It is especially helpful for hearing-impaired dogs since they may not sense when another dog is getting irritated by their behavior. It’s of benefit to train any dog to lie on a mat quietly while other things are going on. ![]() Once they’re looking at you on a regular basis, you can add a signal to show them what to do- come closer, go investigate, or do a specific move. When they do, you use your hand flash or physical click to mark the behavior, and give them a reward.Īs your dog gets better, you can take the training into more distracting environments, but remember to use a leash and harness initially until the behavior is well learned. Initially, allow your dog freedom in a controlled environment to choose to look at you. To teach a check-in, start by rewarding your dog every time they look at you. While the check-in is important for all dogs, it’s much more important for deaf dogs who cannot hear a car coming or recognize another dog’s growling. The check-in behavior helps your dog learn to turn to you and ask for your guidance. The physical click can be used when the dog is in a position that does not allow the handler to easily get a hand flash in the dog’s line of sight. The touch is then immediately followed by a reward. This involves a firm but gentle touch on the muzzle or ear that signals that the behavior is correct. Try Physical (Touch) Clicker Trainingĭepending on the type of activity that you want to do with your dog, some people teach a physical click. While your dog is learning this, the use of a harness and lunge line or long lead is recommended. The hand flash is immediately followed by a reward. When using a hand flash, you must be sure of two things: The hand movement is then followed by a reward. Many trainers who work with deaf dogs recommend using a deliberate opening and closing of the hand-a hand flash-as a “clicker” to mark the behavior. Clicker training involves using a sound (click) to mark the correct behavior for the dog.Įven though deaf dogs cannot hear, you can still apply the philosophy of clicker training. Modify Traditional Clicker Training With “Hand Flashes”Ĭlicker training is a reliable style of training that allows for shaping, and it can be adapted for deaf dogs. Each step gets closer to the final behavior, making it easier for a dog to learn. With shaping training, the final behavior is broken down into smaller steps that are taught progressively. Shaping behavior is very important for teaching a dog to think on her own. Break Each Behavior Into Steps With “Shaping” If you desire, you can teach your dog to turn to the side on which you are tapping by only reinforcing when they turn their head to the side of the tap. Use a single or double tap, not repetitive tapping, as this is considered to be nagging and may be a bit annoying for the dog. ![]() Pair the touch with positive reinforcement so that your dog understands that you want attention when you tap in that spot. The touch is meant to be a way to get attention, just like calling your hearing dog’s name gets their attention.ĭecide where you will touch your dog to mean, “I want your attention” (for example: shoulder or rump). Remember to train this as you would any other behavior. Since the hearing-impaired dog cannot hear when you call them, you need to train that touch is good. Here are some ways you can modify training to fit the needs of deaf dogs. No matter the cause of deafness, just because a dog cannot hear, it doesn’t mean they are untrainable. Congenital hearing loss is seen at a young age and is often associated with coat color patterns. ![]() Acquired hearing loss can come from injury, drug reactions, or age-related loss. Hearing loss can be congenital (they are born with it) or acquired. ![]() Deaf dogs are more common than you think-they make up approximately 5-10% of the pet population.
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