Re: [PyrNet-L] deafness testing, not a Pyr

["Tracy Bassett" <espinay@dynamite.com.au>]

<<Can someone help please? 8 month old Chow puppy and the Breeder/owner is
just noticing now his lack of response and his hyper behaviour to certain
situations especially when he's out of the line of vision. She's going to
try the loud noises etc but I said I would ask here if anyone has
experienced deafness and how? >>

Jan, Deafness is a problem for Dalmatians so perhaps I can help a little
although I have had no real 'first hand' experience with deafness.  The best
way to test for loud noises is to have the dog sleeping in a room by itself
when you do it.  If the pup is sleeping beside another dog, it may pick up
movement cues from its mates etc.  Another thing she could see about getting
done is a BAER test.  Not everywhere has the facilities though.  University
vet teaching hospitals may.  Our nearest one here is in Sydney - 4 hours
away.  BAER testing is pretty conclusive though - it will tell you whether
he is unilaterally deaf (one ear), bilaterally deaf (both ears) or ok (and
just not listening :-) ).  In Dally's, it is part of our code of ethics that
bilaterally deaf puppies be humanely destroyed.  Unilateral puppies should
as a rule not be bred from (and therefore desexed).  Their unilateral
hearing can make them a little more difficult to train though not as bad as
a dog that is totally deaf.

Some people have had success training a deaf dog (we used to have a deaf
Aust Cattle Dog in our training club who was a Flyball wizz).  But they need
a special type of owner who is able to spend a lot of time training the dog
to compensate for the additional frustrations and unruly (and sometimes
aggressive) behaviour when the dog does not understand what is wanted or
expected of it.  Deaf dogs can also sometimes be a problem when children are
involved.  A child (anyone really) walking up to pat etc a deaf dog without
them seeing  may result in a fright/fight response ie someone gets bitten.

If the pup is living with a number of other dogs, it may be picking up its
cues from the others - the reason why it has not really been noticed until
now.  You/she may perhaps notice it more when the dog is on its own without
its 'pack' to cue it how to behave, such as when it is in the showring?

It is always a shame when a pup turns out to be deaf.  And it always seems
to be the cutest, best looking, best personality pup in the litter too!
<sigh>

Tracy Bassett
Canberra, Australia
espinay@dynamite.com.au
visit my webpage at http://members.dynamite.com.au/espinay/index.htm