How Do I Get My Deaf Dog's Attention?

When people ask me how they can get their deaf dog's attention, they often mean how can they get its attention right now in this moment.  Usually this is because the dog is doing something they want it to stop, or they need the dog to come to them. 

There are various ways to get a deaf dog's attention in the moment.  By far, the most foolproof one is to actually go to where the dog is to get its attention.  By going to the dog, we can now position ourselves in a way the dog will easily see us, or we can touch the dog - either is going to alert the dog to the idea that we want its attention.  

I often notice people trying and trying to get their deaf dog (or any dog for that matter) to pay attention without success, and instead of going to the dog, they just continue to try on and on.  Meanwhile the dog is getting into trouble, and sometimes into a dangerous situation.  If what you're doing is not working - it's always best to step in and go to the dog to manage the situation quickly. 

Sometimes we may be in a situation where the dog will be able to feel a vibration through the floor.  Be aware, however, that some dogs will not really pay attention to this unless they've been taught that the vibration has some significance.  Also, surfaces carry and distribute vibrations in various ways.  In my experience, wooden decks carry vibration very well, while harder surfaces such as concrete really aren't that good at conducting vibration.  

Some dogs may respond to the vibration of a loud clap or noise.  Again, this usually works best if the dog is taught what that vibration means ahead of time.  

Flashing a light when the environment is darkened can be a great way to get a deaf dog's attention.  Many of us who live with deaf dogs have learned that flashing the porch light when the dog is in the yard at night is a suitable way to let it know to come back into the house.  Similarly, if this can also work in a darkened room of the house.

Waving an arm in a large arc that takes up a lot of space can get a deaf dog's attention too, if you can catch their eye.

An important part about getting a deaf dog's attention is to take the time to teach the dog that these things mean you'd like it to look at you for more information.  This doesn't have to take very long, and it's not complicated.  In fact, the more of these signals that you teach, the easier it will be in various circumstances to get your dog's attention quickly.  

Let's take the example of teaching a dog to pay attention to a large wave of your arm.  Begin close to your dog and with your dog already paying a bit of attention to you.  At first you need to create an association so your dog understands that an arm waving in the air is a wonderful thing to see!  So having your dog's attention when you start is the best way to create this association.  Have plenty of tasty treats handy. 

Associate the wave with a good thing - the treat!  The sequence is to wave first - make it as big as you can - and then feed a treat.  Make the treats extra special and you will see your dog making this association very quickly!  A large wave - a great treat.  This is the sequence.  Do it many times.  Then take a break and go do something else.  Probably your dog will follow and watch you closely for a bit.  That's normal. 

Do many mini sessions during the day and in different rooms of the house, or in the front yard, or the back yard.  You can even practice on walks - take your treats with you.  Right now, you want there to be a great treat every time you wave your arm so the association your dog is creating will be very strong.

After you've practiced this for several days in different environments, you can begin to throw a random wave into your day here and there.  Make sure you have that tasty treat but hide it for a bit beforehand in a pocket or a container hidden around the house.  When your dog is nearby but is not paying a lot of attention to you, wave that big wave.  When your dog notices, it should quickly pay attention to you - at which point you can reward with the treat and lots of praise or even a game!

Paying attention to you should always be a super fun thing for your dog to do!  Be sure to make it worth your dog's while to pay attention to you when you ask!  

With more practice, you should be able to give the wave signal from farther away or at more random times during the day.  If you have created a strong association by rewarding often with things your dog loves, your dog should be learning to watch for that wave out of the corner of its eye, in the hopes of seeing that you want its attention and getting something great in return!  

You can teach other attention-getting signals with the same process.  Use the signal you want to teach followed by things your dog loves!  Create the association.  Start off close to your dog and make it easy, then gradually start incorporating it into your daily life.  

Once you know the association is strong, you can begin to randomize the rewards you give.  Sometimes play a game, or give some petting if that's something your dog likes, or go for a ride in the car - just make sure it's something your dog really likes.  Getting your dog's attention for things that aren't pleasant will create avoidance instead of alert attention. 

Now you've created easy ways to get your dog's attention so you can call it to come to you, or give it a different cue signal, or just redirect its behavior.

But ... there is one more key ingredient to getting and keeping your deaf dog's attention.  And, we'll talk about that tomorrow!  

Treasure's Legacy

It's taken me a week to even attempt to write this post.  My heart and my mind have struggled to find words that would even come close to describing the relationship I had with my dearest Treasure for the past eight years.  I'm not sure I will ever find the right words.

I've been blessed to share my life with a dog that has touched so many from all around the world.  I am sure I do not even know how far her legacy has reached.  She has followers and fans all over the world.  She has helped countless dogs to find new homes and to be able to stay in their homes.  She has changed lives that I may never even be aware of.  

And so, I want to share with each of you the magic and the legacy of Treasure.  I will share with you over time and many posts, about who she was and who she continues to be.  You will laugh with us and cry with us.  I hope you will come along and celebrate Treasure's life with us.

This all happened very suddenly.  One day Treasure had a heart attack, and although she appeared to recover, she was quickly diagnosed with heart and kidney failure.  What does one do with a diagnosis like that?  

I did what we all would do - I focused on how to make it all better for my precious girl.  We worked with the veterinary team to do all we could to reduce Treasure's symptoms.  I knew that her time (at age 12) was limited, but I didn't know whether I would have her for another hour, or another couple of years.  My initial fear caused me to try to focus on packing every minute full of things to do with her - a bucket list so to speak.

