Deaf Aggression

Question
"We have a profoundly deaf Jack Russell who becomes very easily aggressive when she is over-stimulated. I diubt there is any way to keep her from becoming over-stimulated.. she hunts and goes power walking daily with my husband. She is submissive to me, only, but seems to "lose her head" upon awakening and when deeply interested in hunting.. (we have a wooded lot and she can find squirrels, chipmunks, mice and an occasional possum) She will wait patiently for her turn to eat, and will lok for direction in sign language. She REALLY is a good dog, but spent her first 14 months in recue and being shuttled from place to place. If we had gotten her as a puppy, we would have a LOT better control.  I do expect some aggression because of the type of dog, but I do NOT expect her to latch on to my Russell/Rat mix or our elderly Rat Terrier.. and not let go! WE have had to pry her off three times now, and once she regains her senses, she is apologetic and lovely. I am crating her when I see signs of aggressions, but unfortunately we don't get a lot of warning.. just a launch like the Space Shuttle! We have had her almost two years and this is just beginning to happen over the last 3 months or so. Any advice would be much appreciated."


Answer
Hello RaChelle,
You are a wonderful person to adopt a dog that has special needs. Most deaf dogs are the last of the litter to get adopted or sold. Many of them have an unfortunate start to life like yours, and some are even euthanized. Unfortunately I have to disagree with your statement that you should "expect some aggression because of her breed". Jacks are active, but are not predisposed to aggression,
but you're right that she didn't have the best start in life.    
Has anything changed in your home over the last three months? Like a move, a new dog, a new baby, a change in schedule, a change in her routine? Are either one of the other dogs getting more attention or special treatment?  Dogs deal with change by either becoming more aggressive, by urinating or doing some other negative behavior to get you to notice them.
You say she is submissive to you only. That should change, she should respect all humans. She should essentially be the lowest link on the chain of command, along with the other two dogs.
I think you should first rule out anything physically wrong with her by having her checked out by your veterinarian. I don't want to scare you but sometimes something could be going on in her brain that could cause an onset of aggression (like a tumor or rabies). This is probably unlikely but it's good to rule it out.
It looks like you have taught her sign language which is a wonderful thing, but it also sounds like she needs a refresher course in obedience and manners. Deaf dogs pose a special challenge and she is lucky to have you. I suggest more training by and with a professional that can teach you some tricks on how to handle a deaf dog. A lot of the training is the same as with a hearing dog and sign language is crucial. You will be amazed at how fast they can learn.  I am posting a website for you to look at that might help you.  When you open the page, click on the TRAINING link.
Lastly, it's not advisable to use a crate as punishment, especially if you use it for other reasons too. It's very confusing to them. The crate should be a place of comfort and safety.  Every time you put her in there, even just to go on an errand, she will think she did something wrong.
It's better to give her a different corrective method like
a 'down' command or in extreme cases, a spray water bottle in the snout to immediately stop the behavior. This has to be done IMMEDIATELY at the behavior - doing it 5 minutes later has no meaning to them.
There are a lot of variables, and I wish you the very very best of luck with your special girl.
Thanks for writing.
HERE IS THE WEBSITE ...... [www.deafdogs.org]
click on TRAINING.
Carol