How do I let my dog know I love him and he’s a good boy? He has lost his hearing

[healme]

He’s nearly 11 and has been gradually losing his hearing, but it is officially gone now, I have brought him to the vet to see if he had an ear infection that somehow made it worse, but it’s just age. I’m heartbroken.

He’s the kind of dog where you tell him “hello” and his tail furiously wags and he trots to you, he can’t hear me now. He’s sometimes asking me to open the back door and he smells the air, I feel like he just wants to hear something but it doesn’t work.

His tail hasn’t been wagging like it used to, because he can’t hear me talk to him. I give him pets and cuddles but he wag isn’t the same. How can I let him know how much I love him when he can’t hear the tone of my voice?

 

[scottygrl]

@healme Talk while touching him. Not like while you're rubbing him or moving your hand around, but just glomp a big old hand on him and hold it there and talk. With luck, enough of the vibrations of your voice will get through.

 

[congee1965]

@scottygrl I was just going to say, press your face right against his head near his ear (like a super snuggly snuggle) and talk to him. Depending on which type of hearing loss he has he may be able to sense some vibrations. Either way he’ll love the snuggles.

Update: I just tried this with my dogs and they both looked at me like I’d lost my dang mind. YMMV.