Dog Health Questions: Deaf dog help?

I just found out recently that my 12yr old american eskimo dog is deaf. I am 13 and have absolutely NO CLUE how to interact with him. He is growing blind as well so we cannot use hand signals. He SOMETIMES listens to signals, but only sit, come, and stay. I hate it because i talk with my dog to sooth him when he is hyper, scared, etc..and i dont know how to do that now. stroking him doesnt seem to work.

***********I AM NOT TRYING TO GET DOG TRAINING TECHNIQUES--- I WANT WAYS TO LIVE WITH MY DOG AND STILL INTERACT WITH HIM NORMALLY. LIKE BEING ABLE TO CALM HIM. THANK YOU.*******************************

Training Your Dog - Dog Training Tips and Advice

Recommended Answer:
If your dogs deaf, and nearly totally blind, then there's only touch left. Stroking seems to be the only option I'm afraid. When you do stroke him, be confident, if he's scared of something and you're also scared, he'll be able to sense that and obviously won't be able to calm down. Good Luck!

Dog Training Technique - Correcting Dog Behavior

• if he is blind and deaf always approach him from the front and place you hand about 6" from his nose to allow him to smell that your there before touching him at all. other than that touch is the only interaction that the two of you will have. This is a big change for an animal to loose two senses and I am sure quite scary as well. He has never know interaction with you on this level and you will have to go the extra mile to show him that he is safe when he is around you. Keep doing what your doing and he should calm down as he grows more familiar with his new state of being.


• can he still hear really high pitched noises, or low pitched ones? We are looking after a semi wild cat that comes to our back door for feeding, although it will not allow us to touch it, and discovered, although it cannot hear normal sound, it does respond to high pitched whistles.
  Humans that get deaf can often hear better in a certain frequency, either really high, or very low, try it, it may work for your dog.


• If he gets upset easily a vet visit is in order. Dogs get senile and there is a drug to help that works for most dogs. Keep him in a secure yard and spray cheap perfume on stairs and obstacles to alert him. Actually if you pet a dog that is scared it reinforces the fear and makes the dog more fearful, instead distract him maybe let him smell a treat and then get him to find it with his nose.


• my friends dog was deaf and they used to bang the floor to get him to come as he followed the vibration.


• Yahoo groups have a deaf/blind dog group that is useful.My old guy hears loud noises and has partial sight in one eye but still does hand signals well


• I really don't know what to do. I'm 9 and I sometimes teach my dog tricks, It's really hard.