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        Although at first she had seemed happy to return to her childhood home, she slowly drifted back into a state of depression. Unwilling to play at all, she often snapped aggressively at the puppy of the house, who quickly learned to stay away from her. Her former owners were not abusive, although they claimed that over the years she had become increasingly more defiant.

        Since I had obedience trained her as a puppy, I snapped on the leash and put her through her paces. She performed almost flawlessly. Even though she had not been put through a trial since puppyhood, she responded quickly to nearly every command. Then it hit me. She wasn’t responding at all to my voice, but my hand and body signals. I went through the course again, using only words. The poor dog laid down in confusion and refused to move. I tried the course a second time, using only hands. She jumped up happily and obeyed every instruction. She was neither ignoring me nor going senile, the poor dog was deaf!

        Some breeds, such as the Dalmatian, seem to be genetically predisposed to deafness. As a dog’s hearing begins to deteriorate, whether or not due to aging, they begin to focus more and more on sight cues. The canine’s ability to read body language is almost unparalleled. It may be hard to be sure if your dog is responding to your words, "Let’s go for a ride," or if he is merely reacting to you speaking while seeing you grab the car keys. If your older dog is beginning to show signs of a change in attitude, such as no longer responding when given commands, appearing to ignore people in the house, or even seeming more aggressive when someone comes to the door, you may wish to evaluate your animal’s hearing.

        There is a great deal an owner can do for a deaf dog. The loss of an animal’s hearing doesn’t have to lessen their quality of life, or limit their family involvement. Dogs have an innate desire to please their masters, and even old dogs are willing to learn. Replacing verbal commands with hand signs gives the dog confidence and security. Getting the dog’s attention, of course, is essential. Often times, stomping the floor (which creates a vibration), waving your arm, or throwing a ball can be highly effective. Many people have found the use of a vibrating (NOT SHOCK) collar to be of great benefit, especially when in public or outdoors.

        If you suspect that your dog may have a hearing ailment, you may wish to experiment by calling your dog or jingling the car keys from another room, where the dog can’t see you. You can also try giving commands or making noises from behind. Remember, if a dog is only deaf in one ear, they can hear the noise, and not be sure where it is coming from. Does your dog go to the WRONG person when called? If any signs of hearing loss are present, it’s time to visit your vet for confirmation. There could be a more serious problem, or perhaps something correctable!

        My dog’s hearing loss was termed "acquired," meaning that there was no disease present, no genetic predisposition, and was most likely age related. It also is most likely progressive, and she will eventually lose what little hearing she has left. I made it a point to use body language more than words to communicate with my older dog, even inventing new signs for common household commands. Once again, she is happy and playful, no longer snapping at the puppy, but playing together instead. Her hearing loss had made her feel isolated from her human pack. Our learning a new "doggy sign language" was the key to teaching an old dog a few new tricks.

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