Have some fun and be inventive but bear in mind that all signs should be clear, easily distinguishable from other signs and preferably performed away from your body so that your sign is clearly visible to your dog. Alternatively, and probably even better, is to make up your own hand signs to suit you and your dog. Some people learn commands from UK or USA sign language standards. The key to a 'normal' relationship with your deaf dog is to use hand signals in place of the spoken word. They can learn all the behaviours that a hearing dog can, including recall. With a little time and imagination from the owner, deaf dog training is as easy and rewarding as any dog training, if not more so because you have their full focus and they will be thrilled to finally have communication and fun instruction. With their heightened sense of smell and eager eyes, a dog without hearing can understand, interact and learn just as well as their hearing companions. But a deaf dog only has one of the five senses missing and can accommodate for this loss much better than you might imagine. However, it takes a lot of patience that some dog owners don’t have.Deaf dogs are quite often written off as too difficult to train, unable to recall or be let off the lead and generally unable to live a 'normal' life. It’s generally the most effective way to change a dog’s behavior in the long term. If that sounds like advice you’ve heard for training a dog who can hear, you’re correct. After all, you can’t just tell them “No!” Instead, you’ll need to use positive reinforcement to encourage the behavior you want while ignoring the ones you don’t. Teaching a deaf dog to stop bad behavior takes more work and creativity. Use Positive Reinforcement to Shape Behavior This cycle teaches your dog to associate the hand signal with the reward. When the dog does what you ask, give the marker/clicker signal, followed by a treat. When teaching commands, follow the basic pattern of using a treat to lure the dog into position (sit, down, etc.) while giving the hand signal you decided on. These gestures should also look different enough that the dog can tell what you’re asking them to do, even from a distance. The key is to be consistent about using whichever hand signals you choose. You can also choose your own hand signals. Some deaf dog owners use American Sign Language or simplified versions of the signs for commands such as sit, stay, and come. Once your dog learns to pay attention to you, you can teach them basic commands using visual signals. Because you’ll be relying on visual signals to communicate with your deaf dog, teaching them to make eye contact and pay attention is vital. Over time, your dog will learn that paying attention to you leads to a reward. Each time your dog looks at you, use their marker hand signal and give a treat. Whichever method you use to get your dog’s attention, reinforce the action of making eye contact with you. At night, try using a flashlight or flickering the lights in a room on and off. For outdoor settings, it may be easier to stand in your dog’s line of sight and wave your arms or jump up and down to get them to focus on you. In the house, try stomping your feet on the floor and using the vibrations to get your dog’s attention. However, you’ll need to get their attention first! Since you can’t just call your dog to look at you, you’ll need to try other methods. Once your dog learns their visual clicker sign, use it to reinforce desired behaviors and encourage your dog to repeat them. Use Light, Vibration, or Movement to Get Your Dog’s Attention Repeat this exercise until your deaf dog understands the signal means they get a treat. For example, give the signal with one hand and a treat with the other. Teach your dog that the marker signal leads to treats by using it and then giving them a treat immediately. It doesn’t matter which signal you pick as long as you are consistent.
You might use a “thumbs up” or a hand flash, which is quickly opening a closed fist. This “marker” hand signal functions as a clicker would for a hearing dog. To make communicating with your deaf dog easier, teach them a hand signal to let them know they’ve done something positive.