by Linda Goodman … I’ve had dogs all of my life, but it is only in the last four years that I discovered what life was like living with a dog that has lost their hearing.
The late Teddy Bichon had phenomenal hearing and was always highly responsive when I spoke to him. In fact, he always liked a good two-way conversation. It was only once he turned 13 that I noticed a subtle difference in his behaviour.
He had started to sleep for longer and didn’t seem disturbed by noises that would once have seen him leap out of bed to investigate. When I called him, it was as if he was ignoring me – he could be a stubborn little character at times. It was only when I spoke more loudly that I would get a response, and that’s when I realised that his hearing was failing.
I checked his ears and they looked clean and I couldn’t spot any swellings around his ear, so I took him along to get checked by my vet, just to make sure there wasn’t any underlying cause for his hearing loss like debris deeper in his ear canal, or a possible ear infection. The vet examined him, shrugged his shoulders and just told me it was old age. I felt sad that my beautiful little man was losing his hearing, but quickly realised that it bothered me more than it bothered him.
Luckily at that point, although he had cataracts, he could still see reasonably well so I had to try and communicate with him using hand signals – not the easiest thing to teach a dog of his age. It was at this point that I wished I’d taught him hand signals when he was much younger.
Life carried on as normal, but because he couldn’t hear me when out on walks he could no longer go off lead for his own safety, except in secure locations. However, I didn’t need to tell him when it was time for breakfast, lunch or dinner, or when there was a treat on offer, as his sense of smell was as sharp as ever.
A year further down the line and Teddy had become completely deaf. I tried to look on the bright side. No longer would there be hysterical barking when anyone knocked on the door. No longer would he be woken up by Daisy’s barking every morning at 6am. He was happy in his own little world, and as long as he could see me, he felt safe and loved.
Dog deafness can happen for a variety of reasons, which is why it’s always important to get your dog’s ears checked by a vet if you notice a change. Some breeds are more prone to it than others and of course some dogs are born deaf.
When you’re with your dog every day, their hearing loss can be very subtle at first and you may not even notice it. Dogs are very clever and manage to adapt to their new circumstances pretty quickly.
Teddy’s deafness didn’t diminish our relationship at all, and while I had to adapt to his changing circumstances, he lived a happy and fulfilling life full of cuddles, good food and oodles of love until he passed away in October 2023 at the age of 16.
You can find out more about deafness in dogs, and how to help them, on our ‘Deafness’ page.
WOOFABILITY 