From: saavik@mentor.cc.purdue.edu (Marla Belzowski (K-9's))
Subject: Re: Test for Deafness in Older Pup
Organization: Purdue University
Date: Sat, 12 Dec 1992 02:36:22 GMT

In article <1992Dec11.152804.521@news.wesleyan.edu> RGINZBERG@eagle.wesleyan.edu (Ruth Ginzberg) writes:
>Can anyone recommend a way of testing an older pup (who has already begun
>formal obedience training) for deafness?  I *THINK* she's only exhibiting
>"selective hearing" -- i.e., "hearing" just what she wants to & "not hearing"
>when she doesn't want to obey.  But I keep having this nagging question...  
>I mean, it's *possible* that all the times I *thought* she was responding to a
>sound, she was actually responding to movement (sight) or smell.  She does seem
>to *anticipate* verbal commands in a strange way, so that it seems almost as
>though she's "reading my mind".  But if she's actually cueing off of VISUAL
>information rather than auditory info, that might explain it...
>
It's very possible!  I have even demonstrated how dogss anticipate 
"visual commands" by using body language.  The easiest way is to
sit your dog for the recall and just slightly bend with a quick
movement.  9 times out of 10 the dog will either come or jerk
slightly off its sit-stay command to respond to your actions.
This is why proofing is SOOOO important.  Try it and you'll see how
much your dog relys on your body language.  This also explains
why your dog does WORSE in formal obedience trials.  Because, YOU
are very nervous so your body is RIGID!!  The dog picks this up and
will hesitate or respond to your body reactions.  This is why your
dog may goof up the recall or the heeling.  It is used to the
commands you give (via suttle body language) for these excersizes.
In a show, you are much more cautious not to give body language commands.
You need to train this way ALSO!

Now on to answer the question....
Sit your dog in one room of the house.  Tell her to stay and go to another room.
Call her to you from the other room.  If she comes straight to you, she
is just selectively hearing what she wants to.  If she doesn't come...
You may be right that she is deaf.  Another way to check is to 
catch her with her back turned, perferably that she is occupied 
doing something.  Drop a small pan or can of pennies.  If she stops and
looks, she hears you.  If she doesn't stop or even twitch an ear in your
direction... she may be deaf.  You can also have her checked at the
vet (I believe a specialist may be needed) for hearing.

>What got me wondering was that I caught her chewing on one of my records which
>she had selected from the record shelf. (No, THIS isn't what made me wonder...)
>What was strange was when I yelled, "NO, BAD DOG." from the next room while
>clattering my housekeys & generally making a racket, she never seemed even to
>notice.  In fact, I got all the way up to her & physically removed her from the
>inappropriate object while declaring, "NO, BAD DOG!" before she ever even
>looked at me, & when she DID, it was a quizzical look, not that ("Oh, oh...")
>look that she usually gives when she's been caught red-handed (red-pawed?).  It
>was as though she hadn't *heard* me until she *saw* me......
>
>------------------------
>Ruth Ginzberg <rginzberg@eagle.wesleyan.edu>
>Philosophy Department;Wesleyan University;USA

hmmmm.  She may be deaf.  If so, don't give up on the obedience!!
You can still train with hand signals!!  The only problem is that
I don't believe you can show her in AKC obedience trails.  I think
deaf and blind dogs still can not be shown (although there has been
a few changes in the rules allowing for dog that have had surgery for
cripling disabilities).  I may be wrong though.

Good luck!

---------------
Marla Belzowski    saavik@mentor.cc.purdue.edu
Mauii Nikki Belzowski CD CGC TDI CERF
Brittish Legend of Beowulf CD CGC TDI CERF  tri-color collies
Legend's Year of Jubilee   S&W collie


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