Try our canine mall. . . . Cincinnati writer Susan Cope Becker bought a puppy that couldn't hear, and she turned her quest for help into a book to help others understand and cope with a deaf pet. In the 115 pages of Living with a Deaf Dog, Becker includes information about testing hearing, causes of congenital deafness, behavior of deaf dogs, training tips, sign language diagrams, a list of resources for owners of deaf dogs, and several stories from the owners of deaf dogs. Becker shatters some myths about dogs that cannot hear. For example, she found no evidence that deaf dogs are more prone to aggression than hearing dogs and learned that congenital deafness has no relation to intelligence.
Some breeds have a high incidence of deafness.
The same genetic influence that causes deafness often produces blue eyes, but all blue-eyed dogs are not deaf and all deaf dogs do not have blue eyes. Becker weaves her way through the scientific explanation of deafness without losing readers in the dust, but the meat of the book is the behavior and training information to help those who find themselves in possession of a deaf pet. She explains sign language as a teaching tool and discusses alternative methods of getting the attention of a deaf pet. For example, she suggests using visual stimuli such as a flashlight to cue the dog to watch for hand signals, always touching the dog in the same spot on the withers or hips to get the dog to look up, or using motion to catch his peripheral vision. Some breeders euthanize deaf puppies because they fear that the puppies will face a life of deprivation if owners cannot deal with the handicap.