You want to bring home a deaf dog from the shelter, but you are wondering if your furry friend at home would greet the deaf dog with a warm welcome or if they will snarl at each other the moment their eyes meet.
That is a common concern for many owners of deaf dogs. The key really is to test the waters first and gradually practice exposing your dog to others. Be sure to monitor the interaction as well.
If you are still worrying about how to improve the social life of your deaf dog, then worry no more.
We will be sharing with you seven ways on how you can introduce a deaf dog to another dog in today’s article!
Tips to Introduce Your Deaf Dog to Others
Owning a deaf dog is already a challenge, let alone introduce this dog to hearing dogs! Here are tips you can try to get both dogs to interact in a friendly and disciplined manner:
1. Test the waters
First, you need to test the waters.
Your deaf dog will not only have to interact with your hearing dog but would have to get used to your home too! It would be best to keep both dogs separated for 2 – 3 days first while your deaf dog is still trying to get used to its new environment.
After a while, you can start to introduce your deaf dog to your hearing dog, so everything from a new owner to a new house and interacting with a new dog would not be too much for your deaf dog to take in.
2. Keep an open eye out
The next thing you should do after introducing your deaf dog to your hearing dog is to keep a close eye on both. Look for signs of stress, anxiety, aggression, or discomfort.
Be sure to check their body language and see if one is overexcited, dominant, or aloof.
It would help if you gauged whether your deaf dog and your hearing dog can live together in harmony.
3. Supervise every interaction
It is also crucial that you supervise every interaction your deaf dog and hearing dog will have, especially during mealtime and playtime.
If you notice a sign of stress or aggression, do not be afraid to intercede immediately.
Remember that just like humans, these fights do not just start of nowhere.
When it comes to the world of canines, there is usually a sign of stress or discomfort first before an attack is made.
So you must make sure that both of your dogs are getting along very well before letting them play on their own.
Aside from this, dogs need to see that their owners do not tolerate aggression to avoid exhibiting this behavior as much as they can.
4. Practice, practice, and more practice!
Since communication will be a challenge for you and your deaf and hearing dogs, you must give them ample time each day to interact with each other.
It will serve as their practice so that you will feel comfortable and confident enough to leave the two of them together when the time comes.
5. Always be there for your dog
For your deaf dog to be trusting around other people and other dogs, you must first be able to show them that you have their back no matter what.
Their confidence will be given a boost knowing that you are always there for them. However, it does not mean that you will be tolerating their destructive behaviors.
Do not punish them. Instead, help them understand what they did wrong and what they should be doing rather.
6. Let your dog socialize
As a pet parent of a deaf dog, the tendency is that you will be overprotective at times.
You might not want your dog to go outside or play with other puppies because you fear that they will get hurt.
If you keep a close eye on your deaf dog whenever you are outside, there would not be any problem with them playing with the neighborhood dogs.
Do not forget that just like humans, dogs must also exercise their socialization skills.
Otherwise, they would grow to be aloof, and they will not learn how they should appropriately interact with other humans and animals.
7. Put in the work
Finally, you must be prepared to put in the extra work and effort.
Remember that having a deaf dog requires special care and attention, and you should be ready for that – physically, emotionally, and mentally.
You may get frustrated sometimes because your dog is hard to teach or does not want to socialize with other dogs whenever it is outside.
You must be patient, understanding, and you have to exert all the love you have to let them feel that you are there to guide them through the course of their short lives here on Earth.
Your efforts will soon pay off when you see your dog starting to open to other people and play with other dogs.
Key Takeaway
Having a deaf dog is a challenge, and it is not for the faint of heart.
You need to remember that your dog is looking up to you more than just a friend, but as a family – you are your dog’s leader, provider, and protector.
It would be hard for a deaf dog to survive in this world without someone to guide them throughout, so you need to know that having you by their side as they live their lives here on Earth is something that they are genuinely grateful for.
If you need more help, you can always access free resources online or join communities and support groups on social media or in your locality.
Deaf dogs need our loving too!
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