Portal de Periódicos da CAPES

Silent Commands

2012; Lippincott Williams & Wilkins; Volume: 65; Issue: 7 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1097/01.hj.0000416307.81696.8f

2333-6218

Matthew Coleman,

Figure: Thinkstock.com/George DoyleContrary to the popular adage, you can teach an old dog new tricks, especially if that dog suffers from acquired deafness. Dogs and cats, like humans, may suffer from congenital or acquired deafness, but that does not make them less of a pet. Christie Long, an associate veterinarian at VCA Animal Hospital in Fort Collins, CO, spoke with The Hearing Journal about deaf dogs and the details that go along with testing and training a hearing-impaired pup. “We don't completely understand what causes deafness in dogs,” Dr. Long said. “We do know that, like in humans, there is acquired deafness — a dog exposed to a sudden loud noise, severe head trauma, chronic ear infections, etc. Congenital deafness seems to vary across all dog breeds so it's difficult to say a particular type of dog is routinely affected.” Only some inheritance patterns for deafness in dogs are understood, but studies still look at how it is passed down. Dogs are exposed to a Brainstem Auditory Evoked Response (BAER) hearing test to determine deafness, which, similar to an electrocardiogram, uses electrodes. “We do it in little puppies and put electrodes on their heads, and the software is programmed to play a noise and then record the electric impulse back from each ear,” Dr. Long said. “A deaf dog will have no response in the deaf ear so it is pretty black or white. You can also tell whether a dog is unilaterally deaf (deaf in one ear).” Deaf dogs are still not proper for breeding because of fear of passing down the deaf gene, even though they make great pets. Dogs pick up training quickly, whether they were deaf at birth or became deaf later in life. Sound signals like “sit” or “stay” will not work, but hand signals can be used for the same commands. “The hardest part is getting the dog to look to the owner for a command,” Dr. Long said. “One of the most commonly used tools is a vibrating collar where the owner has a remote control and pushes a button, which sends a small vibration, not an electric shock, to the dog so it looks up at the owner.” Dogs with acquired deafness should have no problem picking up the new form of commands, supposing they were trained earlier in life. “The relationship is in place where the dog is interested in learning and appreciates the positive reward that goes along with it,” Dr. Long said. Deaf dogs do make great pets if you happen to adopt one from a humane society or shelter. “You have to be committed,” Dr. Long said. “Be ready to train the dog, and make sure to exercise caution around children because deaf dogs can be startled.” HJ Return to thehearingjournal.com