I have a client with a 1.5 yr wheaten terrier in my intro to agility class. He's taking the class for some fun but mainly just working on control. The dog is a super friendly dog and very high energy, as most wheatens are. He has a leg up on my wheaten (my first dog who turned 15 yesterday) because he has some very nice food and toy drive.
My question is I have never, myself, trained a deaf dog and this dog I think will need to be primarily trained like he's deaf. He is a hearing dog but the owner, having never smoked, had cancer and now has an electric voice receiver which he can't hold and hold a tug(or treat) and hold a leash at the same time, nor does he always want to have to, sometimes at home he just leaves his "voice" at the front door and would like the dog to learn to respond to claps, slight kissing noises, hand signals, and his vibrating collar.
I think I have the basics and in our private yesterday we worked on following his hands, staying strong to hand signals (He has a tendency to help the dog with the voice if the dog doesn't grasp the hand signal for sit the first time), and restrained recalls (like in flyball), and he did very well.
I'm just curious what else we should be addressing. Along with the lack of voice he has some mobility issues so he can't run and has trouble moving very quickly but he hangs in there pretty well with the dog.
Very nice guy, very nice dog, I think we've already made some progress in the class but we're doing a few privates to help things along and I just want to make sure I'm offering him every tip I can for his situation.
Anything to offer? Any links I need to be reading to help assist him best? Any stories to offer?
Thanks in advance.
My question is I have never, myself, trained a deaf dog and this dog I think will need to be primarily trained like he's deaf. He is a hearing dog but the owner, having never smoked, had cancer and now has an electric voice receiver which he can't hold and hold a tug(or treat) and hold a leash at the same time, nor does he always want to have to, sometimes at home he just leaves his "voice" at the front door and would like the dog to learn to respond to claps, slight kissing noises, hand signals, and his vibrating collar.
I think I have the basics and in our private yesterday we worked on following his hands, staying strong to hand signals (He has a tendency to help the dog with the voice if the dog doesn't grasp the hand signal for sit the first time), and restrained recalls (like in flyball), and he did very well.
I'm just curious what else we should be addressing. Along with the lack of voice he has some mobility issues so he can't run and has trouble moving very quickly but he hangs in there pretty well with the dog.
Very nice guy, very nice dog, I think we've already made some progress in the class but we're doing a few privates to help things along and I just want to make sure I'm offering him every tip I can for his situation.
Anything to offer? Any links I need to be reading to help assist him best? Any stories to offer?
Thanks in advance.