Nothing moves faster than the head of a dog whose name has just been called. Call out Phoebe's name when she's in the room, and her head whips round, her ears lift, her eyes boggle, and her general state of alertness goes from zero to 60 in a nanosecond. Phoebe sure knows her name. Luckily, too, she can hear.
What if she couldn't? I've never had a deaf pet, but I can see that it would change a few things. A reader of this blog, Laura, wrote to me saying she was about to take on a deaf albino cat (deafness is common among white cats), and wondered if I could start a discussion on the subject. So here it is, and thanks to blog readers who helped me out with their experiences.
The first thing I've picked up - and, really, I'm not surprised - is the need to remember that a deaf cat is still a cat, a deaf dog is still a dog. Pet species are incredibly resilient and resourceful, and can take a lot of setbacks or changes in their stride. There's no less fun or fulfilment for you in having a deaf pet than in having one that can hear - and life is just as rewarding for the pet.
But deafness does change some things - for you. Owners of deaf pets work out ways of getting their pet's attention: turning on a porch light, using a torch or a laser pointer (keeping it clear of eyes), tapping a wall or the floor, using a Halti-type collar on a dog or even a vibrating collar.
Exercising and training a dog is a bit different. If Phoebe were deaf, I wouldn't be able to call her to attention, but would have to work out some big gestures that she could see from far off (especially the one that means "come") and some smaller ones close to. Dogs are brilliant at picking up human body language, and our dogs have both been trained with gestures linked to the words: "roll over" is accompanied by a rotating forefinger, "down" goes with a down-pointing finger, and the toilet command goes with a gesture that, well, is hard for me to describe in writing.
So subtract the word, and the action will still function as the command. Train it consistently, and your dog will understand your own private sign language. In fact, the bond between you and your dog might be stronger, the more closely it has to follow your movements.
Trainers of a deaf dog often have to think even harder about their actions and make sure they don't send confusing signals. One point that interested me was that people typically lean toward their dog when asking it to come, which looks to the dog like a "go away" gesture.
The next big issue is safety. Some owners of deaf cats try to keep their pets house-based, away from roads and driveways. Fences, gates and vigilance all grow in importance. Keeping a deaf dog leashed unless it's in a fenced area makes sense.
These things are all worth thinking about, because deafness is one of those things that can emerge or develop as your pet ages. I think it's worthwhile to be aware of signs of hearing loss in your pet, and of some ways of testing its hearing - it might be treatable. There's a lot of information on the internet on the subject (the usual warnings about caution and double-sourcing apply), and one I admire is Priscilla Ross's caninedeafness.com, which tackles causes, treatments and training in an encouraging and reassuring way.
But it's also a help for people in Laura's position to hear from people who have been through it themselves, learning tricks and cautions as they went. So share your experiences in the comments!
To finish, though, I have to pass on to you the story of Charlie the deaf Australian Cattle Dog. Blog reader Sarah, who's deaf herself, got Charlie from a breeder who wanted a good home for the deaf pup. Sarah communicates with all her dogs using sign language; each dog has its own sign-name so it knows when it's being talked to - Charlie's is "Chocolate". He gets anxious on his own, so Sarah has another dog to keep him company - Footy the Border Collie. Sarah, Charlie and Footy, may you have many happy years together.
Join Four Legs Good on Facebook.
» Vote for Four Legs Good in the Netguide Web Awards. Click the icon on the right to reach the voting page, and add the blog's URL in the Best Blog field, near the foot of the page.
www.stuff.co.nz/life-style/blogs/four-legs-good
Sponsored links
Newest First
Oldest First
Great food for thought Nick, it was really interesting and made a lot of sense. I like the idea of future proofing things with the gesture as well as the words. But I have to ask - what's the toileting gesture? My imagination - well. I kind of have this mental picture of you guys squatting to demonstrate, or worse... please tell!
