How to Communicate with a Deaf Dog

By Terrie Hayward on 09/25/2018 Getting a deaf dog’s attention is another consideration, as it is not possible to call out to your pup. Fostering a “check-in” behavior is essential. Each and every time that your dog looks at you, you should mark and reinforce this behavior. Sometimes you can get your deaf dog’s attention via vibrations. Tapping or stomping on the floor may make create a vibration large enough to attract your dog’s attention. Once your dog looks at you, mark and reinforce that attention. In addition, waving hands or arms at a distance can gain your dog’s interest. Again, once your dog looks in your direction, mark and reinforce that attention.

Another option, if it’s dark or at dusk, is to flick the lights off and on to draw your dog’s focus back to you. Some people use a small flashlight, but remember never to shine the light directly into the dog’s eyes. It is not advisable to use a laser pointer. Use the flashlight like a “clicker” or a special signal and turn it on/off quickly to mark a behavior. Remember that every time you mark you will want to follow up with something that your dog finds reinforcing. The marker is like a “promise” of access earned to something reinforcing, so be sure to keep your promise by providing that access after each marker.

Another helpful behavior to train with a deaf dog is a shoulder tap that means “look at me.” Tap your dog on the shoulder and then pop something yummy (just a tiny piece) in his mouth. Repeat this pattern often, and in every room of your home, and then begin to practice outside as well. Your dog will come to understand that the tap equals good things for him, and he will begin to turn back to you anticipating the yummy treat. Continue to practice and “pay” for your dog turning to look at you. Eventually, after many, many, many repetitions, you may be able to replace your food reinforcer with attention and affection. In order to keep the behavior strong once it has been established (once you can rely on your dog turning to look at you when you tap him on the shoulder), continue to surprise your dog from time to time with something delicious as a reward.

When you start to train the shoulder tap, be mindful that deaf dogs often startle. As a deaf dog cannot hear an approach, and sometimes cannot feel vibrations of someone nearby, the dog may startle when you appear suddenly. Work on associating people’s approach with positive things. You may have to hold a tiny bit of a yummy food each time you get near your deaf dog. Moving from room to room around your house let your deaf dog know that you have gone. Walking directly past the dog or offering a light touch on your way out may help your dog feel less anxious since he has seen you go. Your dog may choose to follow you or stay put; however, the anxiety of not knowing what happened to you has been eliminated.

Visual signals

The next step in training a deaf dog is to build more visual cues for communication. Some people choose to use American Sign Language (ASL) signs and/or single-hand adaptations of the ASL signs. You can also make up your own signals as long as they are distinct and consistent.

One time, Blanca and I were at a dog-health day doing a presentation on training. A woman and her husband approached us afterward. Via the husband’s translation, the woman, who was deaf herself, asked if I was using sign language to speak to my dog. I explained that Blanca was deaf and responded to signs. The woman asked if she could try one of Blanca’s cues, and then proceeded so sign “sit” using ASL. Blanca sat and the woman teared up. She exclaimed that this was the first time that she had ever been able to communicate with a dog!

The importance of recall

Another vital part of communicating with a deaf dog is teaching a recall. I always advocate in favor of safety first, so I recommend working on longer-distance recalls in fenced areas or with a long leash. However, as with any behavior, you will want to start training in close proximity and in a low-distraction environment. Move away, at first just an inch at a time, and then signal with a visual cue for your dog to come to you. Mark movement toward you and be sure to reinforce as the pup arrives where you are. As with any recall, slowly build distance and eventually build in distractions.

The regular “check-in” behavior that you trained earlier will be important now as you work on recall with a deaf dog. You need your deaf dog to look back at you for instruction. Behaviors that are reinforced are repeated, so be sure that your pup finds coming to you when “called” a highly reinforcing behavior! Remember, just like training a hearing dog, be sure to break any new behavior into small pieces and train in short training sessions with many opportunities to “get it right.”

Expect —and handle—frustration

Sometimes an owner feels as though the animal understands what is being communicated, but simply chooses not to respond as desired. At other times, the human is frustrated with his/her difficulties communicating the desired outcome to the dog.

These are common frustrations training ANY dog, or ANY animal. However, with a deaf dog these feelings of exasperation may be intensified. Try to remember that even if you believe you have broken down the task into very small, manageable pieces and are communicating very clearly and efficiently, you are, in fact, communicating with a different species.

Imagine for a moment that you are training your dog to place a red toy on top of a blue one. Continue to pretend that after your dog has (seemingly) mastered the behavior, she performs that behavior correctly 100% of the time for two weeks straight. Then, one day, your dog places the blue toy on top of the red one. The issue is not stubbornness, nor defiance, but rather a problem of communication. Your dog may have thought all along that the correct behavior was to stack up the two toys. She may have stacked red on blue for two weeks coincidentally, thus leading you to believe that your training was clear. In fact, there was a lack of clarity in the communication and training.

Because humans are verbally oriented in our information exchanges, communicating in different ways with a deaf dog may be a struggle at first. Any time that you feel overwhelmed, stop and take a break. Revert back to something very simple, like making eye contact and marking and reinforcing this successful behavior. Celebrate tiny accomplishments; remember that this is a marathon and not a sprint. Your communication and training with your deaf dog, as with hearing dogs, will be a lifelong endeavor.

Deaf dogs: both students and teachers

Deaf dogs can make great ambassadors for positive reinforcement training. Frequently, Blanca and I offer demonstrations on training and humane education at school and community events. Blanca demonstrates quite easily that there is no need to shout the word “no” repeatedly, or use other harsh verbal “corrections.” In fact, the word, and in the case of deaf dogs the signal or sign, for “no” is not something that I suggest you teach during your valuable training time. Telling an animal “no” does not provide much information. “No” is not a very clear communication tool, as it leaves the situation rather nebulous: “No what?” In its place, I strongly recommend working on incompatible behaviors and impulse-control training. In that way, you can offer your dog the choice to make good decisions about what you DO want the dog to do!

Learning is not an upward and linear journey; it is a journey prone to setbacks and confusion. To achieve success with your deaf dog, maintain a positive attitude, take pride in small milestones, and acknowledge that your relationship is becoming stronger. Deaf dogs can teach a great amount about care, compassion, and novel training methods. Blanca is joyful and eager to learn and respond now that someone has taken time to figure out how to communicate with her!