Q: My Golden Retriever is about 6 years old. I think he's deaf ! Either that or he's just ignoring me. When I call him and he's not looking at me, he doesn't come, but it seems like when he is looking at me, he'll come to me. If he truly is deaf, is he still trainable?

A: The first thing you should do is contact your veterinarian to confirm or deny the dogs medical condition. Training a deaf dog is much like training a hearing dog. (except we use hand signals instead of speaking). It will require a major commitment and a lot of patience on your part as there will be some life style changes for both you and the dog. It will be important for you to learn effective communication skills in a way that your dog will still be able to understand you. Beginning to understand that your dog has other senses besides hearing is your first step to learning. Ever wonder why your dog can "sense" the coming of a storm? Depending on the storm, your dog can feel the ground movements and vibrations.The barometric pressure in the air will change,allowing him to use his sense of smell and they may see flashes of light before we do, sense of sight.

The first thing you need to do in training of a deaf dog, would be to get their attention and learn how to use it. You can do this by use of what we call "focus work." By keeping the dog close to you on leash while he's learning gives you and the dog an opportunity to master some of his other senses like smelling and sight.  Using a treat you can condition your dog to keep his or her attention focused on you. While he is using his nose to seek out the treat you can incorporate certain hand signals and facial expressions to go along with whatever action it is that you are trying to get him to perform.  When the dog performs the action or command that you have given him make sure that you reward or "mark" his behavior immediately so that the dog understand that he just did something right.  Petting , praise, smiling, treats, even clapping your hands in excitement ( though the dog will not be able to hear the clapping sound ) your body language will indicate to him that you are pleased with something that he did. If you dog does not respond to your hand signals right a way, be patient. Remember he is just learning too and all he wants to do is please you , so you must show the dog what it is that you expect  of him or her.  If you are trying to get the dog to sit, you must place him into position by use of the treat. Holds the treat in front of his nose, raising it above his head until his bottom touches the ground. Then give him the reward. Pretty soon, he will be conditioned to sit when seeing your hand raised and "mark" that signal with a reward.

If you are trying to recall your dog to you, start by on leash first, using treats or a toy to get his attention and focus on you. Use whatever most motivates your dog , then toss it a few feet away from him allow him to go get it, and then give a small tug on the leash, incorporate a hand signal and facial expression then reel him in back into you. When he gets to you , give him a reward each time, a treat, toy or even petting and praise alone is just fine.

Your deaf dog will not always live life on a leash. Once the two of you have effective communication skills, you may begin to move to the next level. off leash is a bit harder as now you have less physical control and really have to work more on yourself, remaining patient. Always be sure that your dog is proficient on leash before taking him off leash. Always make sure that when you are off leash, outdoors with your deaf dog that you are in a confined or fenced in area. Your dog still has natural drives and basic instincts. Remember one is chase and you want to keep your pet safe.

being able to get the dogs attention when he's not at your side while require you to be a little more creative. You can start , by again getting his or her attention by tossing a treat or ball nearby. Once he seeks it out by smell or sight and looks at you, use your hand signals. If that doesn't work in the beginning, you must go and get your dog. Remember to always show him what you expect of him. Keep in mind that outside is going to be more difficult as there will be more distractions, so you may want to begin indoors first. try using flashlights or laser lights to get the dogs attention a quick stomp of your foot on the floor to create ground vibration or even walk up to the dog and give him a gentle touch.  When unexpectedly touching a deaf dog you are going to want to keep this as positive as you can. So as not to create a startling effect. Walk up slowly behind the dog, careful on your foot heaviness as to not create ground vibration, gently touch the dog and the instant he turns his head give him a reward so he associates the touch as something positive.  this will also help condition him to become desensitized to unexpected touch so should something startle him his first reaction will not be to bite, but rather look first.

As with all training, you must remain consistent keeping your hand signals, body language and facial expressions the same for each specific command otherwise your dog will become frustrated and confused.

If your Veterinarian has diagnosed your dog healthy, then your dog truly is just ignoring you.We would recommend some obedience training.It is never to late to teach your dog good manners.  

This article was published on April 26 , 2009 on Page 3 of the Sunday Sentinel