in a variety of tones (like howling or squeaking) because they aren’t aware of the volume or how it sounds.

What should I do if my deaf dog is barking excessively?

To manage excessive barking, it’s important to figure out your dog’s motivation and the emotional state driving the behavior.

If your dog is in pain or discomfort for example, obviously you can take her to the veterinarian for a check-up.

Assuming it’s not medical, once you’ve worked out the reason for your dog’s excessive barking, you’ll need to find out what is reinforcing the behavior (i.e. what “reward” is the dog getting from for barking?).

This may simply be because she gets your attention or she’s anxious because she doesn’t know where you are.

Whatever the reason, punishing her is not the answer because it will likely just make the problem worse while failing to train her what to do instead.

Here are some techniques to interrupt excessive barking (Heirs, 2015):

  • If the deaf dog associates being tapped as a positive request for attention, you can use this to your advantage if she becomes over-excited around visitors or other dogs. Gently tap her on the side and reward her when she reorients to you. Then, make sure you have a plan of what to do next (e.g. provide a chew toy or ask her to go to her mat).
  • If you have already taught the dog to recognize the feeling of a treat being gently thrown to touch her shoulder (so she looks down for the food), you can use this to interrupt barking from a distance. While monitoring for potential resource guarding issues, try using this method to interrupt overly enthusiastic barking or chasing during dog-to-dog play.
  • If you have a deaf dog that barks excitedly, you can try interrupting the barking with a simple tap and food reward, followed by gentle restraining pressure. This is not a technique to use with a touch-sensitive dog, so be cautious when trying it out. Remember that we are not pinning the dog down or forcibly restraining her.

You can also teach your dog an alternative behavior that is incompatible with the barking.

This new behavior must be “equally (or more) reinforcing,” explains Hayward. You then “cue and mark and reinforce this new behavior in order to start a different pattern.”

Hayward suggests the following options for training alternative behaviors to barking:

  • Teach your dog to go to her mat.
  • Teach her to get a toy and hold it in her mouth.
  • Teach her a hand target behavior (Hayward demonstrates this in her video, A Game You Can Play With Your Deaf Dog which you can see above).

Again, I recommend you find a certified positive reinforcement trainer to help you if you are unsure how to proceed here. I will make some recommendations at the end of this article.

Should I use a vibrating collar on my deaf dog?

“While this sounds like an appealing idea where the dog learns to respond to the vibration as a hearing dog might recall to a whistle, experienced deaf dog guardians tend to discourage it as an unnecessary expense,” says Heirs. 

Although it has become easier to find a high-quality vibrating collar that doesn’t have any adverse side effects like spray or shock, or that is only bark-activated, Heirs says they are still relatively difficult to come by and the models which are available aren’t always waterproof, often have limited range, and can be bulky.

“Even those guardians who use vibrating collars would be quick to emphasize that these are in addition to excellent check-in and recall training rather than as a replacement,” says Heirs.

“The same principles apply as when working with a dog who is never going to be let off-leash, you still want to train a basic recall just in case management/leads/harnesses or collars fail!”

Importantly, Heirs explains that many dogs find “even gently vibrating collars” quite unpleasant or even distressing, while others appear to deliberately ignore the sensation altogether.

So if you do decide to try a vibrating collar, it’s essential to first be sure the sensation isn’t scary or painful for your dog. If she’s stressed, anxious or in pain, she won’t be able to learn new behaviors – which is the entire purpose, after all.

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Resources

Deaf Dog Resources

NEED A DOG TRAINER OR BEHAVIOR EXPERT?

If you need more help dealing with a training or behavior issue, please find professional help from a force-free dog trainer who can consult with you either in person or remotely.

GOOD PLACES TO START ARE:
- COAPE Association of Pet Behaviourists and Trainers
- Pet Dog Trainers of Europe
- International Companion Animal Network
- Institute of Modern Dog Trainers
- Pet Professional Guild 

All dog owners deserve to have successful relationships with their canine companions!

Accredited Canine and Feline Behavior Professional | Author | Editor

Susan Nilson is a rescue pet advocate, globe-trotter, and not-always-so-accidental collector of animals in need. This certified canine and feline behavior professional has amassed a small menagerie of four dogs and six cats from Dubai, Romania, USA, and Greece during her world travels. When not penning wisdom for pet parents trying to decipher their cats' and dogs' latest shenanigans, she's probably negotiating peace treaties between her four-legged family members or calculating the most efficient way to transport her furry brood across continents. Her life goal? Ensuring more pets stay in their forever homes - because let's face it, she can't adopt them all... or can she?