Deaf Dog Awareness WeekÂ
Some estimates show that approximately 35,000 deaf dogs are living in the United States who were born deaf in both ears and more than 100,000 are deaf in just one ear.
Many more will have become deaf throughout their lifetimes because of various circumstances.
Deaf Dog Awareness Week is an opportunity for pet owners, dog lovers, and concerned citizens to learn more and raise awareness about this condition and how to support the deaf dog community.
History of Deaf Dog Awareness Week
Deaf Dog Awareness Week was established through the efforts of Petfinder, a database that provides information on adoptable pets. This website connects hundreds of thousands of pets throughout North America with their new families with their foster or forever homes.
The purpose behind Deaf Dog Awareness Week is to promote education for the public about deaf dogs, reducing stigmas and dispelling myths that have often come along with deafness in dogs.
While they might need so special care and training, deaf dogs can still bring a deep satisfaction to the families they live their lives with, bringing lots of joy, fun, snuggles, and more!
How to Celebrate Deaf Dog Awareness Week
Get on board and show support for these cute little creatures by celebrating Deaf Dog Awareness Week with some of these ideas:
Consider Adopting a Deaf Dog
Because many people think that having a deaf dog might be a high-maintenance endeavor, deaf dogs can be difficult for animal shelters to place for adoption into families.
Perhaps Deaf Dog Awareness Week would be just the time for an individual or couple who wants a pet to consider what it would be like to adopt a deaf dog.
Share Stories About Your Deaf Dog
Those who are happy owners of hearing-impaired dogs might want to take Deaf Dog Awareness Week as an opportunity to share their stories with the world. Take to social media with photos or videos of that furry friend, sharing the ins and outs of life with a deaf dog is like.
Understand More About Deaf Dogs
Just like deaf humans, deaf dogs learn the same information that their hearing counterparts do, but they use their other senses to take in that information.
Get more involved with and show support for Deaf Dog Awareness Week by learning a few things about deaf dogs and then sharing it with the world in person or through social media.
Check out some of these interesting facts about deaf dogs to get started with:
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Some dogs are born deaf because of congenital defects, but they also may lose their sense of hearing through an accident illness or simply because of the process of aging
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Dogs with certain colors and coat patterns are more likely to be deaf, including those who are white, gray or merle
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Deaf dogs can be trained through means that don’t require hearing, such as hand signals or touch training
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Dogs who can’t hear will still bark – sometimes more excessively than hearing dogs
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