HELP! we rescued a DEAF Bull Terrier

Teresa_D

This could have also gone under the topic of rescue, also.
Last weekend my daughter and I rescued a 2 yr old Bull Terrier from a shelter in LA CA.  We drove for an hour to go rescue this guy that had been dumped  at 2 diff. LA area shelters.  The second shelter was told he was sick, but I dont think that is why he was dropped off.  It took me about 24 hours of thinking that he didnt know his name to figure out he is stone deaf.  So far we have kept him on a long lead when in the house and allowed free time in our small "backyard".  He is a Very friendly little guy, but I know my 18 yr old daughter, who is the one who initiated the adoption is feeling overwhelmed.  I am looking for help in teaching him to be the awesome dog I know he is.   We have started sign language with him, but he is a lot of dog and needs to "run", our fear is, he wont be able to here us calling him to come back.  Also, being as he is already 2 can he be taught to not endanger himself or my other LARGE animals?  I have horses and a VERY large mule who would not think twice about fighting back if Virgil gets in his stall.
Thanks Teresa_D

BulliesofNC

Being that he's a mature two year old adult Bull Terrier you're going to have some difficulties teaching him how to properly socialize with other animals. Unfortunately many deaf Bull Terriers often have aggression issues with other dogs, cats, and animals.

What I would suggest is that you invest into a electric collar. These collars are very safe and humane. You can adjust the settings from low to high depending on the tolerance of the individual dog. This collar will at least provide you with a method to train him so he knows when you are wanting his attention focused back to you. This way if he wonders off or needs to be stopped from doing something he shouldn't you have a method of communicating to him when his attention isn't on you.

I commend you for taking on the challenges of adopting a deaf Bull Terrier. There are many who have had great success with training and raising a deaf Bullie. Due to his age and most likely lack of attention from his original owner it may be a bit more difficult for you than it would be if you raised him from a puppy but it surely isn't impossible. Please keep us posted on your progress.

RoscosMom

I was going to suggest the electronic collar too!  Rosco just got back from training with one and it is awesome.  We have it on a very low level (depending on his excitement level and where we are) and he responds to hand commands.   Our trainer told us to keep our voice tone at a normal level and each time we have to say it again we say it lower (not louder) and signal him with the electronic collar. In your case, you would only use hand signals and electronic collar of course.   I am not sure how you would go about initially training him with this, but I would think that working with him with a short lead with immediate corrections and signaling him at the same time with the EC and a hand signal would be a good start if you couldn't invest in a trainer.   Do you agree @BulliesofNC ?  I know that at this point Rosco immediately responds to the gentle EC signal and I can direct him to heel and sit, or go to his bed and lay down easily.  

Teresa_D

Thank you for your input I was actually thinking about an EC.  We used them for my husbands hunting dogs.   When Virgil was at the Shelter he was graded on Temperament and socially, he passed with flying colors on both.  He has been great with our very old Lab who was able to put him in his place.  He barks at the cats, but its the ruff play with my GSD puppy that is the issue right now.  He is a very friendly and loving dog.

BulliesofNC

He sounds like he's got a great personality and character. I'm sure he's a little hyper at times and mischievous but what young Bull Terrier isn't. He settle down and learn to play nicely with your puppy once he's got familiarity with him.
 

tuco88

I also have a deaf EBT, Tuco,  and he is only 7 months old. I have managed to potty train Tuco and taught him several tricks and commands via sign language. I knew It'd be difficult to train a deaf EBT, and gladly accepted the challenge. Tuco is great with people, especially with kids. However, he is extremely aggressive towards other dogs. When I first brought Tuco home, he came to a home of 3 other chihuahuas. Tuco gets along very well with my other dogs and plays all day long with them. It is unfamiliar dogs who he is very aggressive. I was very skeptical about using an electric collar to train him. I have taken him to a dog park once and he wanted to kill every dog in there. A person recommended using a muzzle to get him to warm up to the other pups. What other tips or suggestions do you recommend for further training? Apperantly deaf all white EBT's is quite common.

p.s. @BulliesofNC, your webpage is pretty awesome.

Thanks.

BulliesofNC

@tuco88 - Thanks for the compliment on our website. Last year I had a couple come visit with us and they brought their Bull Terrier with them. I am used to having many visitors here and have had the pleasure of meeting many other Bull Terriers. However, this bull terrier was different than most. He was completely deaf. The owners didn't mind one bit about it and at an early age they actually started training him to understand their sign language. I was truly amazed to see the woman give him a hand sign in order to calm him down when he first got out of the car and greeted me. Shortly after she gave him a sign to sit and he immediately sat and stayed still. He was so attentive to her body language and signals I was amazed. Not one word was spoken to him, it was all body language and hand signals. One thing was for sure, he was one smart Bull Terrier!
Unfortunately one of the things that is predominate with deaf Bull Terriers is that most do have dog aggression. I can understand why too because as bad as it is for a Bull Terrier that can hear perfectly fine many still find reasons to compete for dominance. A deaf Bull Terrier can't react the same way as those that can hear and sudden movements stem different reactions.
Something I thought to be really cool was a video they showed me of their Bullie riding on the lap of the husband on his riding mower while cutting the grass of their yard. They explained that he jumps right up every time it's time to cut the grass. Obviously noises don't scare him and he really likes sitting on moving objects and loves car rides.
Training him to accept other dogs that he is unfamiliar with will be difficult. On a good note he is still a young puppy and the more you socialize him the more comfortable he become around them. Some say that a deaf Bullie will always be dog aggressive but I just don't buy that. I think it takes a different form of training and a lot of socialization with the right dogs.
I sure would love to see a photo of Tucu.

tuco88

Tuco really enjoys car rides as well, especially when I have the doors and hardtop off of the Jeep during summer time. He loves when I take him to the desert and let him roam around freely. I will look into investing on an electric collar to get him to socialize with other dogs. I truly believe that the collar will also facilitate further training. Thanks for replying.

philsergeant

@tuco88, first of all I am really touched and proud of your effort with your boy.... And then I saw the photos and that is about the cutest EBT I have ever seen.... He is magnificent and I am certain he will bring you years of utter joy! Well done, and a very Merry Christmas!

BulliesofNC

What a cute little Bullie he is!!  :-bd

Quinnofhearts

Ha, awfully big ears for a fella that can't hear! :P He'll grow into them. He's cute, I love his spotty nose. I hope you can get the help and tools you need so you and Tuco can be a great team.

philsergeant

because he is deaf , God made those huge ears so that he can fly into the hearts of everyone he meets!

Seon

It takes a special person to own a deaf dog and I'm sure at times it's a little overwhelming.  My hat is off to you for adopting him.