How to train a deaf dog?

Raven

 Many Dogo people have deaf dogs and I have heard some talk about using a vibration collar as a means to get the dogs attention.These are not like the electric shock ones, they only vibrate at different levels. Hand signals can be used to teach all of the commands and I have heard that getting the dogs attention is the one that is most difficult.

Here is a link to a site that might be useful for you.

http://www.deafdogs.org/training/

They make vibrating collars to train deaf dogs. Basically you go about the training the same way as you would for a hearing dog, but use the vibrating collar as an attention-getter (you condition the dog to always look at you when the collar vibrates) and then use your  hand signals. I think there's probably a lot of different ways to use a vibrating collar, but I'd be careful to not make it mean too many things. I think you'd have to just pick one or two things for it to mean (attention-getter, or in place of the "click" in clicker training, or as a "come" command) and stick with that.

 You can clicker train your deaf dog. They use hand signals, flashlights and collars.

http://www.deafdogs.org/training/clicker.php

I'd suggest eliminating the more aversive methods, like running the dog behind the lawn mower and the poking.  I suspect that the reaction you are getting (head down) is fear.  Sounds like this pup had a rough start in life and needs an extra lot of love and compassion.

 I would agree with Glenmar

 Your hands will be important tools in your training and I would refrain from using them in any negative manner.

    Is your dog large and white by any chance? Is it a Dogo?

First things first.  Your dog is deaf.  Lots of good resources posted earlier in the thread.

Secondly:  your dog is running outside because she needs exercise.  Do you have a fenced in yard?  Will your dog play fetch?  This dog simply isn't getting enough exercise or mental stimulation.

Third:  Using a broom to swat at her is probably triggering abusive memories.  Stop using aversives and start using more positive methods.  If she's a hound, always have smelly, tasty dog treats with you.  Tether her to you and when she looks at you reward.  Getting her attention focused on you has to be tied to rewards.  From there basic training can follow.  Teach her to avoid you by using aversives and you'll set the training back to square one repetitively. 

The broom was just to break her from hitting the front door every time it was opened. She is fast and would actually knock me down to get out. I keep a broom leaning by the door as a reminder. It is only associated with the door. She  has no problem when I am cleaning house and sweeping. I am very careful not to use physical punishment. She has been hit enough.  My brother has a mixed breed dog and they play for hours. I have never seen anything ware Ginger down, but Lola gives as much as she takes in their play. I stay there every weekend because of work and they play for 3 days straight. When I am at home she lets me know she needs attention by setting on the top of my couch and hitting me in the head with her front paws. I am looking for a second dog. I have 4 acres fenced in. A lot of room to run, but she won't run in the fenced area. Unless we get the dreaded laser light. I use it on special occasions. There is the possibality of addiction. She is that engrossed on the light, or any reflection, from DVD's to the overhead fan. I have to be very careful with Lola. I have worked with abused dogs before, just not deaf ones.

We have broke her of putting her head down except in sever sorrow. All we did was gently raise her nose back up and tell her she was a good dog. Sometimes with a treat, sometimes with a kiss and a pet.  I caught her putting her head down and watching me out of the corner of her eye to see if I would give her a treat. I made sure that little trick didn't work. When in doubt, change the scenario!  Lola is doing great. We still have some work to do, but that is a given.

I forgot about posting about the lawnmower. I live in a rural setting and everyone uses riding lawnmowers like bikes. No harm intended. I just let her run beside me on a 15 ft lead as we go down the road. Never to fast and never to long. When she gets tired, she rides. She loves it. We usually go down the road to the local store for treats.(about a mile) She always knows something is waiting. I never poke at her. I would never do anything to hurt or scare her. I had to use drastic measures to break her from knocking me down at the front door. Partly because she seriously hurt me once, (I fell and broke a rib) and partly because we have a lot of cars that don't watch for dogs. She is not allowed near the door unless she is leashed!!   She has been trained to a leash and to ride in a car without jumping out. She always goes unless it is hot and I have several stops to make. All 3 of my dogs were around 20 when I finally lost them last year. One ate the bad dog food and never got over it or I might still have her. I consider my dogs family not just animals to be conquered.

so really your biggest problem is her racing out the door?  it's not that hard to teach a dog to sit and wait for a release before going through a door. Do you have a "good dog" hand signal? 

raventouched

It was a long time before I could correct her in anyway.

I am curious as to why you would want to? With such a sensitive and abused dog, I would be avoiding corrections like the plague....

raventouched

I poke her to get her attention, and she turns her back on me.

Frankly, I would too! She obviously doesn't LIKE the methods you are using, so I would suggest easing up on her a bit. Try to engage her. What motivates her? What does she like? What is her favourite thing?

raventouched

She hangs her head alot. If she thinks she is in trouble which is most of the time, she will do it.

Ahhhh the poor dear dog. She sounds terribly unhappy. Why is she always in trouble? I don't understand. She sounds untrained - can you not simply manage her (an indoor kennel, a trailing line etc) so that you can gently remove her or stop her from things you don't want her doing? Just while the training takes place?  She is only "in trouble" if YOU decide she is.  Let her off the hook.  Cut her some slack

Personally I would work on attention games using a clicker.  I would get a trainer who is experienced with deaf dogs to help you.  I would consider using a very very mild e-collar (that does little more than tickle) and teach her that it means - "look at me", so that you have a way of "calling" her when she is running away from you and can't see or hear your signals.  I would DEFINATELY work on "sit at the door" exercises and be pretty strict about it - that danged door NEVER opens and stays open unless her bum is glued to the floor.  You could also incorporate "sit" in other areas with NILIF (Nothing In Life Is Free, also called Learn to Earn) as a means of teaching her some self control.

 Edit - who looks after her while you work?  How do they communicate with her?  Perhaps she is confused because you are both doing things differently?

Reading this thread, I was incredibly sad for this dog.  It would be sooooo easy to "clicker train" her using a penlight as the clicker.  Also, a vibrating collar could help (there are collars that only vibrate, no shock).  A deaf dog is best trained with positive training, and should not be hit, swatted, threatened with a broom, etc.  It simply is not necessary, and, as someone else pointed out, your hands are too important in training a deaf dog to use them for any negative purpose.  Even after people gave you the resource page for deaf dogs (which is excellent), you came back to reiterate why you had used the methods that others are telling you are not ok for deaf dogs (which, incidentally, should never be off lead, except in a fenced area, so I hope your comments about her being off leash only apply in that context.)   

Try teaching her the "attention" exercise here: www.clickerlessons.com, using the penlight in place of the clicker.  Do it at night in your living room - I bet you will be amazed at the result.  Also,  when you tap her rump to get her attention, do it lightly with two quick taps - that will help her figure out when it's you, as opposed to when it's just a tree branch that brushed against her as she passed.