Deaf Dog Myth # 3

Deaf Dog Myth # 3

Deaf dogs are more likely to bite when they wake up or if

they are startled.

Do deaf dogs have teeth?  Yes, most of them do – but so do most hearing dogs.  Any dog with teeth is capable of biting!  Any dog!  Hearing or deaf.  I hear several times each month about people that were bitten by dogs – and interestingly, all of these dogs can hear just fine.  It’s important to teach any dog to allow itself to be touched by people and to be woken up gently.  Every time you wake up your deaf dog, you should have a special treat to give her as soon as her eyes open.  Will she jump a bit and startle?  Probably.  But hearing dogs startle too – as do people.  Startling is a natural reflexive behavior.  The dog doesn’t have any control over it.  It just happens.  A dog that is used to getting good things when she’s woken up will startle and very quickly look to you for something good to happen.  After a while, this will become a habit and you won’t need the treat every time.  But it’s a good idea to use a treat every now and then.   It’s also important to be polite and gentle when waking up your dog.  It’s not fair to sneak up on her and then wake her up suddenly.