Deaf dog

[Kaye]

Has anyone owned or worked with a deaf dog? What are some of the challenges you had?

 

[ScottM]

Has anyone owned or worked with a deaf dog? What are some of the challenges you had?

I have worked with deaf animals. The biggest challenge is getting them to listen. I know that sounds sort of funny, but it is the challenge because we as people are verbal and will keep trying to TALK to the animal. Our speech or more importantly our inflection, loundness and emotion in our speech is what the animals respond to. They do not understand our body language as much. Without hearing they lose that ability to understand what the pack leader is trying to tell them. So you need to be firmer with your body and hand gestures and retrain you and the dog to understand. They will not realize that they are deaf and will adapt. They will just be a dog trying to do what it does best, which is to bond into a pack.

 

[Jeanie]

I had a friend who bought a great Dane that turned out to be deaf. She adapted a sign language with him and he was fine.

Are you thinking of adopting or fostering a deaf dog?

Just thought of something else... Often I need to call the dog from another room I suppose you could use a blinking light like deaf people have for doorbells and such to call him or even get a vibrator for the collar that has certain patterns for different commands. Hmmmm, this would be interesting to research with a trainer.

 

[denverpilot]

My 17 year old Husky mix is mostly deaf. She "converted" to watching body language, hand gestures, and generally does just fine other than when she goes into "nose down, I'm checkin' something out!" mode and isn't looking.

She can just barely hear really loud clapping, so that usually gets her attention enough to look and then she'll still come to me, or at least see what I want via body language.

At her age, she also moves way too slow to get too far away from me, which was definitely not true in her younger years... I could take her to a field and she'd be 1/8 mile off before I even realized she had bolted after something.

Vet still says arthritis will get her before anything else. Incredibly healthy dog for her age.

If that weren't enough, the cat turned 21 in March... we're running an old-folks home around here, complete with pill boxes, specific meal-times (they're set in their ways, big time), and woe to the human who forgets to purchase a new bag of treats... there is nothing like the stink-eye from a 17 year old who wants her treat at treat time and she wants it RIGHT NOW.

Yep, she has me trained.

 

[Kaye]

I had a friend who bought a great Dane that turned out to be deaf. She adapted a sign language with him and he was fine.

Are you thinking of adopting or fostering a deaf dog?

Just thought of something else... Often I need to call the dog from another room I suppose you could use a blinking light like deaf people have for doorbells and such to call him or even get a vibrator for the collar that has certain patterns for different commands. Hmmmm, this would be interesting to research with a trainer.

Adopting. Haven't made an application, so I don't know if I'd be considered. But his picture "spoke" to me.

It's a 2 yr old aussie that was locked in a basement for about a year cause it was "stupid". They turned it in, and that's when it was discovered he was deaf. It's in a foster home and learning sign language, and they claim he's not stupid.

Interesting thought on a vibrator collar....

Mentioned it to the husband and asked if he had any problems with a deaf dog. He just asked what's different, Lance never listened.

 

[Jeanie]

Aussies are not stupid, they do require time to trust and since this one has had this history you will need to be ready for him to be a little unsure of his new surroundings and you. I suggest that you try to visit the foster home a number of times before you take him to yours so that there is some transition for him.

This is way cool, Kaye, please keep us in the loop.

 

[ScottM]

Mentioned it to the husband and asked if he had any problems with a deaf dog. He just asked what's different, Lance never listened.

I was recently looking into adopting a special needs cat. I had been looking at blind ones and the people that specialized in the blind cat rescue arena kept saying that there is nothing different about them. They are cats first and have no idea that they are blind, they do not know any different. So Lance's statement is probably pretty straight on.

It is nice that you are considering a special animal. While I did not end up with a blind cat, I did end up with a project cat. We had to reassemble her from all of her parts. It was and is quite an effort, but it is finally paying off in that she is doing great.

Here are a couple of videos of her soon after I got her.

 

[mantakos]

I was recently looking into adopting a special needs cat. I had been looking at blind ones...

I have an old cat who became blind with age. I lived in the same place for a long time, and he lost his sight while he lived there, but by then he had the place memorized, and it wasn't in any way apparent that he was blind, though I had my suspicions. How you give a cat an eye test, any way?

