What are My Top 5 Must-Haves for Deaf Dogs?
I’m often asked what I think are the most important things to teach to deaf dogs. There are so many possible answers to this question, but I have narrowed it down to my Top 5 Must-Haves for Deaf Dogs. These are the most important foundation behaviors and concepts. Everything else can easily be added on from here.
Automatic Check-Ins: Teach your dog to look at you often when out and about, so you have ample opportunity for positive communication. This is important for times that we may want to allow our deaf dogs freedom and opportunities, and for everyday safety and communicating inside and outside the home. Knowing that our dogs will always be keeping an eye open for our signals gives peace of mind. If you missed my free tutorial challenge about how to teach the automatic check-in, you can find it here in Guide #5: Check-In Challenge.
Play Tactile Games: Create positive associations with being touched in different ways. To reduce startling and great for mouthy puppies! Playing tactile games helps your deaf dog learn that touch is a safe and positive thing. It's a super thing to play with mouthy puppies to lessen their biting of hands and clothing. These games can change how a dog perceives the occasional startle from defensive to a more positive response. It's important for every dog not to feel worried about being touched.
Cooperative Care: Teach husbandry behaviors through consent-based teaching - grooming, handling, veterinary care, etc. Teach your dog to cooperate with daily care and handling behaviors (often called husbandry behaviors) to lower stress and increase effectiveness. Teach with positive reinforcement and offer your dog choice and consent whenever possible. You can learn more about how to teach cooperative care behaviors through the UP Membership (this is a common topic for us) or through this Self-Paced Class. I'm also happy to support you with this with individual sessions.
Polite Walking: Condition a positive association with harness and lead, teach polite harmonious walking. When dogs walk politely on leash, they are able to join us on many more adventures than a dog that pulls and is easily distracted by everything around them. Learning to walk in harmony with their humans is also a great way to enhance bonding, attention, and partnership.
Real Life Experiences: Introduce experiences that will be important for your lifestyle, and be sure they are positive and feel safe for your dog. Getting your deaf dog used to the environments and situations where they will spend the most time with you is important. Socialization is much more than just exposure - all experiences should be nurturing and carefully tailored to offer novelty while not overwhelming your dog. Teaching your dog to be comfortable in these environments will lead to them being better able to focus on you instead of random distractions as well.
Ensuring your dog has these 5 Must-Haves will set you both up for living your best lives together. This is my goal for everyone who reads this blog, and for everyone that I help and teach. After all, the reason that most of us choose to adopt a dog into our family is to live that harmonious and best life together, having fun and enjoying each other's company.
I'm here to support you and your dog so you can be successful! Check out the linked resources above to find out more, and contact me if you'd like some individual help to get started towards these 5 Must-Haves.
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