Hello, everyone. I want to talk to you about a problem that many dogs and families face at some point in their lifetime: hearing loss. As a dog, I am very in tune with my hearing. My ability to hear things from far away helps me warn my family of dangers or alert them to certain situations. For instance, I can hear my dad’s truck as he drives down the big bridge on his way home. I know that he’s just around the corner. I can hear thunderstorms at least 30 minutes before humans even get a hint of a weather change.
What happens when our hearing capacity diminishes, either by disease or old age, and we are no longer able to hear the sound of our master’s voice? Most dogs will experience a marked hearing loss and sometimes total deafness as they age, much like humans do.
Some of you may know that my mom is hearing impaired. She isn’t able to hear anything as she is completely deaf. She has managed to adapt with this new disability and is doing well.
When a dog suffers a hearing loss, however, it’s more difficult to diagnose and even more difficult to adapt to a new way of learning things. The time to work with your dog on these issues is when your dog is still able to hear. There are many dogs that are born deaf and they become perfectly wonderful family members. The key is to be prepared to deal with the disability and adapt a lifestyle that works for both the family and the pet.
 The first thing you want to do is look for signs and symptoms that your dog may be experiencing a hearing problem. Your veterinarian can examine him and tell you if there is a hearing loss, how much there is, and what you will need to do to help your dog adjust. Teaching your dog hand signals to match the voice signals is a great way of preparing your pet for any hearing loss he may experience. Any command can be made using hand and body signals so start practicing now and teach your dog these signals. Use plenty of positive praise to reward your dog for responding to the correct signal. Remember, too, that family must use the same signals for each command. This will cut down on confusion during the learning process. In the beginning, you can use both voice and hand signals when training, but, eventually, you will be able to drop the voice signals and just use hand and body signals.
You will have to learn a new way of praising and rewarding your dog, too, since most is done through voice. Make your hand signals for praises, such as “good boy” or “great job” clear and concise so he knows he is pleasing you and doing a great job. Remember to keep it simple. Don’t overwhelm with too much at one time. Soon, you and your pet will be talking on a new level.
Folks, the next time you’re looking for a wonderful pet to add to your family, do not pass them up because they may have a hearing problem. Having a hearing disability is no different than having a dog with heart problems, hip/joint problems, etc. They are still very capable of becoming the best pet you have ever had. I should know. I have the greatest mom in the world.
Have a great week.

Mango, a rescued pet, is the inspiration for this column by Debi Laibe. Send any questions or comments to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it