There are two adopted Pugs in my pack -- both now long-time members.

One, the younger of these two seniors, became deaf a few years back, and the pager function of my Dogtra 1700 NCP Platinum (I think now replaced by the 1900) was and is great for paging him. http://leerburg.com/webboard/thread.php?topic_id=23820&page=1#247142

(I taught him to look at me for a hand signal when I paged. The hand signal is usually “come,” so I could also have taught that the page meant “come,” but it works well regardless.)

One of the most helpful things all along has been the way he looks frequently to the hearing Pug for clues about what I may have said, so the pager is rarely needed.

Now the very old one is rapidly becoming very deaf.

So I am getting a little overwhelmed. Neither one looks to the GSD for clues (and they have different lives from him in many major respects, anyway), and now both will need hand signals, and I'm resisting buying a two-dog model of the collar for, let's face it, an old dog and a very old dog.

Anyone have any experience with this? Of course they are on leash or line whenever they're not contained, but all the verbal commands indoors and out have become useless over a period of less than a year (of the second dog's advancing deafness) and two well-trained little dogs who come along almost everywhere, including to watch big-dog training, etc., are now a little bit of a worry.

What to do first?

Bless your heart, Connie. You do have your hands full. I'm afraid I have nothing to offer other than sympathy. Our old girl, Tasha, became almost totally deaf in her final couple of years. We just got to be very expressive with our hand signals or, if in the dark, with flashlights and light switches. It was really tough sometimes because the deafer she got, the more easily startled she became when she did hear a sound. We had to be real careful with times when we needed to touch her. Very heartbreaking. I'm sorry.

Are these two dogs particularly bonded? Any reason to believe they may fight at all?

Just wondering, I did see this once, where they had a blind dog coupled (with a coupler) to the other dog, so they could not get away from each other. And the blind dog just followed the other.

Any way, you could condition them to moving together, then just having the ecollar on the already trained one?

Then you would still do the page, with the signal, and he would bring the other dog along. Also, teaching the signal to the other dog would be beneficial, because he will most likely look at you once he realizes that his buddy is turning him around.

Not sure whether this helps or if I even answered your question LOL

 Quote: Greg Meyer

Bless your heart, Connie. You do have your hands full. I'm afraid I have nothing to offer other than sympathy. Our old girl, Tasha, became almost totally deaf in her final couple of years. We just got to be very expressive with our hand signals or, if in the dark, with flashlights and light switches. It was really tough sometimes because the deafer she got, the more easily startled she became when she did hear a sound. We had to be real careful with times when we needed to touch her. Very heartbreaking. I'm sorry.

Oh my, you have reminded me of having that situation. It did hurt my heart -- it was so sad when my beloved Luna (years ago) would be frightened by someone approaching from behind, unheard ....

Thank goodness, these guys are calm, easygoing types, not easily startled and not reactive to much of anything.

And they wear lights on their collars; I have no idea why ME having lights at dusk and after dark never occurred to me! GREAT suggestion.

There is often someone asking what that is on their collars (they don't ask at night ... ) : http://leerburg.com/1201.htm


And yes, I have learned big, exaggerated hand signals.

Maybe I just need to teach them to look at me often. Somehow. On the plus side: Marker training is their favorite thing (besides dinner).

 Quote: Niomi Smith

Are these two dogs particularly bonded? Any reason to believe they may fight at all?

Just wondering, I did see this once, where they had a blind dog coupled (with a coupler) to the other dog, so they could not get away from each other. And the blind dog just followed the other.

Any way, you could condition them to moving together, then just having the ecollar on the already trained one?

Then you would still do the page, with the signal, and he would bring the other dog along. Also, teaching the signal to the other dog would be beneficial, because he will most likely look at you once he realizes that his buddy is turning him around.

Not sure whether this helps or if I even answered your question LOL

They would never fight, but they are very different-speed dogs. I love that suggestion, but one (Leo, the younger and first-deaf one) is extremely tall and long for a Pug -- probably 150% of the other one's size. (The really old one, Oliver, is "normal" Pug size, short and 15 pounds or so.)

