Owning a deaf dog can be both a rewarding and educating experience. Owning a dog that has good hearing and sight can often lead us into being a little lazy, when it comes to establishing effective patterns of communication between us and our pet. For the most part we struggle through with a few voice commands and maybe the occasional hand signal, that often change depending on the situation. Fortunately, in a lot of situations our dogs learn to navigate their way around our impromptu communication style and, begin to ‘catch on’ to what it is we want from them.

Owning a deaf dog however is a different story; many owners of deaf dogs testify to how much their lives have changed since their deaf dog come to live with them. They often talk in terms of how different and, in many case better their relationship is in terms of both communication and depth.

A dog can be deaf due to a number of reasons; many dogs are born deaf. This type of deafness is referred to as Congenital Deafness: its cause is due to a defective gene. Other causes of deafness in dogs are usually the result of accidents, illness or old age.

If you are thinking of sharing your life with a deaf dog, then understanding, patience and, a willingness to adapt will put you in good stead. Amongst the most important things to consider are keeping your new pet safe, developing an appropriate means of communication, and making your home a comfortable and, secure place for your dog to live.

Dogs that can not hear are often touch sensitive and, can also become startled much easier than dog who have no problems with their hearing, for example, if somebody approaches them from behind and touches them, or if roused from sleep. When living with a dog that is unable to hear, you will need to adapt the way in which you relate to him, in terms of touch. This is especially important for those with young children, as children can be boisterous at times and, a child running up and touching a dog that can not see him or her coming could cause the dog to become nervous or even try to bite.

To help your deaf dog adjust, try approaching him head on, stamping your feet as you approach your dog from behind can also be very helpful, as the vibrations will alert him. If you have children teach them to approach your dog calmly and to touch him gently.

If your deaf dog is over sensitive to your touch, try to help him by giving him a tasty food treat each time you pet him. With practice, your dog will begin to associate your ‘unexpected’ touch with a feeling of pleasure.

Two more important things to consider when making your home a safe and pleasurable place for your dog are, not to leave doors or gates open, so as your dog can escape and be left unattended, as this could be disastrous. If your new dog is going to be left alone for some time during the day, you may consider it wise to train him to spend time in a dog crate. However, do remember because your dog cannot hear, he may become restless, or even frightened at being left alone in his crate. Deaf dogs can also be particularly prone to separation anxiety, so do make sure your dog has plenty to occupy himself with during the time he spends alone.

The biggest dangers posed to your deaf dog will be when you are out and about, especially if you live in a town or city, where there is a lot of traffic. Keep your dog on his leash, at least until you are in a place where it is safe to manage him off leash. However, it is important to do this only when your dog is performing a consistent recall.

Working on building a way of communication that both you and your dog are familiar with is vitally important to sharing your life with a deaf dog. As your dog will not be able to hear you, only hand signals will do. In fact dogs are well ahead of us in terms of being able to read body language. You can use hand signals taken from sign language designed for humans, for example, British or American sign language, or use signs from netbooks about these languages that have been adapted especially for using with dogs, or alternatively you can design your own signs. smiling and speaking your commands, although the dog will not hear you, will also help to reinforce your new hand signals, however, the key is keep your hand signals consistent and simple, so as not to cause your dog to become confused.

When it comes down to it owning a deaf dog is not dissimilar to owning a dog that can hear. All that is needed is a little extra patience, understanding, love some consistent work on your part and, you will come to develop a relationship with your dog that is difficult to compare.

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I have had a keen interest in canine behaviour and training since the late 1980′s. I have studied successfully for several qualifications relating to canine psychology and, animal care and behaviour, up to degree level. For free information visit http://www.toptrainingtips.com

Training a dog takes patience and dedication. To achieve the desired results in rescued dog will take double the dedication and patience. However, the rewards will be worth the effort.

The practice of neutering and spaying of dogs has been around for many years but unplanned births continues to be a reality. As a result of this there are just not enough homes for all of the puppies that are born. When we add the number of dogs that get lost or wander away, rescue missions and shelters everywhere are filled to capacity. For many of these dogs being euthanized will be the sad reality.

