Our dogs use body language, so as long as Nell is looking at you it will be easy to train her. The vibrating collar will get her attention if facing away from you, deaf dogs are very attentive to their owners.
The thing is the people who had her before May not gave even noticed and just thought her stupid which she clearly isn't , so the records maybe of little help. It happens a lot with human children too
Just been for a walk and dropped the end of Nells training line , 30 ft one ! I was so pleased to see that she kept turning round , to make sure she could see me , and if she deviated a little from the path into the rough , she soon came back out to look for me and Sam , very encouraging . Then she saw a squirrel , she barked at it, but didn't attempt to chase , phew ! That could have become an early cardio vascular exercise for me
Love reading about her progress Kate ,while I've not been here I've been following the story on Facebook ,she's a little dot xxx Just coming back to say well done not chasing the squirrel Nell,I know someone who might not have passed that test!!!! He's yellow and his name rhymes with Rex!
I cant understand why she wasn't wanted , unless of course we discover some underlying medical issues . She is thriving on routine , and such a blinkin good little dog all round x If she is hard of hearing , it truly doesn't matter , because if I had known , I would still have taken her !
We are very lucky to have her x I did look to rescue before Nell , applied for a couple but it didn't work out . One national and very prominent rescue organisation , for whom I volunteered for many years , even turned me down because of Sams lymphoma , even though the boy in question could live with this cancer for some considerable time yet , that hurt me terribly at the time . Now , I`m glad, because Nell was waiting for us x
You are a lovely person. Nell and you were meant to be. She is a very lucky little dog to have found you. More photos please
Nells records from her previous Vets landed at our Vet yesterday , so I took her in this morning . It appears that we are her fourth home since puppyhood , which is awful , the woman we bought her from had only had her for eight months and despite being told that she was wormed and flead , there is no record of this , now rectified ! She has had puppy and booster jabs , so no need for any more any time yet . The Vet examined Nells ears , no sign of any previous infection damage, but after testing her , Vet agrees that she displays all the signs of being deaf , most likely congenital , degree not known but she has difficulty in pinpointing sounds and will often make rapid hear movements as she tries to capture sounds . However , her heart and lungs are good, muscle is building where there was very little , she was such a good little girl , sat like an angel . So , fourth home we may be, but the last for sure x
Poor Nell! 4 homes in her short little life is just awful. So glad you found her Kate and she has a safe, happy home from now on. It's amazing that a dog that's obviously had very little effort & time spent on her is such a little doll. Dogs are definitely inherently good creatures x
Kate, in my dummy training group we have a border collie who is almost totally deaf. She works really well - obviously the stop whistle is a waste of time, and her owner has to rely on her to keep looking back to check in for commands, but honestly she works a lot better than many of the actual retrievers! She's a lovely girl. I'm sure, now you know what the situation is, that you'll be able to communicate with Nell just fine. Recall may be a bit of a challenge, but I am sure you'll get that sorted as well, combined with keeping her on the long leash anywhere where it could be dangerous. Poor little thing, passed from pillar to post. So glad you found her xx
The one sound she hears is the whistle , but unsure where the sound is coming from . So , after lunch , I took them both out , Nell on long line staying pretty close but just ahead with Sam. Every so often , I blasted the whistle , waited for her to look up , then look around , at which point I crouched down, arms open wide , she runs to me and gets a treat . I don't want to saturate her so we just did this three of four times , and I can also practice on the garden . Of course, Sam also enjoys this game, because he also gets a treat, win win all round . I`m sure I can manage her , well I know I can , its just going to take an extra effort , she`s worth it x
Four homes, awful, they obviously didn't deserve her. So much easier to deal with now you know what the problem is. Nell doesn't sound like she wants to venture too far from you and Sam at the moment, so it probably won't be an issue Kate. A hand touch is another good cue. When I don't want to use my recall with Hattie I stick my arm out, palm towards her, she runs back to me like the wind to touch and treat even from a distance xx
I had a look at the vibrating collars and after reading mixed views, have decided its not for me and Nell . Whilst some dogs respond very well , others are distressed by the vibration , and I could not do anything to distress my happy little dog . She continues to respond well whilst on the long line , which I can drop in safe places , utilising the whistle . It is interesting to read that in many deaf dogs, other senses are heightened , Nell chases leaves , shadows and lights ! She has already learned the Sit , recall is a work in progress but we will crack it , I am determined we will !
You are so kind and caring Kate, she really is a very luck dog to have found you. I am sure you both will work things out together.
That's why I didn't go for a vibro for moo I thought she'd hate it. She reponds well to the visual stuff and we've got s good system going. We have our ways it suits us both it fun too working out new ways of doing things. I'm sure you and Nell are having a fun time.
I saw a snip of chicken training with a clicker this evening and at one point there was mention of training a deaf dog and instead of the click, you gave the 'thumbs up' signal
