{"id":25268,"date":"2013-11-06T15:28:48","date_gmt":"2013-11-06T21:28:48","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/deafnetwork.com\/wordpress\/?p=25268"},"modified":"2013-11-06T15:28:48","modified_gmt":"2013-11-06T21:28:48","slug":"pet-talk-deaf-dogs-friendship-requires-different-approach-to-training","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/deafnetwork.com\/wordpress\/blog\/2013\/11\/06\/pet-talk-deaf-dogs-friendship-requires-different-approach-to-training\/","title":{"rendered":"Pet Talk: Deaf dog\u2019s friendship requires different approach to training"},"content":{"rendered":"

\n\tPet Talk: Deaf dog’s friendship requires different approach to training<\/strong>
\n<\/h2>\n

\n\tCNHI News Service
\n\twww.theadanews.com\n<\/p>\n

\n\tOctober 15, 2013\n<\/p>\n

\n\tAda —\n<\/p>\n

\n\t“Man’s best friend” is a term with no discrimination. Whether your dog is large or petite, obedient or rebellious, you love it just the same. The unparalleled companionship between a human and a deaf dog is no exception.\n<\/p>\n

\n\tIt is a popular yet misguided belief that deaf dogs are unable to be a loving member of your family.\n<\/p>\n

\n\t“Adopting any dog means that you are committing your family to providing a loving forever home,” said Dr. David Nelson, Clinical Associate Professor and director of Emergency Services at the Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences.\n<\/p>\n

\n\tThe obvious difference between a hearing dog and a deaf one is that you can’t use your voice to get the dog’s attention. Training a deaf dog is not necessarily harder than a hearing dog; it just requires a different approach.\n<\/p>\n

\n\t“One key point in their training is that if they are not looking at you, they can’t receive feedback and they don’t know you have information to provide,” said Nelson. “They have to learn sign language and body posture, which needs to be consistently delivered, and just like any other dog, you must not let them get away with bad behavior.”\n<\/p>\n

\n\tAnother training technique helpful for communicating with your deaf pooch is to train it to respond to a vibrating collar. A push of the radio transmitter causes a vibration in the collar, and you can then condition your dog to respond to a reward. After multiple positive rewards, the dog’s attention should turn towards you immediately after signaling, so you can then provide further instruction.\n<\/p>\n

\n\tKeep in mind that the vibration from the collar should never have a negative connotation, or your dog will be afraid to respond in the future. Having them come to you without hesitation is extremely important, so always be sure to provide positive feedback.\n<\/p>\n

\n\tNelson said this approach works with his own deaf dog.\n<\/p>\n

\n\t“We hike in the national forests with him off leash and he actually is easier to manage than the other dog who can hear just fine,” he said. “We always have the safety net of the vibrating collar but rarely use it, and he has learned to check back visually and will come to a hand sign without delay.”\n<\/p>\n

\n\tDeaf dogs can be startled when touched unexpectedly, so establishing a “communication spot” that you touch when you need to wake them up is a good idea. “We have trained him that the top back of his head is the communication spot, and when we touch it and he is sleeping he immediately begins wagging his tail because he knows it is one of us,” said Nelson.\n<\/p>\n

\n\tCertain breeds of dogs, such as Dalmatians, carry a gene that causes deafness. If the deafness isn’t genetic, it is still common for a dog to lose hearing from an ear injury or simply from old age, just like people. If you believe Spot may be deaf, there are various tests you can perform. Simple at-home tests work just fine, like clapping your hands together or ringing a bell, but the most reliable way to test for deafness is called BAER testing (Brainstorm Auditory Evoked Response). This test can be costly, but it is extremely accurate and will let you know if your dog is partially or wholly deaf.\n<\/p>\n

\n\t“If you came and interacted with our two dogs, you would not be aware that one is deaf, as we talk to him just like the other dog and the hand signs are subtle,” said Nelson. “He has been totally deaf since birth and is a wonderful boy that loves people, animals, and children.”\n<\/p>\n

\n\tPet Talk is a service of the College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences, Texas A&M University.\n<\/p>\n

\n\tSOURCE:\n<\/p>\n

\n\thttp:\/\/theadanews.com\/features\/x2112896713\/Pet-Talk-Deaf-dog-s-friendship-requires-different-approach-to-training<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Pet Talk: Deaf dog’s friendship requires different approach to training CNHI News Service www.theadanews.com October 15, 2013 Ada — “Man’s best friend” is a term with no discrimination. Whether your dog is large or petite, obedient or rebellious, you love…<\/p>\n

Read more →<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_crdt_document":"","advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[2],"tags":[4621,20176,20177,20173,20175,687,444,20178,201,20179,20174,2711,884],"class_list":["post-25268","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-deaf-news","tag-article","tag-baer","tag-brainstorm-auditory-evoked-response","tag-college-of-veterinary-medicine-biomedical-sciences","tag-dalmatians","tag-deaf-dog","tag-dog","tag-dr-david-nelson","tag-family","tag-mans-best-friend","tag-pet-talk","tag-texas-am-university","tag-training"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p752R-6zy","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":9981,"url":"https:\/\/deafnetwork.com\/wordpress\/blog\/2010\/04\/05\/dog-training-class-for-deaf-dogs-austin\/","url_meta":{"origin":25268,"position":0},"title":"Dog Training Class for Deaf Dogs – Austin","author":"Grant Laird Jr","date":"April 5, 2010","format":false,"excerpt":"Dog training class for deaf dogs - Austin Dog Manners for Deaf Dogs \u2013 Begins April 10, 2010 Fee: 6 one hour sessions for $175 Location: 12129 RR 620 N, Suite 401 An indoor facility about a mile west of 183 on 620. 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Deaf animals, like other special needs pets, make wonderful furry family\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "General"","block_context":{"text":"General","link":"https:\/\/deafnetwork.com\/wordpress\/blog\/category\/deaf-news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":23287,"url":"https:\/\/deafnetwork.com\/wordpress\/blog\/2013\/06\/03\/deaf-students-earn-real-world-training-through-innovative-dog-class\/","url_meta":{"origin":25268,"position":4},"title":"Deaf students earn real-world training through innovative dog class","author":"Grant Laird Jr","date":"June 3, 2013","format":false,"excerpt":"\u00a0Deaf students earn real-world training through innovative dog class By: Dan Robertson May 29, 2013 Simply communicating is a daily challenge for the hearing-impaired, but thanks to a new training program, Texas School for the Deaf students are learning that you don't need words to talk to animals. \"I've always\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "General"","block_context":{"text":"General","link":"https:\/\/deafnetwork.com\/wordpress\/blog\/category\/deaf-news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/deafnetwork.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/03\/DN_logo.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":34085,"url":"https:\/\/deafnetwork.com\/wordpress\/blog\/2016\/08\/19\/deaf-dogs-need-home-asap-justin-texas\/","url_meta":{"origin":25268,"position":5},"title":"Deaf Dogs Need Home ASAP – Justin, Texas","author":"Grant Laird Jr","date":"August 19, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"My name is Jessica and I am a foster\/volunteer for Apollo Support and Rescue based on Justin, TX. 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