How to Teach a Deaf Dog Basic Commands

Training a deaf dog is challenging and takes patience, but it can be rewarding for both you and your dog; it will also improve your dog's life. See the related eHow "How to Use a Pager Collar" to prepare your dog for training, then begin with the simplest commands.

Instructions

Difficulty: Challenging

Teaching the "Sit" Command

1. Bend your arm at the elbow (at a 90-degree angle) with your hand held open, palm facing up. Slowly raise your palm toward your shoulder.
2. Hold a tasty-smelling food treat next to your dog's nose and mouth at the same time as you give the command.
3. Keep the food treat close to your dog's nose, and slowly take the treat up and over his head. Doing so will lead the dog into a sit.
4. Let your pet nibble on the treat if he wishes, but hold tight as you lure him into position.
5. Give the food treat the instant your dog sits, and praise him by petting and making an expressive happy face.
6. Encourage your dog with treats as well as with visual and tactile reinforcement - you don't want him to give up.

Teaching the "Down" Command

7. Start with your dog in the sit position.
8. Bend your arm at the elbow (at a 90-degree angle) with your hand held open, palm facing down. Slowly lower your hand down by your side.
9. Hold a tasty-smelling food treat next to your dog's nose and mouth at the same time you give the command, as before.
10. Keep the food treat close to your pet's nose, and slowly take the treat down to the ground between his legs. This should lure your dog into the down position.
11. Give the food treat and ample praise when the trick is accomplished.

Teaching the "Come" Command

12. Start inside the house and begin working over a very short distance (a few feet).
13. Page the dog to get its attention if you have a pager collar, or wait until your pet notices you.
14. Show a treat when your dog looks at you, and give the hand signal for "come" by extending your arm straight up.
15. Reward your dog when he comes to you.

Tips & Warnings

• If you think your dog has forgotten a particular behavior, he probably didn't know it well in the first place. Go back and teach the behavior from the beginning.
• Avoid getting angry, jerking, hitting or pushing your pet for unwanted behavior. Instead, ignore it and focus on rewarding the behavior you do want.