I quickly realized, though, that focusing on a bucket list was causing me to focus on Treasure's death.  The death that I knew was going to come one day.  I didn't want to focus on her death, so I decided instead to write a Celebration List.  Together we created a list of all the little things that we loved to do together every day.  And then I focused on celebrating all of those moments with Treasure every day, for however long we had left together.  

This shifted my focus from the fear of wondering when I was going to lose her to gratitude for every moment we had together.  This shift allowed me to have some wonderful last days with my friend full of love and remembering and celebrating each memory we had created together.

Treasure is the reason I started this blog.  When I adopted her, so many people misunderstood her as a blind and deaf dog.  They expected her to be miserable and helpless.  I wanted to show and inspire everyone that she wasn't like that at all.  I knew that if so many people thought this way, surely there were many more.  This limited thinking would surely prevent blind and deaf dogs from being adopted, so we set out to change hearts and minds.

The White Dog Blog has become a go-to resource for all things related to double merles and blind/deaf dogs.  This is all thanks to Treasure coming into my life.  We expanded the blog and wrote a book about teaching and living with dogs that are both blind and deaf, and it continues to be the only one of its kind.  Again, this would not have happened without Treasure's inspiration. 

Treasure paved the way for many blind/deaf dogs to be adopted, and to show just what they are capable of!  She loved to learn new things!  She loved nosework and learning tricks.  She was the first blind and deaf dog to earn trick dog titles!  

What an amazing therapy and READ program dog she was!  She was a superb cuddler and when people held her, she surrounded them with a gentle and radiant love, which they felt and commented on every time.  Her patience with children allowed her to teach them that it wasn't scary to be different ... or to be friends with someone who is different.

I cannot even begin to count the stories of lives she has touched and changed for the better.  Many of those stories are shared here in this blog.  I hope if you are a more recent follower of the blog that you will go back and visit some of the older posts to see some of these stories. 

My dear Treasure passed away a week ago, after blessing me with an amazing week full of special Celebration memories.  She is greatly missed.  As she left me, she surrounded me with that gentle and radiant love, which continues to sustain me and bring me comfort. 

Bark for Life Photos

It was an honor to take part in the Bark for Life with Vinny this year.  He was invited as an honored guest and we did a demo in which we taught about double merles and showed off some of his amazing tricks!  Vinny tasted his first ice cream cone - which he loved!  And we hung out with our friends from the Humane Society and told everyone about our adorable pets for adoption!  

Photo: Effingham County Bark for Life

Photo: Because of Jadyn Photography

Therapy Dog!

Congratulations to Vinny!  He got his official Therapy Dog paperwork and tag just in time - did you know that today is National Therapy Animal Day?  It is!  

A day to celebrate animals of all types that provide love and therapy to others!  I have been blessed to partner with several therapy dogs in my lifetime.  Vinny is my 5th therapy dog partner.  

Not all organizations are open to evaluating dogs that are both blind and deaf.  I was fortunate to work with a local group with Treasure (blind and deaf) and they were open to evaluating her and seeing just what she could do.  She passed with flying colors and was my therapy dog partner for 8 years.  She is now mostly retired and has passed her knowledge along to Vinny.

I'm so excited to begin our therapy dog work together!  

For The Curious - Your Questions Answered

Thank you to everyone who contributed questions and wonderings for this blog post, and for what will probably be several more to come!  (I received a lot of questions!)  Here are a few to get you started:

What kind of commands can you teach a dog that cannot see or hear?

How do you communicate with a deaf and blind dog?

How does your dog (blind and deaf) know what you want him to do?

Dogs that cannot see or hear can be taught tactile cues.  These are cues that the dog can feel through its body somehow.  I can use touch in different ways and on different parts of my dog's body as requests for certain behaviors (sit, lie down, etc) or to provide information (mealtime, car ride, outside, etc).  I can also use anything that my dog can feel as a cue.  I can use differing surfaces as cues.  I also use gently blowing on my dog as a cue, and puffs of air as a cue.  As long as my dog can perceive the information through touch, I can turn that into a cue by using it consistently to mean the same thing each time.  It is also possible to use scents as cues, but these must be used carefully because scent does not usually stay in one place - it drifts around - and scents can mix together or stay in an area for an extended period of time.  So using scents as cues needs to be well-thought out and put into place by someone who has taken the time to learn about scent/odor.

How do you call your blind and deaf dogs to come?

My dogs have a touch cue to come to me - a swipe forward under their chins.  They also recognize that when I blow toward them, they follow my breath back to come to me.  The blowing is handy in the house and sometimes outside.  But if it is breezy or my dog is too far away from me, my breath is not strong enough to always reach them in a direct manner.  I also can sometimes use turning on or off a light in the house to signal that I am leaving a room and want my dog to come with me.  If the difference between light and dark is significant, my blind/deaf dogs can sense the change in light even though they have no vision.  They know that means we are leaving the room and will come with me.  Flashing a porch light at night can sometimes work as well unless they are way far out in the yard and the change in light is not as significant - then they don't notice.

Is it hard to teach blind/deaf dogs new tricks or commands?

There are many variables in teaching any dog new things.  If those variables are put into place with a blind/deaf dog, it is not hard to teach them new things.  All dogs (even blind/deaf dogs) learn new things all the time on their own ... they learn that sitting instead of jumping might bring a treat; they learn that jumping up onto the counter will find them a tasty treat; they learn that pulling on a leash usually gets them to where they want to go faster ... you get the idea.  If you know what the dog finds reinforcing, and you can provide that reinforcement after the behaviors you like, the dog will learn to do those things more and more.  Then you can add a cue to it (see above about tactile cues), and voila!  You've taught your blind/deaf dog something new!  You can also utilize methods of getting the behavior you want, such as luring, shaping and capturing, just like you can with a dog that can see and hear!  Sometimes teaching a blind/deaf dog does require a little bit of thinking outside the box and adding creative ideas to your lessons, but the ideas of teaching remain the same.

