The chances of your dog going deaf depend on what kind of dog you have. Some breeds have as much as a 30% likelihood of going deaf, while others are as low as 8%. Dalmations are most at-risk, with a 8% chance of going deaf in one ear, and 22% chance of going deaf in at least one ear. Dogs can go deaf due to age, like my childhood dog Daisy (she was a mutt). Dogs can also go deaf due to toxicity from medication or other poisons.
If your dog goes deaf there are a number of things you can do to help it along. You can still train a deaf dog, just use hand signals instead of verbal signals. Your dog will respond to hand motions and learn them just as easily as verbal commands.
While we were careful with daisy about people coming into the home, you can train your dog not to be startled. Stomping near a deaf dog will allow them to get used to vibrations, and be able to recognize those vibrations when people are coming near. That will reduce the risk of the dog getting startled. Reward your dog with treats every time it wakes up without being startled from vibrations and it will associate be woken with positive things. There are even vibrating attachments you can put on the dog’s collar to alert it when needed.
You will have to be careful about letting your dog outside. If there are predators in your area, make sure that you are with your dog at all times. When you take the dog anywhere in public it has to be on a leash all of the time. Deaf dogs, even well-trained, won’t be able to anticipate dangers that come from traffic, other animals, etc.
If you are unsure if your dog is going deaf wait for it to fall asleep and make a loud noise. If it doesn’t wake up you should make an appointment with your vet to get a full diagnosis.
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