For a some lucky dogs, there is a second chance. They could be adopted from shelters or missions or taken in off of the street and into the care of a willing family. The new owners, however, are often not quite sure how best to deal with the rescued dog.

Dogs that are brought to shelters are generally not in the best condition. It is not uncommon for them to be victims of neglect, abuse of even terrible living conditions. And in some circumstances dogs are released into the wild to take care of themselves.

In nature a dog is a pack animal. Even wild dogs don’t do well on their own. Released domesticated dogs do very poorly in the wild, without any animal or human interaction. Dogs such as these can still learn to be less fearful with proper training.

As the first step in rescuing a dog you should take it to your veterinarian for a full exam. You will not be able to start training your new dog if he is sick or in pain. Take the time to restore the dog’s health and bring it back to a healthy weight.

It may be a tall order, but whenever possible try to get the dog’s history. Your training efforts will be helped if you have information on the dog’s past abuse or medical history.

Slow and steady is the order of the day when establishing trust with the dog. Try to avoid imposing yourself on the dog. The animal will begin to seek you out once they have learned to trust you. A suggestion would be to work on trust with a treat. Try stepping back a bit after putting a treat on the floor. Staring directly at the dog should be avoided at this point. Once the dog takes the food make sure they get enthusiastic praise.

It is not uncommon for some rescue animals to initially seek out physical contact . Some can take weeks or more. But once you have established it, try to roll the dog over onto his back and place your hand on their chest. You can expect that the dog will either resist if they tend to be aggressive or a fearful dog will accept. Neither behavior is good. In normal training, you would force the aggressive dog to take on a passive role. This technique typically does not work for rescued dogs, unlike motorhome towing. Establishing trust will take time. By speaking in a soft and calm tone of voice and gently rubbing the belly a fearful dog will know that being on its back is a positive experience and not a punishment.

Be patient as it is often difficult and slow to train a rescued dog. They are often older dogs, mixed, and with difficult temperaments which makes training more challenging. Don’t give up. You will be rewarded in the end.

Don’t feel sorry for the dog. This is counter-productive and will only hinder the training. Be patient, loving and understanding but don’t let the dog have the run of the house. By letting the dog know that you are in charge you are establishing yourself as the pack leader.

It’s a lot of sweet and hard work but you will have a companion for life.

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Stefan Hyross writes and provides information about dogs and puppies. Correct common dog behavior problems and other issues. Visit the site to discover proven puppy potty training methods and other tips and trick for you and your pooch.

http://www.allaboutdogsnpuppies.com/

The Irish Terrier is closely related to the Wheaten Terrier, also to the Bedlington Terrier, Border Terrier,
Cairn Terrier and the Dandie Dinmont Terrier. The closest relative is, of course, the Airedale Terrier, to which the Irish Terrier bears a very close resemblance.

Bo is still a puppy – just six months old – so he has had some upheaval in his short life. He was born in Texas, his first owner lived in Washington, DC, he returned for just a day to the breeder, then spent a month being trained for his new role in Virginia, before moving on to his new home at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.

Before his arrival at the White House the First Family’s dog spent a month with a dog trainer. Was this necessary? Hard to tell: a trained puppy can be allowed to stray into more public events, I suppose.

It is not always necessary to buy from a breeder if you want to adopt a specific breed.  There are plenty of rescue organisations who rehome one breed of dog, and a quick search online should find you a rescue organisation for the kind of dog you would like to own.  While there are so many dogs available for adoption, it makes no sense at all that breeders are producing so many puppies – many of whom are rejected by their owners in later life. And the Kennel Club continues to rubber stamp this culture.

There are no particular health problems associated with the Welsh Terrier breed. They are all round good performance parts, in fact. There are fewer Welsh Terriers available from the dog rescue charities around here but I remain hopeful.

Welsh Terrier Club Rescue
Mr T Spencer, Wakefield, Yorks. Tel: 01924 210517