What percentage of vision do double merles typically have?

Double merles can have varying visual abilities - ranging from perfectly normal to totally blind.  Some may even have impairments with their sight that will continue to deteriorate over time, as they get older.  Others will maintain whatever level of sight they do have for their lifetime.  There really is no definite answer to this question.  A veterinary ophthalmologist will be able to examine the dog's eyes and give you an idea of what type and extent of impairment there is, as well as a guess as to how or if it will progress.

Do double merles typically have compromised immune systems and more than average health issues?

Do special needs dogs have medical issues?

I am not aware of any studies showing that double merles have any higher incidents of health issues than other dogs.  While there are many double merles with other health issues and weakened immune systems, there are also so many non-double merles with these issues.  And there are many double merles that are healthy for their entire lifetimes, just like there are many non-double merles without major health problems.  It's important when breeding any dog to take many things into consideration and to do health and genetic testing, etc, to make sure the puppies have the best chance for perfect health and well-being.  Of course, we know that most double merles do not come from breeders who have done their homework and tested both parents extensively before breeding.  There are now genetic tests available for so many health conditions that can be passed on from parent to puppy.  It's easy to rule out the chances of these being passed on before the mating is even done.  So, without that testing and attention being paid to a new litter, it is likely that double merles (and non-double merles) that are bred in this way will pass along any health issues that they have.

Some dogs that are labelled as special needs do have medical issues.  There are so many different medical conditions that a dog can have.  It's important to know what these issues are as much as possible when you are considering adopting a dog with special requirements, whether double merle or not.

Hide Him Away?

Here is my handsome, clever, fun-loving boy Vinny on our recent trip to Purina Farms.  This picture was taken at their Visitor Center and he is smiling, which is his normal state of mind.  You see, on this day, it was Saturday morning and the Visitor Center was full of children!  In fact, we struggled at times to get a picture, as children were running up to him trying to pet him and say hello.  Vinny loves children!  They are just at his nose height and he thinks they smell divine!

If you've followed this blog for very long, you know that I love to travel with and do all sorts of activities with my dogs.  This blog just happens to focus on my dogs that are double merles and are therefore blind and/or deaf.  But I do have other dogs too - dogs that can see and hear and aren't double merles.  I enjoy doing things with them as well.

I am a dog person through and through.  My life does revolve around my dogs much of the time.  And I love all my dogs - even the ones that can't see and hear.  Living with them, those differences fade from the forefront.  I don't focus on what they can't do.  We spend our time figuring out how to do more and more together. 

I realize that to most people we meet out in public, my dog is an oddity.  I mean, it isn't every day that people meet a dog that can't see or hear at all, right?  People think I am some sort of rock star to sacrifice my life to care for this poor dog with such devastating disabilities.  But this is not reality ...

You see, that is only their perception.  I have my own perceptions of the situation, too.  To me, my dog doesn't have any devastating disabilities.  He is funny and smart and capable of doing anything - it just happens that he can't see or hear.  He loves to play.  He likes new adventures.  He has a personality.  I am not a rock star.  I am just a person, just like these other people, who happens to see past the differences to see all those things that a blind and deaf dog has in common with me.  And I have chosen to make him my friend.

Some people say that me teaching Vinny to do fun things and earn dog sports titles is somehow encouraging people to want a blind/deaf dog just like him.  They think that me enjoying my partnership with my dog is encouraging people to breed more dogs like him or to go out seeking a dog just like him.  I guess they think I should hide him away somewhere where no one will see him - to keep him a secret that I'm ashamed of?

Again, I don't do these things with my dog because he's blind and deaf.  I do these things with my dog because he's my dog and we like doing things together!  I like earning ribbons and titles with my dogs - all of them!  I like traveling with my dog and watching him explore and learn about new things.

I hate to think about what would have happened had I hidden away all of my differently-abled dogs!  When I started this blog, there was hardly any useful information out there about working with blind and deaf dogs.  So many were killed.  So many people didn't think they were capable of learning anything at all - not even to be toilet trained! 

Without my brilliant dogs showing the world that they are feeling, thinking and learning dogs, there are many dogs that would not have been given the chance to find great homes.  Today, there are many differently-abled dogs out there having great fun doing activities with their people!

I love my dog just the way he is!  But I would love him just as much if he had been born able to see and hear!  It is not his fault that he was born this way.  He wants to play and learn and explore.  I want these things for him too.  I don't want to hide him away.

Yes, that means we do get a lot of attention.  I use the attention we receive to help share with as many people as I can.  I share about the consequences of breeding two merle patterned dogs together.  I share about the realities of living with a blind and deaf dog - it's not all a piece of cake!  There are challenges.  There are rewards. 

I share with rescues and fosters and shelters how to teach these great dogs and find the best homes for them.  I share to dispel myths.  I share with fellow trainers so there will be more who can help clients with differently-abled dogs across the country and even around the world.

I'm proud of my dogs.  Please don't expect me to hide them away somewhere.  How would you feel if someone expected you to hide your dog away somewhere?  I know you're proud of your dog too.

With anything that brings attention, there comes the risk that someone else wants to recreate it for themselves.  If someone makes a movie about Dalmations and the dogs are so very cute, then so many people want a Dalmation whether it is the right breed for them or not.  If someone makes the world agility team with a pyrenean shepherd and it's super fast, then many people want a pyrenean shepherd.  If people see me working with a blind and deaf Collie, will people want to get themselves a blind and deaf Collie too?

