My new puppy seems deaf. Is he ignoring me or can't he hear?

Related Answers from Veterinarians

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  Answered By Jennifer Summerfield, DVM CPDT-KA

  Veterinarian, Certified Dog Trainer

  Published on May 2nd, 2018

  Hi there. It's certainly possible that Duke may be deaf or have a hearing problem. To test this informally, you can try clapping your hands, ringing a bell, clanging pots together, or making some other loud noise near his head when he's sleeping - if he doesn't react at all, then it's reasonable to think he probably can't hear. To know for sure, you could take him to a specialist for something called a BAER hearing test - this involves using a machine to measure brain activity (or lack therof) in areas that are responsible for processing sounds. Your veterinarian should be able to refer you to a specialist who can perform this test if this is something you're interested in.

  

  1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

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  Answered By Dr. Kristin DVM

  Veterinarian

  Published on February 7th, 2018

  If he is deaf, this is a simple explanation as to why he doesn't listen, and also why he follows you so closely. If you do not have access to a veterinarian, you can test his hearing at home. When he is looking at you, have someone make noises behind him. Try clapping, snapping, or anything to make different sounds, some loud, and some quiet. Watch for his reaction to these sounds. If he is indeed deaf, he can still be trained, but you will need to use hand signals instead of words. It really doesn't matter what these hand signals are, they just need to be consistent. Training a deaf dog can be challenging, and it will take a lot of patience, but it can be done. He is only 8 weeks old, so he is still quite young. House training make take more time. Start with keeping him on a leash at all times. When he is playing or sleeping, you can let him be, but the second he stops playing or gets up from a nap, take him straight outside. You can even pick him up and carry him outside before he gets a chance to pee inside. I wish you the best of luck. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

  

  1Pet Parents found this answer helpful