Doggie Deafness -- Anyone with Experience?

MWC · 10-15-2007

My older Australian Shepherd (13 yrs) is showing signs of going deaf. I am most concerned about him wandering on our property (we have a big field) and not coming back right away when he is called. Like, when I let my guys out to do their business, but I need them back quickly so I can be somewhere in 5 minutes ...

Does anyone know if dogs go deaf first to the "range" of the human voice -- but they could still respond to a "dog-range" whistle? I was thinking I could retrain him to come to that ...

Poor guy has also gotten very clingy -- everytime I get up and move around, he does too, and "velcros" himself to my leg. I'm trying to give him extra pets and face time.

Any advice is gratefully accepted!

Loree · 10-15-2007

I had a cocker spaniel/sheepdog mix over 25 years ago and she turned deaf when she got old..............she heard nothing at all as far as I know..............she was so deaf, she did not hear the car or feel the car backing out of the driveway and I hit her

I didn't kill her, but I bruised her..........she had arthritis pretty bad by that time, so when I took her to the vet to be checked out, he suggested I put her down.
I did.............it was awful

Suzy stayed close to home as I think she was afraid because she couldn't hear. She was always very clingy.

Daddy B · 10-15-2007

Pardon...?

Mexivoof · 10-15-2007

Our almost 14 Springer Spaniel is quite deaf, but not totally. A sharp clap of the hands will get his attention. He actually barked at the mail man today, but that might have been more from feeling the vibrations than actually hearing him.
Since our other one (the avatar) is a basset and the spaniel was not trained well about running into roads (we adopted him when he was 7) we always leash them both up when we take them into our small fenced-in back yard.

Good luck

Mexivoof · 10-15-2007

Mr Deafo, despite his worsening ability to climb steps, is up here looking at me now

. He still has a lot of life left in him, and one good thing, he no longer freaks out during a thunderstorm. Just love 'em while you can and if you are 5 minutes late to work, what's more important?

Tommygurl · 10-15-2007

My SIL has a Deaf Great Dane...They use hand signals with the dog. They have a fenced yard so I am not sure what they would do if he took off.

Seakony · 10-15-2007

Mine has selective hearing.

I did have two dogs in the past that lost their hearing as they got older. Probably teaching hand signals early may be a good idea, but they also tend to get a little blind too as they age.

Mikey · 10-15-2007

My Chow is going on fourteen and her hearing is going.....The one thing she can still hear pretty well is a lould clap even though she does not know what direction it is coming from......

cpfstich · 10-15-2007

Our 14 year old German Shepard/Elkhound mix is now deaf. We just kinda get her to do what we want, sometimes, by motioning with our arms, come here, down, etc. I trained her with them, along with verbal commands, when she was a pup, so that helps now.

10-15-2007	#1 (permalink)
MWC añejo Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Connecticut Posts: 6,500	Doggie Deafness -- Anyone with Experience? My older Australian Shepherd (13 yrs) is showing signs of going deaf. I am most concerned about him wandering on our property (we have a big field) and not coming back right away when he is called. Like, when I let my guys out to do their business, but I need them back quickly so I can be somewhere in 5 minutes ... Does anyone know if dogs go deaf first to the "range" of the human voice -- but they could still respond to a "dog-range" whistle? I was thinking I could retrain him to come to that ... Poor guy has also gotten very clingy -- everytime I get up and move around, he does too, and "velcros" himself to my leg. I'm trying to give him extra pets and face time. Any advice is gratefully accepted!

10-15-2007	#5 (permalink)
Mexivoof añejo Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Walworth, WI Posts: 6,522	Mr Deafo, despite his worsening ability to climb steps, is up here looking at me now. He still has a lot of life left in him, and one good thing, he no longer freaks out during a thunderstorm. Just love 'em while you can and if you are 5 minutes late to work, what's more important?

10-15-2007	#2 (permalink)
Loree añejo Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Southern California Posts: 9,491	I had a cocker spaniel/sheepdog mix over 25 years ago and she turned deaf when she got old..............she heard nothing at all as far as I know..............she was so deaf, she did not hear the car or feel the car backing out of the driveway and I hit her I didn't kill her, but I bruised her..........she had arthritis pretty bad by that time, so when I took her to the vet to be checked out, he suggested I put her down. I did.............it was awful Suzy stayed close to home as I think she was afraid because she couldn't hear. She was always very clingy.

10-15-2007	#3 (permalink)
Daddy B añejo Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: I could tell you, but then I'd have to kill you Posts: 9,284	Pardon...?

10-15-2007	#4 (permalink)
Mexivoof añejo Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Walworth, WI Posts: 6,522	Our almost 14 Springer Spaniel is quite deaf, but not totally. A sharp clap of the hands will get his attention. He actually barked at the mail man today, but that might have been more from feeling the vibrations than actually hearing him. Since our other one (the avatar) is a basset and the spaniel was not trained well about running into roads (we adopted him when he was 7) we always leash them both up when we take them into our small fenced-in back yard. Good luck

10-15-2007	#6 (permalink)
Tommygurl crab killer Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: I am Canadian!! Posts: 15,165	My SIL has a Deaf Great Dane...They use hand signals with the dog. They have a fenced yard so I am not sure what they would do if he took off.

10-15-2007	#7 (permalink)
Seakony añejo Join Date: Aug 2003 Posts: 16,151	Mine has selective hearing. I did have two dogs in the past that lost their hearing as they got older. Probably teaching hand signals early may be a good idea, but they also tend to get a little blind too as they age.

10-15-2007	#8 (permalink)
Mikey he likes it! Join Date: Aug 2003 Posts: 27,429	My Chow is going on fourteen and her hearing is going.....The one thing she can still hear pretty well is a lould clap even though she does not know what direction it is coming from......

10-15-2007	#9 (permalink)
cpfstich añejo Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: The Badger State! Posts: 16,621	Our 14 year old German Shepard/Elkhound mix is now deaf. We just kinda get her to do what we want, sometimes, by motioning with our arms, come here, down, etc. I trained her with them, along with verbal commands, when she was a pup, so that helps now.

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