You get the idea.  It's not the fact that my dog is blind and deaf that may make people want to imitate me.  It's like this with anything - that is why we have fads.  Someone thought something was cool and wanted it too.  Education and advocating is the way to stop the double merle epidemic.  Hiding them all away just won't work.

I cannot stop the attention I receive from doing what I love with my dogs.  My wish, though, is to teach compassion and responsible breeding.  And to promote adoption of differently-abled dogs whenever it is the best match for that person.  And always, I promote positive reinforcement training.  This is the message I want people to get when they see me with my dogs.  Don't create more of them - but for the ones that are already here, make their lives as full as possible! 

Distinguishing Night from Day

Some people living with blind/deaf dogs report that their dogs have trouble staying asleep all night.  Often their dogs will wake them during the night and can't seem to settle back down to sleep.  I hope this excerpt from my book, Through A Dark Silence, will be helpful ... 

If your blind/deaf dog is unable to distinguish between light and dark, it may be challenging to help her tell the difference between day and night.  This can make it challenging for you to get enough sleep on a proper schedule.  

Keeping a bedtime routine can be helpful.  Create as many clear cues as possible that it is bedtime and only use them when you want her to let you sleep all night.  Here are some ideas that may be helpful.

Create certain rules that pertain to night time only.  If you enjoy having your dog share the bed with you, it may be a good idea to keep the bed off limits to her unless it is time to actually go to sleep for the night.  Even if you don’t want your dog on the bed with you, you can keep the bedroom off limits until bedtime.  Then the bedroom itself will become a cue that it’s time for sleeping. 

I think it does help if your blind/deaf dog can sleep in your bedroom.  Dogs do cue off our emotional state, our breathing, etc.  If your dog does wake in the middle of the night, it can help her fall back to sleep to realize that you are nearby and you are calm and sleeping.  

If you use a crate or ex pen within your room, your dog can learn that while she is in her crate or pen, it is time to be still and quiet, and so, most likely she will sleep during these times.  Be aware that you are using a crate appropriately and that you've already taught your dog to know that a crate is a safe place to be, so she can be comfortable and not stressed.

You can reserve a special blanket or dog bed for your dog to only use at night.  It will need to be picked up during the day, or have access to it restricted in some way.  If used consistently, your dog will learn that this bed means that it is time to sleep.  

Dog appeasing pheromones may be sprayed onto the dog's bed to help her to relax.  Read the instructions, and allow the spray to air out slightly prior to putting the bed down.  Some of them are mixed with alcohol to allow it to disperse in the spray properly.  Your dog most likely won't like the alcohol smell, but it will dissipate if you let it air out a bit.

A relaxing scent such as lavender or other essential oils can be diffused in the bedroom.  The scent will also become a cue.  Only use this scent at bedtime.  The diffuser can be used all night, or can be used for a while as bedtime is approaching. Be sure you are using a high quality therapeutic oil.  Some oils contain chemicals and a little bit of scent added, and won't have much of an effect on the dog's behavior.

If you need a way to confine your dog within the bedroom at night, the special bed can be put into an ex pen only at bedtime, or you can use a short tether near your bed to keep the dog on her bed. 

Keeping your blind/deaf dog busy during the day with enrichment games and activities will help her to begin to differentiate between day activities and sleeping at night.  It will also help to tire out her body and mind so she is more likely to sleep at bedtime.  

A nice bodywork (calm petting, massage, Healing Touch for Animals®, etc.) session before bedtime will help your dog to relax and calm down. 

If your dog wakes you in the middle of the night and you think she needs to go outside, keep it very quick and business-like.  Keep any touching and interaction to a minimum.  Don’t let her loose in the yard to run and explore.  Don’t involve the other dogs.  Make it a very quick and boring trip outside on leash, stand still and wait for her to potty (no walking and sniffing), no treats or playtime, and right back to bed. 

Do not give a treat for pottying outside. If you make getting up in the middle of the night fun for your dog and let her do things that she enjoys, she will continue to wake you up at night.  Keep it boring at night and exciting and fun during the day and she will learn the routine. 

Some dogs enjoy a large stuffed animal to snuggle with at night so they don’t feel so alone.  Puppies especially are used to snuggling with their mom and littermates and a large stuffed toy or pillow will give them a sense of security.  

An old-style ticking clock placed in the bed may also help sooth puppy to sleep.  It will provide a rhythmic vibration throughout the night.  If you remove it during the day, you can then use it as a cue to your dog that it is nighttime.  There is also a dog toy called a Snuggle Puppy that is said to do the same thing and provide a pulsing heartbeat sensation.  This might help your dog to feel calmer also.

Dogs with some vision, but that can only see close up, may like to have you nearby.  Put her bed or pen by your bed so you can put your fingers in to reassure her if she wakes up.  A nightlight may help her not be so anxious by allowing her to see somewhat if she wakes up.

If your dog can hear, you can use some of the music created specifically to calm dogs and let it play on a loop all night. You will need to take time to condition the music to times when your dog is already relaxed and napping for it to have maximum effect.  My favorites are the Healing Touch for Animals music CD's and Through A Dog's Ear CD's.  They're very relaxing and they help me sleep better too!  

Learning a New Way to Communicate

Sometimes we know in advance if our dog will lose sight and/or hearing.  I have a senior dog now who is mostly deaf from age.  So far his sight seems OK, but I know it too may begin to fade.  There are some things we can do to help ease this transition for our dogs.  

