deafness in dog

Question
i bought a lab puppy which is 26 days. the issue is whether it is sleeping or awake it is not at all responding to any sort of sound from the surrounding (eg:clapping,whistling,dropping of the vessels,or calling etc.).i am very much worried and nervous.i want to know if my puppy is deaf of what? Pls help me i am help less  

Answer

Hi Lakshmi,

Dogs can indeed be deaf, but with the proper training they can still be wonderful pets, they just learn differently. You should have your puppy examined by a veterinarian to confirm the degree of deafness, there may be a medical treatment available. Your puppy should have a BAER Test.  BAER stands for Brainstem Auditory Evoked Response. This is a procedure using computers to record electrical activity from the brain in response to sound stimulation. A clicking sound is directed into the ear with a foam insert, earphones, or headphones. Each ear is tested individually, and the test generally lasts for 10-15 minutes.

Here are some web sites you can visit to learn how to train a deaf puppy:

http://www.deafdogs.org/training/

http://www.wagntrain.com/deaf_dog.htm

http://www.deaf-dogs-help.co.uk/help/training_deaf_dogs.htm

http://www.dogtraininghandbook.com/deaf-dog-training/

http://www.aussierescue.org/LinkClick.aspx?fileticket=BPI6AQck6JE%3D&tabid=114&m...

You should be sure to have your puppy spayed or neutered. Being deaf he or she should not be bred since this can be passed down to it's offspring.

Best of luck,
Patti