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.Has anyone owned or worked with a deaf dog? What are some of the challenges you had?
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.
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.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 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?I was recently looking into adopting a special needs cat. I had been looking at blind ones...
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.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.
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.Had to wait until I got home on my own 'puter to watch the video. What a cutie. Current pics?
She was a sweetie too.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.
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.
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.
Pat did I see that you opened a new office on Rt14 by the Chamber of Commerce??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.
Cool. I hope it comes through.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.
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.
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.
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.
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.