Then I moved to a new place, and now confronted with a new "layout" it was obvious that he was completely blind, he was walking into walls. After a fairly brief adjustment period, he now gets along just fine, he navigates by touch, and seems to have figured out the "if you hug the right wall, you will eventually find your way through any maze" rule, but he doesn't climb and jump like he used to at the old place, he seems uninterested in mapping out the new above-floor topology, but a younger cat might be more curious and eager.
-harry

 

[Kaye]

I was recently looking into adopting a special needs cat. I had been looking at blind ones and the people that specialized in the blind cat rescue arena kept saying that there is nothing different about them. They are cats first and have no idea that they are blind, they do not know any different. So Lance's statement is probably pretty straight on.

It is nice that you are considering a special animal. While I did not end up with a blind cat, I did end up with a project cat. We had to reassemble her from all of her parts. It was and is quite an effort, but it is finally paying off in that she is doing great.

Here are a couple of videos of her soon after I got her.

Had to wait until I got home on my own 'puter to watch the video. What a cutie. Current pics?

 

[silver-eagle]

I applaud you for even thinking of taking up a challenge like a deaf, blind, injured, or abandoned animal. It takes compassion a lot of people don't have. It's also a major commitment not many are up to.
Good luck.

 

[silver-eagle]

I was recently looking into adopting a special needs cat. I had been looking at blind ones and the people that specialized in the blind cat rescue arena kept saying that there is nothing different about them. They are cats first and have no idea that they are blind, they do not know any different. So Lance's statement is probably pretty straight on.

It is nice that you are considering a special animal. While I did not end up with a blind cat, I did end up with a project cat. We had to reassemble her from all of her parts. It was and is quite an effort, but it is finally paying off in that she is doing great.

Here are a couple of videos of her soon after I got her.

A view of Scott so completely different than one might expect. BZ. What a thing to do.

 

[denverpilot]

The Stig isn't allowed to rescue cats??

 

[ScottM]

Had to wait until I got home on my own 'puter to watch the video. What a cutie. Current pics?

This one is from a few weeks ago after I got my new desk chair in the work office. Dee is coming to watch me work and to offer suggestions for SZ postings.

After her pelvis started to heal. It was broken in three places btw we started having to treat the other illnesses. The first was a fairly common parasite called coccidia. That took a couple of weeks and we thought things were really on the mend. Then things took a turn for the worst. She started having fecal incontinence and explosive diarrhea. I thought it might be something related to the coccidia coming back but there was no sign of that. The vet suspected spinal cord damage and we ended up taking her to a veterinary neurologist. There is only one in Chicago!!

He could see here in a week, so she was confined to a cage again and also started some other tests including new blood tests, fecal tests, imagining, etc. The specialist suspected that one of the screws that was holding her pelvis might be touching the spinal cord and he recommended surgery to correct. But by that time one of the blood tests had also revealed an infection of a bacterium I cannot recall the name of, but it was related to botulism. The treatment was a round of antibiotics. We opted to go that route first and if the incontinence and diarrhea were not cleared up then look at the surgical issue. All of her vets agreed.

Since completing that antibiotic there has been no sign of the bacterium nor of the incontinence and diarrhea!!!! YEAH!!! That was when she finally really started to gain weight, grow, and start to play. She has always been a little lover though and for some reason chose me as her human. Almost everyone has been real supportive and she has a pretty big fan club on facebook. At her vet people stop in to ask how she is doing.

When I found her she was 4 lbs, and is now almost 9lbs. We think her ages was about 6 months when we found her and she would be close to her first birthday now. To give you an idea of how miserable she was here is a picture I took shortly after she had come into the house from under the deck.

And this is my favorite picture of her

I also posted the before and after x-ays so you can see how badly broken her pelvis was. That she was surviving at all is miraculous. But of course the truth is she was close to dieing. She was starving, could barely move around. How she found her way into my backyard I will never know.

 

[ScottM]

The Stig isn't allowed to rescue cats??

Of course he is!!!

 

[mikea]

Pancho was deaf. She was so good at faking it with visual cues you wouldn't know it.

I knew for sure when she was sleeping in the bedroom and wouldn't come no matter how much I screamed, until she saw me.

Once she headed out in the yard and didn't know I was there behind her until I touched her and "snuck up" on her.

 

[ScottM]

Pancho was deaf. She was so good at faking it with visual cues you wouldn't know it.

