It can be challenging living with a deaf dog, but once you learn how to communicate, they are just like any other dog. Training, patience, and love will ensure your deaf dog is happy and well-adjusted. Deaf dogs need the same mental stimulation and social interaction that hearing dogs need. Let’s find out what activities are great for deaf dogs.
Deafness in Dogs
Deafness can occur as your dog ages or from an injury. But the most common is congenital deafness, meaning they were born deaf. Deafness is more prevalent in Bull Terriers, Dalmatians, Parson Russell Terriers, English Setters, Boston Terriers, Australian Cattle Dogs, and English Cocker Spaniels. Deafness is also common in breeds where the merle gene is present; breeding two merle dogs can result in puppies being born deaf and/or blind.
Dogs that are born deaf learn from an early age to compensate for their silent world. They will use their nose and eyes as their primary senses. Deaf dogs are very trainable; they will need hand cues rather than verbal. Teach your deaf dog sign language as a way to communicate with them and make other forms of training easier.
1. Teach Sign Language
One of the best activities to do with your deaf dog is to teach sign language and hand signals. This will make communicating with them easier and it builds a bond between you. Deaf dogs can even compete in obedience trials. Obedience is generally taught with verbal and hand signals, deaf dogs will generally be taught with hand signals and facial cues. Sign language will help them learn the commands for obedience.
Living in a silent world means your dog will rely on the visual cues you provide for communication. With basic sign language, you are teaching your deaf dog to speak to you and building trust. Always make the teaching sessions short and upbeat. You will want to end each session on a positive note and provide plenty of treats and smiles.
2. Scent Work
All dogs will enjoy doing scent work. For deaf dogs who rely on their sense of sight, smell, taste, and touch, scent work will build their confidence and make them feel more secure. Scent work is very easy to do with your dog. You can purchase scent work kits online or you can create your own using treats to begin. Simply hide the treats throughout the room and have your dog search for them. Provide a lot of praise when they find each treat.
Once your dog is comfortable searching for a scent, change it up and hide small containers with a specific scent. Make sure the containers have holes so the scent can be easily detected. Once your dog has detected the first scent container, be sure to praise and give a treat then send him back into the room to find another container. Expand your area after each successful session until you are able to head outside and hide scent jars in the yard for them to find.
3. Hide and Seek
Similar to scent work, hide and seek is a simple game that gets your deaf dog moving and using their other senses to find the hidden object. Hide their favor toy, treat, or chew and then use a hand signal to tell them to find it. Once your dog finds the object, give them lots of praise. You can play hide and seek inside or outside. Outside is more challenging since it will be a bigger area.
You can also play hide and seek by hiding from your dog and having a family member give the signal to find you. Your dog will love trying to sniff out your hiding place. When they find you give lots of praise and a treat, then send them back inside or to a different room and hide again. Don’t play too long or your dog will get bored.
4. Tug-of-War
Another simple game to play with your deaf dog but will build a bond between you and can be good exercise. Tug-of-war is especially good for a high energy dog that needs games to help tire them out. Add fetch to the game and really watch your dog have a blast.
To start a game of tug-of-war, simply drag a toy in front of your dog or dangle it in front of their nose. Once they grab it, give the toy a playful shake. You can teach your dog to “drop it” with a hand signal and then you can toss the toy and have them fetch it before resuming tug-of-war.
5. Puzzle Toys
All dogs need mental stimulation as well as physical exercise. Buy an assortment of fun puzzle toys to encourage your dog to think and solve problems. Do not use all the puzzle toys at once, you will want to rotate them so your dog does not get bored with the same puzzle over and over again.
Interactive puzzle toys range in skill level so when first introducing them pick ones that your dog will be able to easily figure out. Once your dog has played with puzzles for a bit and is adept at figuring them out, move on to harder puzzles. Have a special treat that you only used when doing puzzles so your pup is excited to find the yummy morsels.
6. Go For a Walk
Going for a walk with your deaf dog is a simple way to build their confidence and get them to interact with other people and dogs. Have a friend with a dog-friendly dog come along and let the pups enjoy a long walk and then a play date afterwards. Getting your dog a canine companion is also a great way to help them adjust to their surroundings and be a more social dog.
Dogs need social interactions with other people and dogs, getting them out and strolling around the neighborhood or through a local park will let them see and interact with their environment. If someone approaches from behind your deaf dog, turn your dog so they can see the person coming up to them. You do not want a stranger to startle them when they are out of their comfort zone. When someone walks up to your dog, let them know the dog is deaf and to approach where they can see the person coming.
Conclusion
Deaf dogs can live a long, healthy, happy life when their owners understand the challenges they face and are willing to work with them to become well-adjusted companions. Because they cannot hear, deaf dogs will rely on their other senses and look to you for cues on what is expected. They will even thrive with another dog who can also give them cues and teach them how to interact. Spending time with your deaf dog on enrichment activities will make them more confident and they will form a stronger bond with you.
