charon Posted May 14, 2012 Share Posted May 14, 2012 (edited) Hi, We have had our new puppy for 1 week now and we noticed a few things that weren't quiet right so we took him to the vets and discovered that he is deaf. We are just after a little bit of advice. We are not sure where to go from here. We love him so much already, but neither myself or my husband have time to train a deaf puppy. We can imagine it will be much harder. There will also be kids on the cards in the next few years or so. I dont know how this would be with a deaf dog. We bought him from a reputable breeder and spent almost $1800. Would you return him? Any advice would be great, thank you Edited May 14, 2012 by charon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bundyburger Posted May 14, 2012 Share Posted May 14, 2012 My first suggestion would be to talk to the breeder and explain the situation. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sandra777 Posted May 14, 2012 Share Posted May 14, 2012 Your first call should be to the breeder. Personally I would return him however that is entirely a personal decision. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
persephone Posted May 14, 2012 Share Posted May 14, 2012 (edited) Definitely contact the breeder ! They should be advised, for a few reasons . best of luck with it. keep us posted . Edited May 14, 2012 by persephone Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Inevitablue Posted May 14, 2012 Share Posted May 14, 2012 I had a deaf dog, and she was easy to train (which I think can be dependant on breed - some seem to lack a sense of self preservation), however I had an older well trained dog who she took direction from as well. I think having just one deaf dog by itself would be much harder. You would be surprised that it is not that difficult to live with a deaf dog. I did take her on knowing she was deaf. Chat to the breeder :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andisa Posted May 14, 2012 Share Posted May 14, 2012 How disappointing for you - the choice really is yours, however if you don't think you are able to take on the responsibility of a deaf dog then your better off returning him as soon as possible. Call the breeder now and let them know what the vet said - hope your don't have any problems if you decide to return him and they give you a full refund. Wonder how they didn't pick his deafness up, one of the first things most breeders do once the pups ears are opening is check for responses - clapping hands and making noises to see how they react. Good luck, let us know how you go. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dancinbcs Posted May 14, 2012 Share Posted May 14, 2012 Definitely return the puppy for a refund. The breeder may never have had a deaf puppy before so didn't know to check for it and when they are in the litter they all follow each other. Can I ask if the puppy has white on the ears? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beladoza Posted May 14, 2012 Share Posted May 14, 2012 Hello very sad to read the news about your pup,i agree with what everybody has said,its sad the vet or breeder didnt pick up on it before hand ,now the hard part is to ring the breeder to inform them good luck with it all Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cavNrott Posted May 15, 2012 Share Posted May 15, 2012 I have a deaf Cavalier. There's no white on her ears or anywhere else on her body, she's black and tan. It really isn't too difficult to train a deaf dog. I find my girl responds well to hand signals. However I would speak to the breeder as everyone has suggested. Hopefully you bought your pup from an ethical breeder who will be happy to discuss the matter with you or suggest you return the puppy. My girl was not deaf when I got her as a pup, it was something that happened when she was about 2yo. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dogsfevr Posted May 15, 2012 Share Posted May 15, 2012 (edited) Hello very sad to read the news about your pup,i agree with what everybody has said,its sad the vet or breeder didnt pick up on it before hand ,now the hard part is to ring the breeder to inform them good luck with it all Why would the vet pick it up?? Even with a breeder deaf puppies learn very quickly to be followers & have confidence in there surroundings ,deaf dogs adapt very well & can be very reactive Breeders of breeds known for deafness get there puppies BAER tested because it isn't that simple & they can be uni or bi lateral BAER testing is the only way to determine the degree of deafness ie both ears or one or even a partial hearing response. I would phone the breeder & inform them what the vet has stated at this point( i presume it hasn't been BAER tested ??) If it has been BAER tested then send a copy of the results to the breeder as well. Although BAER testing is the only way to now if infact your pup is deaf or not If the results are deafness then there is no shame in returning the pup ,deaf puppies are trainable BUT it does take time & Not everyone is in a position to do the extra & deal with the unexpected each time plus you may have other plans for the dog. . Edited May 15, 2012 by showdog Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MishB Posted May 15, 2012 Share Posted May 15, 2012 what a difficult situation to find yourself in Good luck with whatever you decide xx Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pepe001 Posted May 15, 2012 Share Posted May 15, 2012 I know a man (with a young family) with a deaf ACD. They didn't even know until they told me he was so good he didn't even chase possums at night when they were heard fighting. Makes no difference to them as a family - they still think he is perfect. But he is just a pet and has little actual training - just a good pet for them. But they didn't pay any money for him - that would actually make a difference to me. I would talk to the breeder and see what he/she says. I would also expect a full or part refund. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aussielover Posted May 15, 2012 Share Posted May 15, 2012 If you can't cope with the puppy, it is probably best to return him. It's easy to say that deaf dogs are easy to train etc, but I think it really depends on the individual dog. Some people struggle to train a perfectly healthy dog, so if you feel out of your depth, then I think the best outcome for the puppy and yourselves is sadly to return the dog to the breeder. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