I knew for sure when she was sleeping in the bedroom and wouldn't come no matter how much I screamed, until she saw me.

Once she headed out in the yard and didn't know I was there behind her until I touched her and "snuck up" on her.

She was a sweetie too.

 

[SCCutler]

Well, Scott, you get some points for that!

 

[silver-eagle]

Wow. And to think what some people would do. Truly incredible Scott.

 

[Kaye]

This one is from a few weeks ago after I got my new desk chair in the work office. Dee is coming to watch me work and to offer suggestions for SZ postings.

What a sweetie and what a great story!

 

[Kaye]

Aussies are not stupid, they do require time to trust and since this one has had this history you will need to be ready for him to be a little unsure of his new surroundings and you. I suggest that you try to visit the foster home a number of times before you take him to yours so that there is some transition for him.

This is way cool, Kaye, please keep us in the loop.

My little Lance boy had history. He was 4-5 years old and ousted out of 4 homes before he found mine. And when I brought him home, discovered he was afraid of men. Karl doesn't remember any problems , I remember about 2 months, and my dog walker remembers a year.

I think my 2 month memory comes from sitting on the sofa one evening with Lance, chattering away about nonsense, but also telling him he was stuck with me for good. He was watching me intently, and I asked him if he was trying to tell me something and I wasn't listening very well. He gently gave me my first doggie kiss, then curled up beside me for a nap.

Sent an email last night to ask about "Teddy".

 

[Ted]

That's an appropriate name, seeing as my hearing can be selective.

I've never worked with a deaf dog (most of the ones I transport are typically in very good condition). However, one of my friends has, and she said the big issue with him was he'd look away so he didn't see the visual cues.

Dogs respond very well to visual cues. I frequently don't even speak to my dogs, I just give them visual cues, and they work with them. They're smart creatures. I can get my dogs to sit, lie down, jump, go run, come here, just by visual cue. Same for when they misbehave.

Working with special needs animals, just like special needs children and adults, takes a special person, and is something I highly admire. Scott's done a great thing with Dee, and it's wonderful to see her recovered and so playful. Animals really tend to do better than humans when faced with problems. They don't mope about it, they just live life for the day. That's one of my favorite things about animals, and the best lesson most of us can learn from them.

 

[KRyan]

I had a dog that went deaf over time, and I'd agree with most of the other posters that she would respond to visual cues and so on. In fact, most of the time you had to remind yourself that she was deaf.

One funny thing about her deafness, though, was this. She was a Bassett Hound, and Bassets tend to get "eccentric" in their old age. She developed a fear of loud noises (obviously before she was deaf) like fireworks or thunder. After she went deaf, fireworks didn’t bother her anymore (we lived near the park where the 4th of July display was put on), but got afraid EVERY time it felt like rain – even if there was no thunder! She could sense the change in air pressure, I guess and it put her into “panic mode.”

 

[denverpilot]

That's interesting, ours is the same way... was scared her whole life of thunder and would hide in the basement, no matter how much petting, attention, or just sitting with her you'd do.

She went deaf, can't tell there's thunder anymore, but can still smell when it's raining or about to, and she still reacts to *lightning* by pacing and usually heading for the basement.

If we keep the drapes closed and she never sees the lightning, we could have a monster t-storm pounding the house and she'd be a little "nervous" pacing a bit, but not hiding. Open that drape so she can see the flashes, and she's outta there.

Since the vast majority of rain here is from thunderstorms, she's smarter than the average human who NOAA has to constantly remind to go to the frakkin' basement if there's a Tornado Warning....over and over and over again.

 

[Lkrautheim]

We had a Dalmatian that was deaf from birth. A friend of mine trains dogs and he showed us a few hand signals and before long he was like any other dog.
He turned out to be a fantastic dog till his passing.

 

[Ghery]

We had a Golden Retriever who was gun shy and scared of thunder. One day it rained and she THOUGHT it was going to thunder and chewed up the siding of the house in the carport. That dog came close to being killed by my mom so many times it wasn't funning. Dad would just take her over to the vet school for a few days until things blew over and then bring her back home. Oh, and she lived to eat. There isn't enough space here to list all the things she ate over the years that she shouldn't have.

