Deaf Great Dane

Question
We just adopted a 7 week old "Deaf" Great Dane (Hope), she is pure white except for a few black spots on her left ear. We probably wouldn't have adopted a deaf Great Dane, or any deaf dog, but we couldn't sit back and let her, so-called "breeder" neglect her anymore(couldn't even get charges filed).

My question or concerns are that Hope walks around the house whining, crying, and/or howling. She will do this even when she has a toy in her mouth playing. She really gets vocal when she is next to a closed door, i.e. bedroom, bathroom, entrance, etc.... Could she be semi-blind too?

I swear we have read a "War and Peace" novel worth of literature telling us best practices for raising and training a deaf Great Dane. However, I have yet to read anything that explains or even mentions the whining and howling.

Please help us,

The L family

Answer
J,

I am not sure how your question didn't make it to me but I will answer it now and I apologize for the extreme wait in time to get your question answered.

A deaf dog, be it a Dane or any other breed cannot hear themselves, sometimes they just whine and howl because they may not even realize they are doing it. The best way to see if she may have vision problems as well is to get her eyes CERF tested at the veterinarian. If she does have vision issues, that might explain why she is load walking through doorways or just all the time. Could you imagine the world blurry and without sound? It would be a strange place to be.

Do you have the ability to get into contact with a trainer in the area that his experience with special needs dogs? Do you have access to a vibrating collar? This is the best way to teach a deaf dog, and is a great way to teach a dog with multiple disabilities. This is not a shock  collar. It vibrates and teaches the dog to communicate with you. This way you can teach them commands, recall and it can also be used as a form of praise.

I would definitely consult your veterinarian regarding her vision, the more you know about her needs, the better communication you can build with your dog in the future!

Thank you for your question, good luck and again I apologize for not responding back to you sooner, the main screen was not showing your question until today, normally I get back with people within a day or two so I sincerely apologize. Have a good one!