Deaf Dog Training
30 Sep 2009
Deaf dog training and training a hearing dog are similar in many ways. There are, however, some issues that are special with this type of training. Using facial expressions, body language and hand signals are the major ways in which you can communicate with your deaf dog.
You can teach your dog basic obedience commands like sit, down, stay, stop and come using hand signals, but this vocabulary will need to be expanded for you to have the ability to fully communicate with him. You can make up sign language on your own or use American Sign Language (ASL) for communicating with your dog.
Finding ways of praising and offering verbal feedback to your dog as well as methods for getting and sustaining your dog’s attention will need to be found. You also need to consider that fact that a deaf dog needs to be safe as well as desensitized from being easily startled from unexpected touch as well as distractions.
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Lots of patience, as well as time and consistency are needed for deaf dog training. Positive reinforcement in the form of rewards for good behavior is much more effective than punishments for what your deaf dog has done wrong. Rewarding your deaf puppy or dog with food usually works well. Enthusiasm and affection are effective ways of rewarding an older deaf dog.
Teaching dogs hand signals usually isn’t very difficult because dogs communicate much more from visual signs than they do spoken language. What is important is to make sure that your hand signals are consistent, clear and distinctly different from other hand signs.
Start your training with some basic obedience hand signals for commands like stay, down, and sit. A signal that you can use for “yes” that is followed up with treats is important to have. Using positive reinforcement through treats and other rewards will make your deaf dog training go much smoother, although you will still need to have a lot of patience and use plenty of consistency and repetition in the training.
You will need to find some method for getting the attention of your deaf dog. There are different methods you can use for this. One method is to stomp on the ground. Your deaf dog can often feel or sense the vibrations underneath him. Other ways include touching him lightly or throwing something like a toy or ball that he can see. Turning lights off and on in the dark can also work sometimes work in gaining a dog’s attention.
Keep This In Mind
When it comes to deaf dog training, you need to keep in mind that you need to teach your dog to not get startled from be woken up or touched suddenly. Touching a sleeping puppy or dog lightly on the shoulder or holding your hand near their face so that they can smell it are a few things you can do to help desensitize a dog. Or touch him from behind.
When they respond by turning around, always give a treat so that being touched unexpectedly is not associated with something bad. This form of training needs to be handled gently. Safety is very important when it comes to a deaf dog. Do not let your dog off of his leash while you are out, unless the yard is fenced or he is some sort of contained area.
Deaf dog training does bring its rewards to both your dog and you. Training a deaf dog is a lot like other types of dog training, although there are also some unique challenges. Your deaf dog or puppy and you will do well as long as you are patient and consistent in training.
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