Still, I betcha I can work this out to connect them loosely. They don't do a lot of zooming around any more and I'm always there when they're outside.

Thanks for getting me un-stuck a bit!

Maybe the solution is to adopt ANOTHER pug, who can hear, and lead the whole tribe about!

Just kidding. I am sorry that you have to see this. Grey faces, constant sleeping and an increase in farting are less sorrowful symptoms of time going by.

My IG went deaf, completely deaf about 6 mos before I put her to sleep.

 Quote: Betty Landercasp

Maybe the solution is to adopt ANOTHER pug, who can hear, and lead the whole tribe about!

Oh, man, Betty, this is not 100% unlikely. (Our club has a "Pug rescue" arm, and almost every member owns at least one Pug.)


Your IG was a beautiful Frosty Face.

 Quote: Connie Sutherland

What to do first?

Pour a glass of wine.

Thor went deaf about 6 months ago. I was on the fence about a collar because I wasn't sure it might startle him since I'd never used one and also..well.. he's old.

An Audiologist (treats humans) said to see if he can hear clapping, sharp, cheerleader like claps. He can! So get out your pompoms and check that.

From there I pretty much substituted the clap in place of a collar vibration. I originally started training to get his attention too but he now recalls when I clap.

I also use a target stick to mark behaviors (trainer suggested). I started with loading the mark by tapping his side and treating (using my hand or stick). Adding hand signals as I got behaviors, I'm sure you know all this but it was helpful to me to see how to mark without a verbal cue. I'm not sure if it is because he was already trained but he had the hand signals for the basics proofed in a week.

Where the target stick has been FANTASTIC is being able to mark him for behaviors he offers at a distance. Very beneficial to our hikes because it keeps the communication going. I have two long Rose of Sharon branches tied together that gives me about 15ft of space which makes the hike a lot more natural than being right beside one another. He is on a long line but I drop it now.

Not sure these suggestions will help but I hope they do and if you get anymore of those deaf dog hearing assistant Pugs, I just might have to adopt one too.

Pour a glass of wine.

Done! LOL


Thor went deaf about 6 months ago. I was on the fence about a collar because I wasn't sure it might startle him since I'd never used one and also..well.. he's old.

An Audiologist (treats humans) said to see if he can hear clapping, sharp, cheerleader like claps. He can! So get out your pompoms and check that.

Yes, Leo went a good two years where clapping worked. Especially cupped-hands kind of "percussive" clapping).



Today, we spent a lot of time (with plenty of breaks) out in the yard with me paging Leo, then signaling him to “come,” and almost every time Leo trotted back to me, Oliver looked up at him to see what was happening.

As Leo's trotting brought Oliver's gaze my way, I made VERY exaggerated “come” signs with my arm, and Oliver came! (I had Zuke's Mini Naturals ..... lol.)




I also use a target stick to mark behaviors (trainer suggested). I started with loading the mark by tapping his side and treating (using my hand or stick). Adding hand signals as I got behaviors, I'm sure you know all this but it was helpful to me to see how to mark without a verbal cue. I'm not sure if it is because he was already trained but he had the hand signals for the basics proofed in a week.

Where the target stick has been FANTASTIC is being able to mark him for behaviors he offers at a distance. Very beneficial to our hikes because it keeps the communication going. I have two long Rose of Sharon branches tied together that gives me about 15ft of space which makes the hike a lot more natural than being right beside one another. He is on a long line but I drop it now.


And now I have this great idea to work with tomorrow!

I've had two dogs that went deaf with age. A Kerry Blue and a Norwich. In the house both responded to me stamping on the floor for their attention. Outside the Norwich wouldn't take his eyes off of me. The Kerry had to be kept on a long line. He did understand my visual commands because he was trained to his UD but he loved to see what's over there.