Christine Hibbard, CTC, CPDT
In the past two months, I’ve received calls and or emails from two different shelters asking me for advice on training a dog who is both blind and deaf. There are terrific web sites for training blind dogs and for training deaf dogs, but I’m not aware of a web site 
devoted to training a dog who is both. I thought that publishing some ideas here (ideas I have gathered from many other sources) would not only help other rescue workers, but I’m hoping that it will generate a dialog on how to best train these dogs who not only have the misfortune to find themselves deaf and blind, but homeless as well. Let me be clear, I’m not stating a position on whether these dogs should take up precious rescue resources when plenty of “able bodied” dogs are euthanized every year. That’s a debate for another time. The reality is that some rescues will take these dogs, do their best, and try to place them (or not). So, how do we train these dogs?
Work to Eat: It can be incredibly difficult to exercise a dog who is both deaf and blind so environmental enrichment is absolutely necessary to lower anxiety and tire out the dog’s brain. Don’t feed any food out of a bowl and make sure all the dog’s calories come out of toys or by hand in training. There are an amazing array of work to eat puzzles on the market now.
Stay on a Mat: An excellent way to position (and keep track of) a blind/deaf dog is with a mat. You can reinforce him every time the dog finds the mat. You can make it easier for the dog by scenting these surfaces. According to many people, lavender is the “relaxation” scent. Make sure you dilute the scents with water and spray them on the surfaces. If you can smell it, it’s probably way too strong for the dog. Finding the mat and staying there is the first thing I teach these dogs. Safety first! Giving a dog frozen stuffed Kongs on the mat will help build the dog’s duration on the mat. If the dog rolls the Kong off the mat, lure the dog back to the mat with the Kong (hopefully he doesn’t guard Kongs).
Follow the Carpet: Make paths out of carpet runners or other substrate material and teach the dog to walk on the path. Following the path keeps the dog safe and out of trouble (hopefully). Again, you can scent these paths to help the dog along.
Condition a Marker: You’ve got to come up with a touch somewhere on the dog’s body to let him know he’s getting it right and that’s why he’s getting the food. Decide on a body part (I like the neck for this). Touch the dog in exactly the same way and in the same place each time (decide if you want to use a tap, short touch, long touch, or stroke). Condition this marker just like you would if you were charging a clicker. Touch/food, touch/food as randomly as possible (try not to fall into a pattern). I’ve used vibration collars with deaf dogs to get their attention so I can give them the “thumbs up” but they can be pricey and frankly, any piece of equipment has the potential to be lost or broken. I’ve had trouble convincing owners that they want to have that big remote handy at all times. If you do use a vibration collar (I would use it to train the dog to find his mat), make sure to introduce it to
the dog carefully. You want the “page” to predict a treat, not startle the dog into a panic.
Target Train: Teach the dog to touch a target with his nose. Scent the target so that he can find it. I like using something sturdy like a wooden spoon because you can tap it on the floor and the dog should pick up on the vibration. This is an excellent way to lead a dog around so you don’t have to be hauling him around by his collar all the time.
Training Behaviors: With a dog who is both deaf and blind, I think that lure/reward training is the way to go since shaping can be next to impossible if your “clicker” is a touch to the dog’s body:
- Lure the dog into a sit.
- When his butt hits the floor, touch him in his “clicker spot” to let him know he got it right.
- Give him the treat.
Once he’s offering sits voluntarily, you can add the cue. I like a tap on the butt for this, it seems a natural to me. You insert any cue whether it’s verbal, a hand signal, or a touch in the same way:
- Tap him on the butt.
- Wait a few seconds (at first he won’t know what it means), then lure him into the sit.
- Touch him on his “clicker spot” to let him know he got it right.
- Give him a treat.
Over time, he’ll figure out that the tap on his butt means “if I sit, I’ll get a treat”. You can repeat this with any behavior you want him to learn as long as the behavior can be lured.
Anyone out there with “special needs” dogs? Are there dog trainers reading this with experience training dogs who are both blind and deaf? I’d love to hear all the creative ideas out there!
Good Morning, I just stopped in to visit your site and thought I’d say thank you.
Nice post
I have recently as in today recent acquired a blind and deaf Doberman Puppy. I plan on trying these routines on him to help in his training. Thank You!
This is wonderfully helpful. Thanks so much for helping those of us with deaf/blind dogs who may be having trouble finding resources…this article gave me better tips than I have found anywhere else. My rescued 2 yr old Shepherd was disabled in a botched euthanisia attempt. He still has three bullets as souvenirs and is now deaf/blind and with a bum leg, to boot. I’ve only had him for three days and his courage and stamina is astounding. He spent 11 days in the desert, alone and horribly injured and managed to survive–please know that this post is going to help me make his life as comfortable as I possibly can…thank you!
K.