 

[Pjsmith]

I had a deaf dalmation (pretty common actually, though most breeders destroy the deaf ones at birth I hear) for ten years. Any way, very sweet dog, and knew a few signs we taught her. You'll develop tricks like teaching it that a flashing porch light means "come inside, I want to go to bed", etc. We were lucky in that we had another dog for her to mimic, and that made potty training easier. I would adopt another deaf dog in a heartbeat.

 

[ScottM]

FYI taken yesterday afternoon. This Dee looking extremely happy!!!

Compare that to the picture of her in the carrier when I first found her. Make me feel very lucky to have been able to help her.

 

[ScottM]

I had a deaf dalmation (pretty common actually, though most breeders destroy the deaf ones at birth I hear) for ten years. Any way, very sweet dog, and knew a few signs we taught her. You'll develop tricks like teaching it that a flashing porch light means "come inside, I want to go to bed", etc. We were lucky in that we had another dog for her to mimic, and that made potty training easier. I would adopt another deaf dog in a heartbeat.

Pat did I see that you opened a new office on Rt14 by the Chamber of Commerce??

 

[mikea]

Drift: I just signed up to get another English Bulldog rescue - maybe be a foster home.

I just need to get one that won't beat up on big brother Jake.

 

[ScottM]

Drift: I just signed up to get another English Bulldog rescue - maybe be a foster home.

I just need to get one that won't beat up on big brother Jake.

Cool. I hope it comes through.

I think with getting animals to get along it is all about the introduction process. I have a good one that works well for cats. I am sure it is not suitable for dogs as they are far more of a pack animal. But from watching the Dog Whisperer he sure has some opinion and ideas that seem to work. I do think that animals take a lot of their cues from the human who they typically see as alpha or top cat.

 

[mikea]

Cool. I hope it comes through.

I think with getting animals to get along it is all about the introduction process. I have a good one that works well for cats. I am sure it is not suitable for dogs as they are far more of a pack animal. But from watching the Dog Whisperer he sure has some opinion and ideas that seem to work. I do think that animals take a lot of their cues from the human who they typically see as alpha or top cat.

Jake is sooo good. With very, very little effort, I make him sit and wait for my "OK!" to eat his breakfast, like Cesar recommends. This morning as he stared at me I shouted "GOOD MORNING!" and he started up for the bowl, realized it wasn't the right words and sat right back down.

I've never had such a good dog.

 

[denverpilot]

I always adopt my animals. But I must say that we're a strange society these days where my Facebook and other social media outlets are full of animal rescue groups constantly but very few human rescue groups.

I hope I never see a year that I spend less on human service organization donations vs. animal ones.

 

[Ted]

I always adopt my animals. But I must say that we're a strange society these days where my Facebook and other social media outlets are full of animal rescue groups constantly but very few human rescue groups.

Humans can help themselves, animals can't. For me, that's a good part of why I choose animal rescue.

 

[denverpilot]

Humans can help themselves, animals can't. For me, that's a good part of why I choose animal rescue.

I see your point, but I've worked with humans at homeless shelters who truly couldn't. One guy had massive brain damage from another homeless guy crushing his skull in with a baseball bat, for example. People are awful sometimes.

I learned firsthand that "you can't save 'em all". Plenty of humans make continuous decisions to make their own situations worse. But I also think feeding hungry humans is a notch more noble than animals.

I know folks disagree on this one. I worked on a farm as a kid.

The uproar you get from city-folk about even mentioning putting a 22 round into the head of a sick animal out behind the barn is almost laughable to me. It's not that farm/ranch kids don't value an animal's life at all, quite the opposite. They'd never let a animals suffer through the crap city folk do.

 

[jhausch]

My hound is not exactly "deaf", it's just that she has a selector switch which can only be on "ears", "eyes", or "nose" at any one time.

 

[mikea]

My hound is not exactly "deaf", it's just that she has a selector switch which can only be on "ears", "eyes", or "nose" at any one time.

Even Jake somehow doesn't hear me calling him when he wants to go with his loved women instead.

 

[Ghery]

My hound is not exactly "deaf", it's just that she has a selector switch which can only be on "ears", "eyes", or "nose" at any one time.

I don't think that is unique to your dog alone. Our dogs in the past certainly had selective hearing.

 

[Kaye]

FYI taken yesterday afternoon. This Dee looking extremely happy!!!

Compare that to the picture of her in the carrier when I first found her. Make me feel very lucky to have been able to help her.

Ahhhhhhhhh.........