 Training our dogs is all about communication. Clear, consistent cues enable our dogs to learn quickly and easily, while reinforcing the learned behaviors make the behaviors strong and long lasting. But how can we communicate to our furry, four-legged friends if they can't see or hear us? In reality, training a blind or deaf dog is no different than you would train a dog that can see or hear. It's as easy as ABC.
Antecedent. Behavior. Consequence. An antecedent is something that causes a behavior to occur. A classic example is the ringing of the doorbell causing a dog to bark. When training, an antecedent can be a food lure, physical prompt, verbal cue, or hand signal that causes the dog to sit, down, come, or whatever behavior we are trying to train. The consequence is what happens after the behavior is performed. A positive consequence (reinforcement) will cause the behavior to increase, while a negative consequence (punishment) will cause the behavior to decrease. Every behavior is always preceded by an antecedent and followed by a consequence. Some of those antecedents and consequences occur naturally in the environment, but when we control the antecedents and consequences we control behavior. The only difference between a blind/deaf dog and one that can see/hear may be how the antecedent and consequence is applied. Training a deaf dog. Dogs don't understand English, or any other spoken language for that matter. How they learn is by associating a certain behavior, through repetition, with a sound that comes out of our mouths. However, dogs are masters at reading body language - that's how they communicate with each other - so I find that training a deaf dog is rather easy using hand signals. Think of it as a form of dog sign language. The biggest challenge for training a deaf dog is getting his attention from a distance, and a vibration collar is a great way to let your dog know you want him to look at you. Once you have his attention you can use your hand signals to communicate to him. (Please note that a shock collar should never be used on any dog. And although some shock collars do have a vibration setting, I do not recommend using one this way, as they have been known to malfunction and can shock dogs at random times.) Training a blind dog. As stated above, a dog's first line of communication is reading body language, so training a blind dog is more challenging. However, we can still use their other senses, especially a dog's superior sense of smell, to teach them. Lure-reward training, coupled with clicker training, is a highly effective way to teach your dog new behaviors. This type of training simply involves using food to guide your dog into the desired position or behavior. You then click, or mark, to let your dog know he did the correct thing, then reinforce the behavior with the food. Through repetition and consistent cueing your blind dog can easily learn just about anything you want to teach him. Training a deaf and blind dog. A dog that is both deaf and blind presents a more complicated training challenge, as the antecedent - the thing that makes behavior happen - cannot be a hand signal or verbal cue. So how do we ask our dogs to do what we want? We use touch. A gentle touch to a particular place on their body can be their cue to perform a certain behavior. For example, if you are training your deaf/blind dog to sit you would touch your dog on her rear at the base of her tail, lure her into a sit, then reinforce the behavior with food. With the consistent steps of cue-lure-reinforce your dog will learn behaviors in no time. Final thoughts. Dogs are born deaf and blind, and don't gain their hearing and eyesight until about two weeks after birth. So dogs that are deaf or blind from birth seem to handle it quite well - it's all they've ever known! On the other hand, dogs that had their hearing or sight then lost it have more problems adjusting to their disability, and more care and patience needs to be taken. Special needs dogs can, and do, thrive, but particular care must still be taken to ensure their safety. They may not be able to see or hear cars, predators, or other dangers. Use a secure, physical fence in your yard, and never leave them outside without direct supervision. Use crates and baby gates in your home to keep them from stairs or dangerous objects in your home. Deaf and blind dogs are no different than other dogs. They just hear and see with their hearts. As their caretakers it is our responsibility to accept them as they are and treat them with the love and respect that they, and all animals, deserve. Resources to help your special needs dog: http://www.deafdogs.org https://deafdogsrock.com http://blinddogtraining.com http://www.blinddogs.net http://thehappypuppysite.com/dog-lure-training http://www.clickertraining.com/get-started?source=hpsb http://companionanimalsolutions.com/blog/training-dogs-who-are-blind-and-deaf 
Jethro completed his basic manners by learning Loose Leash Walking. He did really well despite being distracted a bit by the blowing leaves, as you can see in the video clip. He did such a great job with his training!
 TIP #1: WHAT'S WITH ALL THE BARKING?
Sometimes undesirable behaviors (barking, growling, lunging, snarling, snapping) are caused by fear or discomfort - this happens when the dog learns that growling or barking will make something move farther away from her. In such cases, the dog is expressing her fear, but many people react by punishing the dog. While this sometimes stops the behavior, it doesn’t change the way the dog feels, which means we now have a potentially dangerous situation: A dog that no longer shows she is upset. Push such a dog beyond her comfort level and her only option is to bite. If you have ever heard anyone say, “I don’t understand what happened. She seemed fine. Then she bit,” these stories are often about dogs that have been punished for making their discomfort known. Dogs don’t growl or bark to be naughty. It is how they express fear, discomfort, or a desire for distance between themselves and another object, animal, or person. The best way to stop the behavior is to change the underlying emotion. A dog that loves something doesn’t growl at it. TIP #2: KEEP TRAINING SESSIONS SHORT As you train with your dog, it is important that you don't overdo the amount of training. Science has shown that animals retain better when taught in short (five to fifteen minutes) spurts, rather than long, drawn out sessions. Dogs not only fill up on treats, they also get bored during long training sessions. If you over train, your dog will not be as excited about doing an exercise the next time. If you stop before he gets full or bored, leaving him wanting more, you will have a cooperative dog the next time you train him If you find yourself overtraining because you are excited about your dog's progress, simply count out 20-50 tiny treats and stop when they are gone. That will keep you on track with limiting the amount of time you train. - excepted from Chill Out Fido!  Marigold is a 2-year old Pit Bull mix who has been attacked by other dogs and has now
become reactive to them. After we teach her some impulse control we will begin the process of desensitizing and counterconditioning her so she can relax and enjoy her walks.  Because Miley has had some sort of training in the past we were able to teach her three
things today: Down, Wait, and Stay. She even stayed in place while we rang the doorbell and answered the door. Awesome job!  TIP #1: I'M BORED. CAN YOU DIG IT?
Dogs dig because it’s fun. Dogs love to bury or recover bones, dig out prey like mice and rats, or make a nice cooling pit when the weather is warm. Another reason dogs dig? Too much time spent alone in the yard. If your dog absolutely loves to dig, create a digging area for him. Make a dig pit or use a large pot with loose potting soil. A dig pit can be a sandbox or a 3-by-6 foot area in your yard. Loosen about 2 feet of earth, and remove any nails or wire or such. A little sand mixed in helps drainage when it rains. Then:
TIP #2: EXPAND YOUR DOG'S TOOLBOX When your dog has a limited number of tools, he will continue to use the ones that are the most readily available and familiar since those are the easiest to grab. If your dog's behavior toolbox includes impulsive or reactive behaviors and little else, he has no choice but to use the tools that have served him best in the past. For training to be effective, your dog needs to learn how to handle different situations without grabbing the old tools from his toolbox. Those old tools will always be there, but as you teach your dog that he will be rewarded for calm and relaxed behaviors, those old tools will be buried deep at the bottom of the toolbox under all the new ones, making access to them difficult and unlikely. - excerpted from Chill Out Fido!  Khloe's owner had already begun to teach her Leave It, so she learned it rather quickly. We practiced in the kitchen and with the dreaded paper products that she loves, and she ended up doing really well. We had extra time so we also worked on desensitizing her to grooming equipment.
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AuthorJeff Dentler, CPDT-KA, IAABC-ADT, FFCP, CTDI Archives
September 2023
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