I have been starting to use some of these techniques for my blind puppy(they have been working good). I have heard of scenting different obstacles such as the stairs, doorways, and toys so the pup can learn to identify each one and help guide them. What type of ‘scents’ are safe for dogs & ones that dogs seem more attracted to?
Hi Pamela, I think you can use any scent as long as the dog doesn’t find it unpleasant. Whatever scent you use, use it sparingly. Water the scent down and just re-scent as needed.
I’m fostering a deaf and blind Aussie and if anyone has some tips on how to help with her being left, while I’m at work, she barks frantically. I’ve tried teats, kongs, bones, fermone collar, rescue remedy. I want her to be as adoptable as possible but this anxiety she has with being left is very stressful for her and me. I would like to find a solution as apposed to medications as vets have suggested. Thanks
Hi SHellie, unfortunately, you’ve tried most of what we recommend as “quick fixes” for separation anxiety. I would explore medication with a veterinarian. There is absolutely nothing wrong with using medication if it improves the dog’s quality of life. If you haven’t done so already, you should check out Patricia McConnell’s booklet “I’ll Be Home Soon” and Nicole Wilde’s book “Don’t Leave Me”. As a volunteer with Aussie Rescue, I wish you good luck and thank you for all you do for the dogs.
Thank you for the helpful information given here! My dog is newly blind from cataracts/diabetes and also is near deaf from ear medication toxicity- both happening almost overnight it seems. Talk about adjustment issues! Finding info on blind and deaf together has yielded very little with the exception of your site here. I am beyond appreciative!
One thing I found helpful was using a different textured mat or small rug in the entrance to certain rooms or areas my dog uses so she can recognize where she is as she did not take to the scent thing easily…I may have used too strong scents though. We also have a very large cemented patio area and walkway and I place textured, no-slip strips in the path from the door to her potty spot so she can easily find her way. I think there maybe some cognitive issues as she is 14 and once in a while gets lost and panics so these help her find her path again especially after hosing off the patio.
Hi Vicki! Thank you for posting about your experience with your dog. She’s lucky to have such a caring owner to help her through her golden years.
i have rescued and fostered for a short while 7 lethal white aussie puppies in the last 8 months. this was all new to me and i have fallen in love with these special need babies. 3 were deaf and the other 4 are deaf and vision impaired. one could see pretty good out of one eye. i thought the others were blind. found out the they could see shadows in certain lighting up close. the one i have now is that way and i have found he responds to a flash light. i am using a flash light for clicker training, getting his attention and getting him to come to me. i also use a light in the room. i flash it off and on 2 times and a pause then do it again until he comes to the flashing light . the flash light is a strong light and when i take him outside at night he will follow the light. i have gotten a key chain flashlight and i am starting to use it as a clicker for sit, down, roll over etc. he is my first one i have had long enough to train more. the others i rescued went to other aussie rescues with in a month or so and were little puppies.
check and see if your blind dog can see a light.
Hi Becky, how lucky for these rescue puppies that they have such a caring and knowledgeable person caring for them and training them. Thank you for all you do for the dogs! I’ve used flash lights for deaf dogs with great success as well. I’ve also used “pager” or “vibration” collars successfully. Thanks for reading Behind the Behavior and keep the great ideas coming!
can you tell me about the pager?
I’d be happy to talk about the pager collars. These are e-collars that do NOT shock, they vibrate. You introduce the collar to the dog slowly so they don’t startle and become afraid. The “page” gets the dog’s attention so that you can then give a hand signal (in the case of a deaf dog) or whatever other cue you’ve conditioned. It’s a wonderful tool for managing compromised dogs at a distance. Here’s a list provided by deafdogs.org but I think it’s out of date: http://www.deafdogs.org/resources/vibramakers.php. I recommend that owners/trainers/rescuers look for collars that ONLY vibrate.
Thank you,
I think you overlooked another group of people who can use this resource: owners of dogs who are blind and deaf! I have a friend who has been searching high and low for information and the more information and help available, the more chances there are that some of these dogs will never find themselves in a rescue situation.
Not all owners give up the minute something goes wrong.
Thank you for sharing this information. I have recently aquired a pointer mix who is deaf and has cataracts in both eyes. She is 9 months old and we have only had her about 5 weeks. Luckily, we have 2 Aussies that share her home and the pup has learned to follow the other around. I have a trainer coming out on Sunday to evaluate her for vibration collar training. She can see some so i want to get as much traning in as possible incase she does lose her vision completly. WIll be happy to update you on how training goes! Thanks again for the info on your site!
Oh, do keep us posted on how things go with your girl. What you learn during your journey with your dog will help all of us learn more. Thank you so much for adopting your pointer mix girl!!
I have worked with and been owned by deaf/blind dogs since 2006
Please have a look at my websites
Lethal Whiles UK – http://lethalwhitesuk.webs.com/
House of Misfits – http://houseofmisfits.weebly.com/
Thank you for sharing your resources Lee!