One is to teach hand signals to our dogs for basic every day behaviors (sit, lie down, wait at the door, come) and for some of the fun tricks they know (fetch, shake hands, spin, etc).  It's fairly easy to teach dogs hand signals.  If you've originally taught your dog the behavior with a food lure, often the hand movement you use can become a hand signal for the behavior even when you're no longer using food to elicit the behavior.  For example, many people raise their hand up when teaching a dog to sit - this same raising up of the hand can become the hand signal.  If you practice with the hand signal and reward often, your dog will respond just as easily to the hand signal.  

Think of behaviors you ask of your dog throughout the day, and perhaps you are already using a hand gesture (signal) that you can continue using.  Sometimes use just the signal and see if your dog responds without your verbal input.  If not, you can remind with the verbal at first.  The sequence would be - signal - pause just long enough to see if your dog will respond - verbal to remind if needed - reward.

It's important as your dog loses hearing to be animated with your praise - use petting, use play, always use a happy face, clap your hands.  If your dog was once hearing, praise will be important and the tone of your voice gives him cues.  You can begin now while he has hearing, to add these things - clapping your hands, smiling, acting happy in your body language - to your verbal praise so he begins to associate them together.  Dogs really tune into our body language.  But by teaching this when your dog can still hear, you will associate those body motions with all the lovely verbal praise that he's already learned to love.

As dogs lose their hearing, they begin to sleep heavier and will often wake up with a startle.  Startling is a normal behavior and you may never get rid of it totally, but a dog that can hear will be woken up gradually by sounds in its environment which its brain will recognize.  As the hearing begins to fade away, noises may not sound the same and his brain may not be able to recognize what they are, or he may not hear the noises at all.  So when you do wake him up, or he gets bumped, he will jump up and be scared until he realizes where he is and who is with him.

It's easy to help with this and you can play these games from the time your dog is a puppy, but I find it is important to revisit them as your dog becomes a senior or when you first notice his hearing may be fading.  Do lots of trading touch for treats.  You touch him, he gets a wonderful treat.  Do it a lot just as a fun game.  Do it when he is awake and paying attention at first.  Then do it while he is awake but perhaps not paying attention, so you surprise him a bit.  And lastly, do it every once in a while when he's asleep.  It's courteous to allow him to sleep without interruption, but sometimes there is a reason you will need to wake him up - be ready and give several special treats as soon as you wake him up.  Help him associate being startled with something good, so he won't wake up fearful, he will wake up and look forward to the good treats that are to come.

If your dog is losing his eye sight, begin to teach him cues that will help him navigate his environment and stay safe.  If he can hear, use verbal cues to help him learn to stop, wait, to go up or down a step or curb, etc.  Help him.  Guide him gently so he learns new ways of navigating around the house and yard.  You may want to put a small bell on your wrist or ankle when you go for a walk so your dog can keep track of where you are and whether you're moving or not.  Of course, you can also talk to or sing to him so he has a voice to follow.  

Try to empower him and teach him problem solving as often as possible.  Teach him new ways to play with you that you both enjoy.  Think of how much he relies on the vision he does have during his daily activities.  Are there things you can do to help him get around safely?  Gates at the top and bottom of steps or drop offs are easy to implement.  Blind dogs can maneuver steps, but they should be supervised, especially in the beginning.  

You will learn to watch out for obstacles that you don't normally think about steering your dog around - fire hydrants, trees, branches on a bush, curbs, etc.  There are tools that can help a blind dog to navigate.  If you are thinking of using a halo harness, or eye protection, begin to condition your dog to them now, making sure you are creating a positive association and that you are both having fun.  It can be a scary transition for a dog to lose its sight.  Plunking a lot of new, weird equipment on your dog at this time can cause him to shut down and be more fearful.  Take it slowly.  

When a dog in a multiple dog family loses its sight, there may be a period of adjustment among the dogs.  The blind dog may bump into other dogs or overstep their bounds into another dog's space - something he would not have done before because he could see to judge distance, could see the other dogs, and could respond to their communications.  Now, he may find himself getting into trouble, as the other dogs may see him as rude stepping into their space.  Be prepared to supervise and to change the way you all interact for awhile.  If there is any tension, don't leave a blind dog unsupervised with the other dogs, even if they have been left alone for years.  Separate or supervise.  At least until you're sure everyone has adjusted.

At some point, your dog may lose both its sight and hearing.  Begin to teach touch cues for things that you communicate to your dog every day.  A touch cue doesn't need to be complicated.  Touching a dog under the chin can mean, come forward, let's go.  Putting a harness on will become a touch cue that you are going outside for potty or a walk.  Develop a language through touch.  Loving touch is very important just to show your dog how special he is.  We all crave touch and it is very important to a dog that is blind and deaf to continue to have special loving touch daily. 

Most important of all, perhaps, is to realize that you will be sad when you realize your dog is losing sight or hearing.  This is normal and natural.  It's OK to be sad and to grieve.  You and your dog will both go through a transition period.  Please be kind to yourself during this time, and have patience with your dog.  Help him and guide him.  Take time to help him enjoy things that he's always enjoyed - sharing an ice cream cone, hanging out on the deck in the sun, going for a car ride, etc.  Together you will both start to realize a new reality that is not worse than before, but is just different than before.  

Does Ignoring an Unwanted Behavior Really Work?

I often hear the advice given to ignore the behavior we don't like and it will go away.  But is this really true?  In my experience, and in the experience of many others, ignoring a behavior does not cause it to go away.  In many instances, ignoring can even cause the behavior we are trying to get rid of to escalate.