schnauzer Posted May 15, 2012 Share Posted May 15, 2012 I would advise to get your puppy properly tested before returning him to the breeder or deciding anything. Friends had a puppy that their vet diagnosed as "deaf" - they were going to return to the breeder. I didn't think the pup was deaf, and implored them to have the puppy tested at Sydney Uni - the puppy was not deaf at all. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Inevitablue Posted May 15, 2012 Share Posted May 15, 2012 I know a man (with a young family) with a deaf ACD. They didn't even know until they told me he was so good he didn't even chase possums at night when they were heard fighting. Makes no difference to them as a family - they still think he is perfect. But he is just a pet and has little actual training - just a good pet for them. But they didn't pay any money for him - that would actually make a difference to me. I would talk to the breeder and see what he/she says. I would also expect a full or part refund. Yep, my ACD girl was bought from a breeder who offered to replace the dog or refund. They kept her. The family didnt even realise she was deaf until she was 8 months old, as she had learnt to cue from the family's other dog. She came to me when she was 4 years old as they had to move to the US. So smart and the average person would never have realised she was deaf. She competed in ANKC agility and led an exceptionally normal life. It was made much easier having another dog though, as I mentioned before. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Spotted Devil Posted May 16, 2012 Share Posted May 16, 2012 Absolutely agree with getting your puppy BAER tested before making any decisions. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LizT Posted May 16, 2012 Share Posted May 16, 2012 Absolutely agree with getting your puppy BAER tested before making any decisions. Speak to the breeder, this test is something you can arrange together. Good Luck with whatever decision you make. It needs to be right for you and your family. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zeebie Posted May 26, 2012 Share Posted May 26, 2012 Dogs are very intuitive and substitue other senses for the lost one, it is important to have the proper diagnostic testing done to determine extent and cause of hearing deficit, often if you get a congenital deafness you will also get blindness which sometimes comes along later in puppies development, so eyes may also need checking depends on breed etc. Having an older unaffected dog does make things heaps better and easier - on the plus side you probably won't have a yapper or barker. Training can be done and it is all about focussing on the scent - which dogs have a very accute nose, also there is vibration collars to help you connect with your dog. this site may help http://www.deafdogs.org/training/ It is definately a hard decision and the breeder does need to know you may find your dog was not the only one in the litter with problems good luck Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Inevitablue Posted May 26, 2012 Share Posted May 26, 2012 Dogs are very intuitive and substitue other senses for the lost one, it is important to have the proper diagnostic testing done to determine extent and cause of hearing deficit, often if you get a congenital deafness you will also get blindness which sometimes comes along later in puppies development, so eyes may also need checking depends on breed etc. Having an older unaffected dog does make things heaps better and easier - on the plus side you probably won't have a yapper or barker. Training can be done and it is all about focussing on the scent - which dogs have a very accute nose, also there is vibration collars to help you connect with your dog. this site may help http://www.deafdogs.org/training/ It is definately a hard decision and the breeder does need to know you may find your dog was not the only one in the litter with problems good luck Not always, my deaf dog was the noisiest dog I've ever owned, and many other people living with deaf dogs say the same thing. Making it even worse is the completely off key bark. I didnt use a vibration collar because I never thought of one back then, but I think they would be a great idea for a deaf dog. A zillion recall repetitions with the vibration. Another note with deaf dogs, if you plan to allow them free play with other dogs they REALLY need to learn more body language reading skills than other dogs. They can't hear the warning grumble and can sometimes end up on the receiving end of (to them) unfair snaps from other dogs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cavNrott Posted May 26, 2012 Share Posted May 26, 2012 (edited) Dogs are very intuitive and substitue other senses for the lost one, it is important to have the proper diagnostic testing done to determine extent and cause of hearing deficit, often if you get a congenital deafness you will also get blindness which sometimes comes along later in puppies development, so eyes may also need checking depends on breed etc. Though we didn't have the Baer test done, reason being there's no doubt she's stone deaf. The vet believes her condition is congenital. I'm not a breeder so there was no reason, considering she's stone deaf for me to have the testing done to assess her level of hearing loss. There sure is nothing wrong with her eyesight. She'll be 7yo in a few weeks and her vision is as sharp as it ever was. She is a quiet dog. The only time she ever barks is when she sees a bird sitting on her fence. My other dog also a quiet dog(same breed)is her ears. Whatever he does, she does. Edited May 26, 2012 by cavNrott Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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