I know of a deaf collie and I am quite tempted. I was wondering if there are any online resources you would recommend.  I would like to read up a bit more  before taking on such a task. I am confident enough for the training bit (but realize a deaf dog would need different methods) but would like to know if there are other considerations I should think about. My garden is large and secure and I can also take pup to work where we have 2 fully enclosed spaces for off lead fun. I have other dogs as well..

Cheers

No reccommendations but a friend has 2 Welsh sheepdogs and a BC, all bitches, the middle one ,a Welsh, is deaf. She was very quick to learn hand signals but the main problems seem to be that she doesn't seem aware that she is barking (VERY vocal) and as she is unaware of anyone aproaching her when she hasn't see them she has been known to snap at a hand touching her unexpectedly so owner takes great care to either muzzle for safety or stand in front of dog when they are out anywhere.
Used to have a deaf G Dane come to class with neither problem so it may be partly due to collies being a lot sharper (for want of a better description) the Dane took far longer to learn hand signals.

This is the Deaf Dog Network - http://thedeafdognetwork.webs.com/ - still new and building but there are some good links on there.

Barry Eaton's Hear, Hear! book is supposed to be quite good also (is on amazon).

Otherwise the advice I've had is to really work hard on teaching the dog to check in often - rewarding any and all looks to you with your 'good!' signal (I'm using thumbs-up, a lot of owners do and if you're after a clicker-like signal a torch is supposed to be good - like any marker though this needs to be taught first, just as you'd charge a clicker or pair 'good boy' with a reward).

I'm also working on a recall signal - I've always read trainers recommending the arms-wide signal, but one person I've talked to online uses arms waved over the head and I'm finding that much more effective.  But then, the deaf dog I'm training is 12yrs old and her eyesight isn't perfect any more!

That person has also trained her other dog to go and get the deaf dog's attention if he's distracted and not checking in - as I understand it the owner has a thingy attached to his harness that the other dog tugs to get his attention.  Like a short lead strap or something I think.

i have a deaf dog and she is really good she has never snapped at a human but she does bully my other dogs at feeding times she nerly killed my boy

Tia is fed separately - last time she lived with two of mine they were all fed together but now, I cannot warn her not to steal and she is very guardy with her food bowl to people (meaning I can't pull her away safely if she tries to steal, and I have 3 dogs on medication besides her) so for everyone's safety, she is fed by herself.

you can get vibrating (not electric shock) remote control collars that I have been told are v handy for deaf dogs as a 'look at me' to get hand signal aid. useful when wish to recall.

Debbie if your girl is deaf can I ask why you are breeding her ?

This is going to sound silly..but when teaching a deaf dog...do you still speak to them. I can see myself still talking to the dog even though he obviously can't hear me. I think it would keep me right in my own head by doing the actions as well as saying it out loud.

Thanks

Definitely. When you speak your body language follows your words and tone of voice, making it easier for the dog to understand.

http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=deaf+dog+dogtra&aq=f

I thought you didn't agree with pager collars, Adam?

They are great!

Adam

Debbie if your girl is deaf can I ask why you are breeding her ?

I'm also very concerned about this, in previous posts debbie says that her bitch has had all health tests as though in prep for breeding, yet all other posts indicate not being prepared with no knowledge of what to do, after the horse has bolted many of us are here to make sure that a bitch will not suffer in the hands of a novice breeder so the questions and help are given freely, :-) but why debbie after declaring all health tests have been done is it now apparent that the bitch is deaf?

What if the condition is passed onto pups, will you tell the new owners that your bitch is deaf? Did you not know that the litter could have been terminated if an accident?

>>Debbie if your girl is deaf can I ask why you are breeding her ?
>I'm also very concerned about this

Me too. Deaf dogs should never be bred from.

diferent dog ljs. i would not breed a deaf dog

i have 6 dogs

my bitch who is pregnant is clear as it states this on her papers so her mother and father were tested that is why she is clear. i dont have experience so get your facts right and leave me alone please. i have not done anything wrong thankyou

Hi Debbie

So the bitch you mention above is also aggressive and is another bitch that tried to kill one of your boys ?

