How To Live Your Life With A Dog Who's Hearing-Impaired

If your dog is hearing impaired or deaf, it can be difficult to learn to adjust to life with them. But it’s not as complex as it may seem! Here’s how to make it work.

Sign Language

Dogs can very easily learn hand signals, and even hearing dogs can benefit from learning them. It’s a great method of silent communication. Some dogs even learn hand signals better than verbal cues.

Sit, come, and down are standard crucial commands that you should prioritize in your teaching skills. Some common hand signals are:

“Stop”: Hold out your raised arm.
“Sit”: Move your hand upwards.
“Down”: Move your hand backwards and downwards.
“Quiet”: A hand across the throat.
“Watch Me”/”Look At Me”: Point two fingers to your eyes.
“Good Job”: A clap or thumbs up.

Making Your Cues Unique

Your dog’s deafness may change the way their other senses work, so take advantage of that through these means.

• Get your dog’s visual attention with a hand wave or keep a flashlight on to wave at them to get their attention.
• Stomp your foot so they notice the vibrations across the ground.
• Tailor your expressions to have meaning. Make sure you’re using the right ones for the right situations.

Feature Image Source: Pixabay