Ignoring a behavior can cause it to escalate.

If we are trying to ignore a behavior and it escalates, we will often at some point give in and pay attention because we just can't take it anymore.  Think - the barking dog that we try to ignore and the barking just continues and continues, or gets louder and louder.  Everyone has their breaking point, right?  The trouble is, that by allowing the behavior to escalate, we've allowed the dog to learn how to bark longer and louder.  Thus increasing the behavior that we didn't like in the first place.

We can't ignore behavior forever.

The premise behind the suggestion to ignore a behavior is that we won't somehow inadvertently reinforce the behavior and make it stronger.  In reality, though, is this really what is happening?  What is your definition of ignoring?  A quick search on the internet reveals the definition of ignore as follows: "refuse to take notice of or acknowledge; disregard intentionally."

So basically, if we are ignoring the behavior, we are refusing to get involved, and we are allowing whatever is going to happen to happen without interfering.  How is this likely to change the behavior?  It's really not.

It can also be pointed out that behavior happens for a reason.  The dog is not barking just to bark.  There is a reason.  There is something driving his behavior.  Perhaps he is bored, or lonely, or there is something there he is unsure of, or even that he's learned that barking gets him attention.  Barking may also be a means of stress release.  There are many reasons a dog may be barking.  We are not dogs, so we cannot know for sure why, although we can speculate.

Ignoring does not alleviate the cause of the behavior.

The important part to remember is that something is driving that behavior.  Ignoring the behavior is not going to make it go away if the cause of the behavior is still there.  Even if we ignore the behavior, the dog will still feel the urge to do the behavior.  If doing the behavior relieves that urge, then doing the behavior in itself becomes reinforcing for the dog, and he will continue to do it.

If the dog is feeling stressed and lonely, and his barking relieves those feelings for awhile, he is rewarding himself for barking by causing his unhappy feelings to go away.  So next time he feels stressed or lonely he will be more likely to bark because he knows this will help him feel better. 

When we look at the teaching aspect of changing behavior, how can we teach the dog how we would prefer him to behave in our human world if we are ignoring him and leaving him to his own devices?  Teaching and learning are both collaborative and cooperative efforts.  If we are ignoring our dog's behavior, how can we influence that or other behavior?  

Ignoring is not teaching.

If we allow the behavior to continue, our dog is practicing it over and over again, and the behavior is getting stronger and more skilled through repetition.  The more the brain and body repeat a behavior, the better it gets at doing it. This is why we need to practice to hone our skills.  Practice makes us (and our dogs) better and better.  Whatever we allow our dogs to practice - they will get better and better at!  This includes barking!

Practice makes better!  Even behaviors we don't like.

If ignoring doesn't work to change behavior, what does work?  

Can you determine a cause for the dog's behavior?  What is driving that behavior?  There may be a way to eliminate or diminish the cause, which will then diminish the urge for your dog to behave in that manner.

What is driving the behavior?

You may also be able to pinpoint what reinforcement your dog is receiving from doing the behavior.  A reinforcement is anything the dog would view as favorable, that he would like enough to continue the behavior.  If we look at barking, this could be the mailman leaving when he barks.  It could be the attention of someone yelling at him to be quiet.  It could be the neighbor's dog coming over to visit him.  And so on.  

What is reinforcing the behavior?

If you can pinpoint what the reinforcement is for your dog, you can figure out ways to manage the situation so the dog is not self-reinforcing by doing the behavior.  With the above example of barking, if the dog is reinforced for barking at the mailman because he can then watch the mailman leave, keep the dog in an area where he cannot see the mailman come or go.  If someone is yelling at the dog to be quiet, eliminate this - and help the dog with a better environment so he won't be barking to be yelled at.  Be sure to give tons of attention instead when he is quiet, even for short periods of time.  And so on.

We always want to set up the environment and situation to set the dog up to be successful with the behaviors that we do want to see instead.  Take time to decide what you do want the dog to do instead.  Be specific.  Instead of barking, what do you want the dog to do instead?  Lie on a dog bed chewing a bone?  Bring you a toy when someone is at the door (the toy to help keep his mouth busy instead of barking)?  Etc.

Set up for success!

Take time to teach your dog that new behavior that you want to see.  Teach it in a different area and context than where the old behavior (that you don't like) is happening.  Don't start to teach an alternative behavior for barking in areas where the dog is already barking.  Teach your dog the new behavior until he knows it very well and it's easy for him.  Then gradually bring the new behavior into the environments that would normally trigger barking.  Set your dog up for success and move through this gradually.  Begin at a distance from the area or activity.  If your dog has trouble, move farther away.  If he gets it right easily, move a bit closer.

Teach the new behavior.

In order for behavior changes to become long-lasting, we must also think about the many hours in a day that we are not actually training.  How can we lessen barking in those moments as well?  (Or whichever behavior you are trying to change.)  Remember that if your dog is barking, he is practicing the behavior of barking and getting better at it.  You don't want him to practice barking.  You want him to practice being quiet.

How can you set him up to be successful in being quiet?  Enrichment activities are always super in any type of behavior change program, as they occupy the mind and the body.  Gates can be used to section off the dog's space into areas he can be successful in (gates positioned so he can't get to windows to see that mailman).  Music can mask every day sounds that may trigger barking during the day or night.  The idea is to prevent the old behavior from happening and encourage the new behavior (in this case quiet) as often as possible and for as long as necessary for the new behavior to become a habit.

Encourage feelings of well being.

