Training A Deaf Beagle

September 29, 2006 on 7:45 pm | In Beagle Artcles |

Loss of hearing or congenital deafness is a greater handicap to the deaf Beagle’s owner than to the affected dog. Usually the Beagle’s other senses compensate for lack of hearing. Problems associated with this condition involve a lack of response to the owner’s spoken commands and the pet’s tendency to wander into the road or otherwise endanger himself. The deaf dog must be taught to come by a sign. Hand signs can also be used to teach Sit and Stay.
Direct physical contact is the only reliable training tool for deaf dogs. The only supplies required are beanbags and pea-sized pebbles. Your deaf pet must learn to keep his visual attention on you at all times. Therefore, teaching sessions are held in a safe but distracting areas. Each time his attention is distracted from you, a beanbag is tossed at his legs as you turn and walk away from him. Keep in mind that beagles have greater peripheral vision than people and are therefore better able to track objects in their peripheral field of view.
During this process, try walking away before tossing the beanbag to test his visual tracking and response. If he turns to follow, crouch down and make movements to attract him. When he approaches, pet him for a few seconds before the process is repeated. End the session when he follows reliably, about 6 times in a row, without the need for tossing a beanbag.
Sessions should be no longer than 15 minutes and about 3 hours apart. The process should be repeated at least twice daily over a 6-week period in increasingly distracting situations. For instance, the first few sessions might be held in the backyard or in the house. Once your Beagle is well oriented to you, field trips can be conducted, using only a few pebbles as substitutes for the beanbags. If he becomes distracted, toss a pebble to remind him to pay attention to you. This process should involve every family member who may need this type of control, even children. Once he keeps his eye on his family and stays close, hand signals may be used to teach Sit, Stay, and Heel.
Deaf beagles that wander into dangerous areas or that tend to chase (cars, joggers) should be taken through the above owner-orientation process. This eliminates the wandering or chasing problem. However, some dogs chase when their owners are absent. These animals must be taught, through the behavioral response communicated by the owner, that such activities are to be avoided. For this reason, the owner orientation of deaf dogs must be reliable. The deaf dog should be exposed to dangerous situations in controlled circumstances. That is, the vehicle or jogger must be under the control of a person who is cooperating with the owner and will react quickly to ensure that the dog is not injured.
The dog is walked toward the dangerous area such as a quiet street. As soon as he exhibits the first sign of recognition of an approaching car (driven by a cooperating companion), the owner must toss a beanbag at the dog’s legs (to gain attention) and then withdraw from the area. This procedure must be repeated until the deaf animal exhibits retreat behavior before the owner’s act on several occasions.
The situation should then be repeated, with the owner at increasingly greater distances behind the dog. When the Beagle fails to respond properly, the beanbag must be tossed again and the process repeated. This entire regimen must be continued for several days until the pet responds reliably when the owner is absent.