My boyfriends sister rescued a little white kitten off a busy road - turns out he is deaf. He is such a character and so cute, it's hilarious when the other cats hiss at him when he is being a pain, as he obviously can't hear them, so carries on regardless. Luckily she lives on a quiet street but she is trying to make him afraid of cars - he is 6months old and still going strong. And you are right Nick - they are definately still a cat(or a dog) and it really doesn't seem to bother him!
I teach dog obedience, and the importance of hand signals is something I always talk about on the first night. If you get really used to it right from the start and it becomes second nature when telling your dog to do something, it's heaps easier than trying to re-teach the commands if your dog does go deaf when it's old. Not to mention trying to get it to do something at a distance, or even if you have a sore throat one day. Dogs are all about body language anyway.
When we took our puppy to dog obedience classes, we were taught to use hand signals, because there are times when there's too much noise or too many distractions for the dog to hear. While I don't wish Barney were deaf, there are times when his amazingly good hearing is annoying, because he suddenly starts barking at things we can't hear, like someone walking past the house. Do dogs have some sort of Dog-ESP, that means they can detect other dogs they can't see? We have a high wall around our front yard that he can't see over, yet even when he's inside (so can't smell the dogs) he can tell when one's walking past.
The thing about body language is interesting - I knew that cat and dog body language was different, but didn't realise that leaning forward meant "Go away!". However I did know that if I stare at Barney and very very slowly tilt my head back, it makes him bark and lunge at me. Is it "Come here", or is it something like a challenge? Or is it just some weird Barney thing?
I had the absolute joy of a deaf (white) dog in my early 20's. Kato taught me a lot of patience, but also proved that a deaf dog, is still a dog! We taught her to look for traffic before crossing, and had no problems taking her out to off-lead beaches etc, she never ran too far ahead or got out of eye-sight. My experience with her has meant that with all dogs since, I incorporate hand signals with commands, the stamped foot with the finger pointing down at my feet is the signal for 'come' for my 2 now, they seem to respond to it better than the word! and the 'Touch' command (thanks for that one Nick) is more about the signal than the word as well.
I had been wondering weather my 14 yearold birman cat was hearing and realized she wasn't one day when she didnt run when I turned the lux on as she had never liked it. She now lies back and enjoys being luxed.It is our party piece and she loves it being done. lol. The sad thing about her deafness is she has become very very nervous and has developed an obsesive licking of herself until she has bald spots habit.The vet has to give her an antideperesent to stop it. We have a lot of cats short cutting through our section now, so that worries me as well as her as she used to chase all and everything out of her section, so she has become an in house cat more and more.Which in her twigh light I am happy to let her be
I trained my dog Tequila early on to understand hand signals. So when out in public I can make a little gesture and she'll do as commanded, without interrupting a conversation with another person etc. We have our own form of sign language, and now as she's getting older, these signs are all the more important. With her hearing and eyesight starting to go some signals have had to change slightly, and I now often have to walk up and tap her shoulder, but I find our sign language makes for amazing peaceful walks in the country.
My husband had a deaf (white) cat we he was growing up. Apparently the cat used to sit right up against the gate in the afternoons so when the boys got home he would get a nudge and know it was time for cuddles. I think that is so cute and clever.
Hi not quite in the same vein but we have a 15 year old Labrador who is lossing her sight and you would also think her hearing. In her old age she is very determind and when she is out for a walk will often ignore me calling her or if i am calling her to put her outside - something that only started about 18 months ago and which i put down to loosing her hearing. However she can hear the clatter of a knife on a plate or the fridge opening from the other end of the house - no hearing loss.
I got to meet the little albino cat Albie at the weekend (he lives with my parents). His previous owner has done a great job with him and he is incredibly outgoing and friendly. I was able to take him for a walk outside on a leash, which he enjoyed but I really worry about him going outside because of cars even though his hearing brother Rascal is (nearly) always around. He doesn't seem to let his deafness get the best of him, though I suspect he does use it to his advantage. Albie is incredibly talkative, always purring and mewping. I hope I get to visit him and Rascal again soon because they have stolen my heart.