Is all this a lot of work?  Well, it can be if the old behavior has been allowed to become a habit and if the dog has been allowed to practice it for awhile and get really good at it.  The good news is that dogs never stop learning.  And ... dogs do what works and brings them things that they like and feelings of well being.  If we take the time to set up their environment and activities to provide for lots of reinforcement (things they like) for behaviors we want, and to help them feel stress-free, safe, and happy, we can begin to easily shape behavior into what we want - and what our dogs want. 

How to Teach Your Deaf (and Blind) Dog to be Quiet

I’m always amused when people find out my dogs are deaf. One of their first questions is, “Do they bark?” Oh yes, and boy, can they bark! Some deaf dogs have a very high-pitched bark. Some have a deeper bark.   

You may hear that deaf dogs bark more than hearing dogs.  Some people may even tell you this is because they can't hear themselves so they don't know they are barking.  

The truth is that dogs bark!  It is a trait specific to dogs.  And deaf dogs are really just dogs that can't hear. They still have all the behaviors, urges and needs that other dogs have.  This includes their desire to communicate.  Dogs communicate many things through barking - an alarm that someone or something is outside, to demand attention or other reinforcers, to invite play, out of boredom, from stress, and the list goes on.  Deaf dogs are no different.

There is another truth involved here, and that is that you CAN teach a deaf (or blind/deaf) dog to be quiet when asked.  And you don't need a vibration/shock collar to do it!  All you need is to set aside some time to actually teach your dog what you want.  Here, let me tell you how I teach quiet.

The way I start to teach a dog to be quiet is by naming “quiet” when the dog is actually being quiet and then offer calm praise. I use one finger pressed to my lips as the quiet signal. With a blind-deaf dog, use a touch signal for quiet that is a finger placed gently on top of the dog's muzzle. 

When the dog is being quiet, give the quiet signal and then quickly give the good dog signal and a treat. I do this sequence several times while the dog is quiet. You are essentially naming for the dog what “quiet” is while they are already being quiet. This allows the dog to associate being quiet with the cue.

When the dog does bark (because it will happen), I am ready as soon as the dog stops barking (even if it’s only a quick pause) to give the quiet sign and then the good dog sign. I give a treat after the good dog sign. Chewing the treat helps to distract the dog from whatever it was barking at, which allows me to get more quiet signals practiced and reinforced in quick succession before the barking starts again. It also helps to more strongly reinforce the dog for being quiet. 

Be sure not to give the quiet signal until the dog is quiet at this stage. You are teaching the dog what the quiet signal means, so you must be sure to only give it when your dog is quiet. Until your dog has really learned the quiet cue, practice naming and reinforcing it often whenever he is being quiet. 

Be very sure when teaching quiet that you are not reinforcing the dog for barking. If your dog barks at you and you throw the toy, you are teaching him that barking gets him what he wants and he will be more likely to bark. If your dog barks at you and you give him part of your snack, or pet him, or open the door to let him outside, you are teaching him to bark more. 

If you want a quiet dog household, focus on rewarding quiet dogs and not barking dogs. If you do, you will find less and less barking happening. 

To begin using the quiet signal when your dog is barking, you will need to first get his attention if he's not looking in your direction – waving your arm in the air in his line of sight may work, or a gentle tap to his body. When he looks at you, be ready to give the quiet signal quickly before he looks away. 

If you’ve done your homework in using the quiet signal often and then giving a treat, your dog should at least pause and look at you expectantly. Reward quickly! If you wait, he may start to bark again because he’s excited about whatever he’s barking at. Continue to give the quiet signal and reward with several treats one at a time while he is quiet. And don’t forget the praise too! 

What if your dog gets quiet with the initial quiet signal and eats his reward, and then turns back to barking again? Don’t let him continue to bark. Get back in there and interrupt the barking again by getting his attention back on you. 

If he does not respond to your quiet signal at all, you will need to go back and review giving the signal and rewarding when he is already quiet. Your job is to make that quiet cue super important to your dog so he will pay attention to it. 

As you continue to practice the quiet signal, you can gradually space out those treats to get longer periods of quiet between each one. Give the first treat right away when the dog gets quiet, and then pause for slightly longer periods of time before giving the next treat, etc. Do this step gradually. Only expect a few seconds of quiet between treats at first. If you try to move too quickly, your dog will start barking again in between treats. 

You can build up the time as your dog is ready. Over time, you can give fewer treats, but rewarding the quiet now and then will help keep the behavior strong. Giving a quiet cue does not mean that your dog will never bark. Dogs bark. That’s something they do. A quiet signal will give you a way to communicate to your dog when you’d like him to stop barking. 

And if you teach your dog to bark on signal, too, then when people ask you if deaf dogs bark, you can show them that yes, indeed, they do! 

Table of Contents for This Blog!

YAY!  

I'm pleased to announce a new, easier way to navigate The White Dog Blog and find that post you're looking for without a hassle!  Thank you Rose for the wonderful suggestion to create an ordered way to sort through all the great information here! 

Here's how it works:

I am adding to my online school, Uniquely Paws-Able, to create an online resource center.  All of my new articles, etc, will be added there over time.  The first free offering there is the Easy Blog Reference Guide.  

When you click on the link, you'll be taken to a page that asks you to enroll.  If you are already a Uniquely Paws-Able member, you can log in and then click the enroll button to add the Reference Guide to your classroom area.  If you are not already a Uniquely Paws-Able member, please create an easy and free log-in account.  Then you can enroll in the Reference Guide area and you will be able to access the Guide as often as you'd like.

The Guide is broken down into topic headings which will help you to find the type of information and post you are looking for.  When you click on the topic heading, you will be taken to a page with all the posts pertaining to that topic. From there, it is just an easy click which will take you directly to that particular blog post!  

