# Adolescent “hearing loss”



## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

I’ve had a number of people ask me recently about their adolescent puppy who suddenly won’t do something that they used to do willingly. This is SO common! It happens with human teenagers too, of course, but for some reason, people are surprised when it happens with dogs! It is absolutely natural for things to become harder for our adolescent dogs to “hear” us as they become more aware of the wider world around them, as their bodies change and hormones come on board, and as we become less the center of their universe. Here is a great Kikopup video with some very useful tips to help you get through this period!:


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## Eric D. Phillips (Nov 3, 2021)

How do dogs act when they lose their hearing?


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## Melissa Brill (Feb 22, 2017)

Eric D. Phillips said:


> How do dogs act when they lose their hearing?


Karen is talking about the "selective hearing" that happens when they stop doing what you tell them to - not actual hearing loss  ... Having had a deaf dog, I can attest that this type of "hearing loss" happens not only with pups that can hear but with deaf ones too. My Dalmatian was deaf - and when she didn't want to "listen" she was very deliberate about it - looking at you, sees the command, then very very deliberately turning her head away (once she even turned her head to look at the ceiling to ignore me!)


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

Melissa Brill said:


> Karen is talking about the "selective hearing" that happens when they stop doing what you tell them to - not actual hearing loss  ... Having had a deaf dog, I can attest that this type of "hearing loss" happens not only with pups that can hear but with deaf ones too. My Dalmatian was deaf - and when she didn't want to "listen" she was very deliberate about it - looking at you, sees the command, then very very deliberately turning her head away (once she even turned her head to look at the ceiling to ignore me!)


It never occurred to me what an “ignore” from a deaf dog would like! LOL!


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## Melissa Brill (Feb 22, 2017)

krandall said:


> It never occurred to me what an “ignore” from a deaf dog would like! LOL!


Lol. Mostly it looks the same as from a hearing dog, just ignoring you (and moving their eyes really fast past you so that they can't "accidentally" see the command you're giving) - but my last one could sometimes be very bratty about it and stare at you (so you KNEW she saw what you'd said!) and then very deliberately turned her head away. I did laugh the time that she looked at me and then very slowing turned her head to look at the ceiling - zero attempt at pretending that she was just looking at something else


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## MMoore (Aug 20, 2020)

My oldest daughter is deaf. From the time she was 3 or 4, through at least the teenager years, if she didn't want to pay attention to me, she would look me in the eye for a brief second, and then purposefully just close her eyes. It was MADDENING!!!


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## Kay251 (Jun 17, 2021)

I'm going through this with my 7-month puppy. Barks for no apparent reason, doesn't listen, gets a little destructive when bored, and seems to be in his own world at times. Definitely a teenager. Can't wait for the end of this stage  I noticed working on 'To Me' with lots of treats seems to help snap him out of his moods.


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