Lucy

>my bitch who is pregnant is clear as it states this on her papers so her mother and father were tested that is why she is clear.

If you're referring to hearing tests, just because her sire and dam have normal hearing doesn't mean that she automatically is. Normally-hearing parents can produce totally deaf offspring.

If you're referring to tests for another condition then I apologise for getting hold of the wrong end of the stick.

yes my deaf dog has always been aggressive and still is. my pregnant dog has only just started to be aggressive through pregnancy.
i have no reason to lie.
read my posts back you will see i right aggressive agaisnt my other DOGS!!!
they are both different breeds you silly person get off your high horse ljs

do you want my life story ljs then maybe you will be happy

MY DEAF DOG IS NOT PREGNANT SHE IS 8 YEARS OLD FOR GODS SAKE can we just leave it there now please

Debbie dont be so rude, I was asking a very simple question so answer back without name calling please

No Debbie your life story is of absolute no interest to me at all :-)

Good grief Debbie, calm down.  All we've seen is you mention your aggressive bitch, your bitch attacking your dog, and your pregnant bitch - I, at least, have not seen you make any distinction between bitches (such as using their names, or even saying you have more than one until now - I may have missed you do so and apologise if I have).

The natural assumption, therefore, was that it was the same bitch.  I assumed the same thing but didn't post - you have set us straight and rightly so, so please, there is no need to resort to name-calling and shouting.  We only look out for the good of the dogs.

IME people generally get angry, defensive and resort to name calling when caught out, it's a natural defence for some people.

Exactly as has been demonstrated here, I draw my own conclusions and due to being nasty and offensive to others on the board I will certainly offer nothing further. Best of luck!

good thankyou

i wouldnt say i was aggressive now

Hi Freewayz,

I used to regularly meet a couple with a deaf dog, (now sadly passed) they used to walk her off lead, (in the countryside) they had a collar with a bell on so that they always knew where she was, (generally in a bush) as of course you couldn't call her, and they used a 'come' hand signal to call her back, she was also taught sit, down, stay all by their hand signals, nice and easy training with a few treats. :-)

They also threaded a square 4" x 4" piece of material onto her collar which read, I AM DEAF so that if she did shoot ahead to greet other dogs as recall is a whole other game with a deaf dog, at least people understood and would often be much kinder and patient. Of course they knew the dogs they would generally meet being a small community.

Looking at the thread though, looks as though there are many other techniques you can use, so communication isn't a problem on the whole. :-)

I don't onw a deaf dog but I have trained my spaniel to hand signals only.  This is really easy to do(actually she trained me at first!!).  I didn't realise that I lifted my hand a certain way during the sit command(with a treat) and once I lifted my hand this way and she sat!  So I then taught her down, stay, left, right the same way. 
I think it's brill that you are taking on a challenge and with your other dogs around, he'll soon learn the ropes!!
Very best of luck!!

Not quite the same thing but my boy went deaf a year or so before he died, not totally, but pretty deaf. Luckily I do train with hand signals as well as verbal commands so apart from having to make sure he was watching me before I asked him to do something, we had no trouble.

do you have a degree in psychology now carrington. a person of many talents

lol

i did not mean to come accross nasty.
if you want i can post a pic on here of my dogs
millie the girl who is deaf is all white and was born deaf she is a english bull terrier the boy buster she nerly killed is also a english bull terrier they are kept in the garden , they have both been done.

my other 4 dogs are chihuahuas being 3 girls( (mitzy,princess,lindy) princess being pregnant and 1 boy alfie. and they live in the house.

i no i will have to most probley have to have c section for her and im seeing a vet on friday

so sorry for being nasty i think it comes across worse in writing

Debbie

Readers can only respond to what you write/say about your dogs:

In this thread you wrote "i have a deaf dog and she is really good she has never snapped at a human but she does bully my other dogs at feeding times she nerly killed my boy"

In your other thread titled: "my bitch is pregnant and attacking my dog over food" you wrote "i feel so sorry for him she went really aggressive and tried to kill him how can i stop this HELP!!!!! "

Sounds like the same dog...