Deaf Dog Myth # 6

Deaf Dog Myth # 6

Deaf dogs bark a lot because they can't hear themselves bark. 

Or ... deaf dogs don't bark.

I have heard both of these comments.  I have met many deaf dogs – and they all do bark.  Some bark extensively.  But I have met many more hearing dogs that bark excessively!  And they can apparently hear themselves bark.  So I don’t buy either of these myths.  Two of my deaf dogs that I adopted as adults were barkers when I brought them home.  They quickly learned a signal cue for quiet and learned to be quiet, just like my hearing dogs.  There was no need to resort to bark collars or debarking.  Just using positive reinforcement training. My deaf dogs are a breed known to be barkers.  They had never had someone communicate to them that they would prefer quiet, nor teach them what quiet meant.  Once I taught them what quiet meant and that I enjoyed quiet more than barking, they got quieter.