Have you noticed your dog becoming slow to respond to verbal cues, or needing to pet them to wake them up from a deep sleep? Many owners notice their dog’s hearing start to decline as they age, just as it does in humans. This can lead to issues such as having to re- train them to respond to visual cues where previously they knew verbal cues well. This transition can be challenging. Dog owners often question whether their dog is deaf, and if there is anything that can be done about it.
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How can I tell if my dog can hear?
To answer the first question, a very basic test that can be done at home can determine how much hearing your dog has. The idea is to have your dog in a position where they can’t see you; this is generally achieved by being behind your dog while they’re concentrating on something else. You can then make noises with increasing volume until they reac. Usually this is a noise or word that means something to them, such as their name. At deafness or near complete deafness, you can clap or whistle loudly just behind them with no reaction.
What options are there for coping with deafness?
A behaviourist can give more details and guidance, but the goal is to transfer oral cues onto a visual cue. This is easier to do before your dog has more profound hearing loss, as you can start to use visual cues while still using verbal cues, then slowly phase out the oral cues. You may need to make some lifestyle changes. For instance, keeping your dog on a long lead in public areas if they can no longer hear well enough to come back to you to keep them safe.
Are there hearing aids available?
With increasing demand, some commercial companies and universities are researching and creating hearing aids for dogs. They are based on the technology of human hearing aids and are aimed at increasing the volume of sounds as they enter the ear. The main company for making dog specific hearing aids is a US company called FETCHLAB, based at the University of Cincinnati. This is suitable for dogs with partial hearing loss, not dogs with genetic hearing loss, as it works through sound amplification. The initial selection process requires a test to check the level of hearing that has already been lost, through a test called the brainstem auditory evoked potential test (BAER) and may also require an otoacoustic emission test (OAE). If the dog is suitable based on these tests, ear moulds can then be made, then fitted and adjusted as needed.
Do they work?
These devices work by sitting in the dog’s ear canal and amplifying sound. This brings its own challenges; it can be difficult to make the dog comfortable having something sitting in their ear, and an aggressive head shake can dislodge the devices. It can also take some time for the dog to get used to hearing sounds in a different way. And can take time and training for them to re- learn verbal cues given in this way.
How accessible are they?
Currently hearing aids for dogs are not commercially available in the UK, but this is an area undergoing development as pet ownership and need for more advanced technology for pets increases. One downside is that, currently the specialist canine hearing aids from FETCHLAB cost upwards of $3000. However, human hearing aids have the potential to be adapted for pet use, and as demand increases, so will supply. At least one UK company is actively exploring the technology, so watch this space!
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