Our deaf reactive puppy didn’t get properly trained throughout the first 6 months of his life and we’re struggling

[mattyp]

Rocky is our 5 nearly 6 month old puppy who is deaf. He’s been deaf since birth from what we know, but the first foster carer wasn’t aware due to presence of other dogs that he would follow around at all times. Rocky is a Bull Arab/Blue Heeler mix so he’s quite intelligent and has a lot of energy. I give him as many types of toys and mental stimulation through food and treats as much as I can - however when it comes to separation anxiety, reactivity to other dogs and strangers as well as pulling and not walking properly at all on the leash, it’s bad. The second foster carer never quite bothered in condition training him to being comfortable alone or crate training which apparently is very important with deaf dogs as it can help with separation anxiety. He barks endlessly when he’s not around anyone. We have Guinea pigs that he’s also very rough with so we’re very slow with introducing them. When on walks or when people hasn’t met approach or even walk past him (especially at home) - he goes crazy. He catches a scent of someone unfamiliar and it seems to set him off. He also pulls so hard on the leash and no matter what hand signal we try he can’t seem to understand “no”.

Any advice at all is welcome as I’ve adopted him and want to give him the best possible home.

 

[bolleke]

@mattyp no matter the dog, i would not introduce the guinea pigs to them. guinea pigs are prey, and dogs are predators. i always kept my dogs and piggies separated for safety.

 

[tery]

@mattyp Your best option will be to look for trainers in your area, those with reactivity specialists would be your best bet or a behaviorist.

Separation Anxiety/crate training:

Just like with any dog, start small and work your way up. Put him in the crate with a high value treat and go to the next room. Pop back into the room very regularly (every 1-2 minutes) so he knows you are still there. When he is okay with being in the crate and being alone in a room for awhile, work on leaving the house. Leave for 2 minutes, then come back inside. Leave for 5 minutes, etc. This is a slow process, but it is teaching him that even though you have left you are coming back and he doesn't need to be afraid of being abandoned.

As he gets older and wouldn't need to be in a crate (i.e., isn't destroying things when left alone) taking the door off the crate or leaving it open all the time will reinforce that it is his safe place, but that he also has the option to leave the crate when he wants to. Always make sure the crate is a comfortable, welcoming space with a good bed, blankets, toys, treats. Never send to the crate to punish, as it will connect the crate to a bad thing. If you feel you need to crate for punishment, have a separate crate without the extras in a different area that you use specifically when he has misbehaved.

Dog/stranger reactivity:

At his age, and with being deaf, this doesn't surprise me at all. I would make sure when out on walks that you don't let people approach, especially from behind or the side where he may not see them. He can't hear them approaching, so of course he will be startled.

If he seems like he wants to play with other dogs, but gets really loud about it, it could just be that he is a frustrated greeter. My guy plays well with most other dogs, but if there is a barrier between him and the other dog he gets incredibly frustrated and is very loud about it. Work on treating when he sees other dogs, to build good connotations between seeing another dog and not reacting.

Leash Pulling

He's a puppy. Lots of puppies pull. When he starts pulling, stop walking. Make it clear to him that you will not continue as long as he is pulling. If he continues pulling, turn around and head home. My dog pulls, and him and I have reached a balance with what I consider acceptable pulling. When he really wants to sniff something, I let him go in the direction as long as he isn't lunging to go that way. There is almost always some degree of pulling on our walks, but he is a high energy 3 year old lab/pit that is very curious about everything, so I've accepted it. As long as he isn't pulling my arm off and instead just tugging me in the directions he wants to go, I'm okay with it.

If your dog is food motivated, treating when they stop pulling is another good option. You can also "treat-lead" but basically getting them to walk right with you by holding a treat next to you, but not letting them take it right away and instead following you with the treat. Start small and work your way up. If he goes 2 houses distance without pulling, he gets the treat. Then a block, then further, etc. Eventually, he knows that he needs to be staying with you and not pulling ahead. My guy is the least food motivated dog I or his trainer have ever met, so this did not work with us at all.

Overall, he is still a puppy and is still VERY teachable. I got my guy at 6 months and he was in a very bad situation before me. Just know that it takes time. you will get incredibly frustrated at times. You may even get home from a walk and sit down and cry. Most of us have been there. But, when they nuzzle into you for pets and stare at you with those big eyes, you know it is all worth it. Thank you for adopting him, and the best of luck!

 

[pinkrose04]

@mattyp Work with a trainer if you can. Maybe a puppy obedience school. I have a deaf girl I adopted. It took a lot of time and patience with consistent training to get her to a good place, and she can still regress sometimes.

 

[zooplankton]

@mattyp While our guy isn’t deaf which likely has its own challenges he was also a rescue who was found on the streets and we didn’t get him till 6 months. He has chronic stress and anxiety and it results in reactivity.

A behaviorist / trainer has been essential for us. We are working on slowing down and doing less for him to build confidence. On walks we let him sniff, explore and take his time. We see an amazing difference since this approach and his reactivity to everything (but dogs) is pretty much gone and we can leave him alone at home.

 

[leozw]

@mattyp Ok first thing, dont introduce your dog to guinea pigs. Let them co exist. Once he acts as if they are unimportant, and hes not interested, thats when I might let him go check them out.

Second, kennel your dog. I would recommend a ruff tuff so he cant hurt himself, and he cant escape. This part is easy, you just never let him out of his kennel until he is calm. That means, completely quiet and still. And when you do let him out, its not a special occasion. Theres no reason to greet him excitedly, or anything like that. Coming out of the kennel is a boring event.

All those other behaviors, being reactive etc. are likely built up behaviors that he has learned over time. Its your job to teach him what is acceptable behavior and what isnt. I would recommend working on pressures with a slip lead. Because he wont be able to hear praise, release of pressure will be a great reward.

 

[cafethu]

@mattyp Look for a trainer! I dropped the ball with my second dog. He’s a year old now and has gotten a lot better but still very nervous on walks. We found a trainer who does socializing dog walks and it’s a night and day difference.

So much calmer when walking with a pack of familiar dogs than just by myself. I also realize I have to go above and beyond to socialize him with stuff. Not every walk will be perfect. He will bark on and off. It’s gotten better with time. Also, training is not a one and done thing. As long as you have your dog, it’s an opportunity to continue to train them.