How to Tell if a Puppy is Deaf

Deaf puppies can be trained using hand signals and live normal, happy lives.

When puppies are very young, it may be hard to determine if they have hearing problems. If you have purchased a puppy or adopted one at a young age, it may not be immediately evident if your dog can hear or not because little puppies often are not particularly responsive to the world around them until they get comfortable in their new surroundings. However, in a short time, if your puppy has hearing problems you will begin to notice behaviors that signify a problem.

Instructions

1. 

   Notice if your puppy is easily startled. If your puppy is unusually jumpy, this may indicate that your dog does not hear people approaching, talking or making noise when he cannot see them. She may jump up when you walk toward him because she can see you or feel your steps, but if she is startled by unusual movements or being touched even when she is awake, this can indicate hearing problems.

2. Call your puppy from another room. If your puppy is responsive to you when you summon him when you are both in the same room, try calling him from another room. You can also whistle or make noises in the kitchen if this tends to draw him when he is nearby. If he usually does not come when you are not close by, then you may have a problem. One way to track this is to keep notes on his behavior to see if you can identify trends.

3. 

   Monitor snappishness. Puppies are usually good natured and snap only when excited or experiencing teething difficulties. If your puppy is frequently snappish for no apparent reason, it may be that he is not able to tell exactly where people are, which can make him nervous and unpleasant.

4. Make noise when your puppy is asleep. If he does not move even when you call him, stomp around or whistle, he almost certainly has some type of hearing problem.

5. Take your puppy to a veterinarian for testing. The fastest and easiest way to determine if your puppy has a hearing problem is to take her to the veterinarian and have her tested. A deaf dog has special needs and you must start accommodating them as soon as possible so that you and your dog can live happily together for a long time.

Tips & Warnings

• If you find that your dog is deaf, start signal training immediately so that you and your dog will be able to communicate even though she cannot hear.