There is so much great information in this blog, but it has gotten large enough now that sometimes it's difficult to find just the information that you need.  I hope you find this resource helpful and will use it frequently!  

While you're at Uniquely Paws-Able, check out our class offerings - Positive Reinforcement and Clicker Training is now available as a self-study course so anyone can sign up and get started learning at any time without waiting for a class to start.  Grooming, Husbandry and Handling Games started this past Saturday, but enrollment will stay open through Thursday, June 15th!  

Exciting New Opportunity!

I am so excited to be able to announce to you the opening of my new online school - Uniquely Paws-Able!

After consulting with people from all over the world, who are living with and teaching dogs that are blind, deaf or both, and finding that so many of them are looking for the same support, I decided to create an online community where we can share and learn with each other!  The classes will allow me to share information with so many more people than doing one-on-one consulting.  

Having an online class allows for anyone, anywhere to have access to information at any time.  Written lectures and videos will be released weekly (for 6 weeks) for discussion and practice at home with your dogs.  There is a private Facebook page also, for those who enjoy sharing in that way, strictly for students of this and upcoming classes offered by Uniquely Paws-Able.  Your instructor (Me!) will be available for feedback and to offer bonus information depending upon the interests and questions of the students.  

The first course offering is Positive Reinforcement and Clicker Training and it starts March 25th!  

Some of the lesson topics covered include: 

How dogs learn

What is positive reinforcement

What is a marker (clicker) and how to choose the right marker for your dog's abilities

Teaching check ins and attention

What to do when your dog doesn't do what you want

Learning about ways to teach behaviors and when you might choose to use each one

How to change behavior using positive reinforcement

Some fun tricks and games

How to use reinforcers other than food

How to teach quiet

And ... more!  

Come on over and check out the new school!  I'd love to have you join us for our very first class!  Or, you can choose to sign up with only an account for now, to get information about future classes that are already in the planning stages!  

Hope to see you at Uniquely Paws-Able soon!  

Calm Behavior During Grooming

If you've been following along in our blog, you know that Vinny has always gotten overstimulated by petting and grooming activities.  Trying to groom him, and often just pet him sweetly, results in him turning to mouth my hand and grooming tools.  If I continue, the mouthing gets more intense and he begins to also move his body around more.  If I continue still, he also becomes vocal and then ... well, it's all over.  

He had gotten so much better until about 3 weeks ago.  He's 5 months old now and his behaviors appear to be reverting backwards in a few areas, but they are now more intense than when he was smaller because he is now a much bigger boy!  

Vinny is now well aware of his marker (clicker) signal, and that it is followed by a reinforcer for certain behaviors.  He knows that his behaviors can drive that marker.  

I have been working with him by reinforcing calm behaviors when I touch, pet and groom him.  I started with just touching him - this was a review for him, but I wanted to start in an area that he could be successful.  I touched him calmly and then followed by giving him a treat.  I allowed him to feel the touch first, before the food appeared, and I fed him the food straight ahead of his nose with his nose facing forward and not at my touching hand.  By reinforcing him with his head away from the hand that was touching him, he did not have the opportunity to begin mouthing me, and he will learn to keep his face away from the hand petting or grooming him (eventually).  

After reviewing this a few times, I moved on to stroking or scratching him lightly just for a moment before feeding.  I was still not using a marker signal at this point because I needed both hands - one to touch and one to have that treat ready super quick by his nose.  When I saw that he was making the choice to turn his head forward for the treat when he felt me petting him, I moved on.  

Adding a second stroke or longer scratching with one hand while I continued to feed treats was the next step.  Only for a short period of time at first and then gradually building up to longer periods of time.  At first I fed treats one right after the other quickly.  But it didn't take long to be able to space out those treats more and more and build up the duration of the stroking.  As I can spread the treats out a bit, I can then begin using the marker signal to pinpoint calm behaviors.  

Now I have progressed to stroking with grooming tools.  I can do several strokes at a time with Vinny remaining in place and calm (no mouthing or vocalizing, and sitting or standing still) between marking appropriate behaviors.  If he gets up and walks away, that is ok.  It is his choice.  He will come back if he wants to do more.  If he moves away, that is ok too.  I just stop and wait.  He will come back closer when he's ready.  

I do allow him to turn and investigate a touch with my hand or the grooming tool, and I allow him to sniff the grooming tools before touching him with them so he knows what I'm going to be doing.  After only a few sessions, I am so pleased and already seeing a big change in his behaviors.

This is good because his big-boy Collie coat is starting to come in and will require a lot of grooming in the future.  I am so pleased that I can create choices for Vinny so he can be a willing participant in his grooming and care.  

This video was taken today - I tried to groom him before our training session so maybe I could get a video of his previous behavior for you - but he sat still like a champ waiting for his reinforcers.  And, so, what you see is not the flailing, mouthing and yelling that was his normal grooming behavior.  This is our 3rd session and you can see he is attentively waiting for his marker and reward.  When he moves as if he is uncomfortable, I don't force him.  I wait or move to groom a different spot for a moment.  When I groom his body, which we've worked on more, I can groom longer before reinforcing.  When I work with his ear and his tail or rear of his body, which we have not worked on specifically, I sometimes only swipe a couple times before rewarding.  

This is a session in its entirety.  The only part cut in the middle was when I had to go check on something in the middle.  It is a bit long (8 minutes appx.) but you can see in real time, how often I am reinforcing still and how he is responding.  When you see him startle and move his head around, he is responding to his marker signal and is waiting for the food!