Introduction

The first time I saw a dog that was totally deaf, I thought it was the cutest thing ever. It looked like it was listening to me with its head cocked in my direction, but then I realized that wasn’t the case—the dog didn’t hear anything at all! Those of us who grew up with hearing dogs don’t always realize how important our voices are in communicating with these furry companions. But at some point, most people who have owned dogs for awhile come across a deaf dog and wonder: How do you train one? Well, let me tell you…

A deaf dog is not a broken dog

A deaf dog is not a broken dog. And, contrary to what many people believe, they can be trained just like hearing dogs. In fact, there are many things that deaf dogs can do that hearing dogs cannot do!

One popular misconception about deaf dogs is that they won’t come when called because they can’t hear you calling them. This simply isn’t true. Deaf dogs use their vision and other senses to locate the source of a sound so they know where to go when called by name or another cue like “come” or “cookie time!”

Define behaviors you want to manage

As you prepare to train your deaf dog, it’s important to define behaviors you want to manage. For example, if your dog is jumping on people or barking excessively, those are things that need to be managed as soon as possible. I recommend identifying behaviors that are causing problems for the dog or for others around them and then working on them one at a time.

What should you do if there’s a behavior that isn’t necessarily problematic but would be nice if it happened? Your deaf dog will still respond well to training so why not? It could be something like sitting when guests come over or waiting patiently by the door instead of going out into the world whenever he feels like it (this is usually my favorite kind of training).

When considering what kind of training program will work best for your deaf pooch, keep in mind that deaf dogs can’t always do everything hearing dogs can do; some tasks require verbal cues after all! If these things are important then now may not be the right time for formal training – though there are still ways we can encourage good behavior without using words (more on this later).

Visual cues and hand signals are key to training without verbal cues

You can do it! Visual cues are key to training without verbal cues. Hand signals are important for deaf dogs. Visual cues can be given consistently and clearly, but hand signals should be used in conjunction with visual cues to make them more effective. Hand signals should be consistent and clear, otherwise they won’t work as well.

Tapping on the bed or floor can help cue a deaf dog when it’s time to go outside

You can also use tapping to cue your deaf dog when it’s time to go outside. You can do this in several ways:

• Tap on the floor or bed.
• Tap on your leg.
• Tap on your hand, then point toward where you want the dog to go (like the door).
• Quickly tap three times on your arm if the dog is right next to you and you want him to look at what’s happening outside (like when there is a person at the door).

Or if he’s not standing near you, try tapping against walls near doors or windows—they’ll get his attention!

When teaching silent commands, use some kind of visual cue that can be given consistently and clearly.

It is important that any hand signal or visual cue you use is consistent, clear and given at the same time as your verbal command.

For example, if you are teaching a deaf dog to sit, you will give your hand signal (or visual cue) while saying “sit”. If the dog gets confused because it can’t hear when “sit” means for them to take a seat and also when it’s an instruction for them to sit down next to someone else in their family, then they’re going to be totally lost!

It can be confusing for them too if they’re learning how something works by watching another person do something else first like opening a door before coming inside and only then do they know what it means when someone says “open”.

Use treats effectively.

Treats are the best way to train your deaf dog. They can be used to reward your dog for being quiet, for sitting down, or for performing a command. The key is to give treats when you want the behavior to happen again—not just when it does happen. For example, if you want your dog to stop barking at other dogs outside, use a treat every time he looks away from them instead of barking back at them.

Finding a good trainer with experience in deaf-dog training is helpful.

• Look for a trainer who has experience training deaf dogs.
• There are many dog trainers who have experience working with deaf dogs, but it’s important to find one who specializes in this area. Here are some good examples:
• [name of trainer] trained deaf dogs for the [government agency] and now works as a private consultant. He can help you train your dog at home, over Skype or Zoom Video calls.
• [name of trainer] runs workshops on how to communicate with your pet using sign language and other methods that don’t require audio input from the dog like vibration or tactile stimulation (tapping). You’ll learn about all kinds of tricks too!

Repeat yourself 3 times for each command.

To train a deaf dog, you must be patient and persistent. Repeat each command three times to ensure that your pup understands exactly what you want him to do. Don’t get frustrated if he doesn’t respond right away—he may not have heard you or has been distracted by something else. Try again when the distraction has passed, and make sure you’re paying close attention so that both of you can remain focused on training session!

Deaf dogs can be trained just like hearing dogs, but it takes a little extra effort from their humans

Deaf dogs can be trained just like hearing dogs, but it takes a little extra effort from their humans. Visual cues are key to training without verbal cues, such as tapping on the bed or floor to cue your deaf dog when it’s time to go outside.

Conclusion

The most important thing to remember when training a deaf dog is that they are just like any other dog. They have a desire to learn and please their humans, if you show them the way. Deaf dogs can do everything hearing dogs can do, it’s just going to take some extra effort on your part.