Hearing loss in dog? Too young?

[PineBurrowPeeps]

This is Mistyfield's Sir Reese Of My Heart CGC

He's 8. He's my best bud, the best dog I have ever had. My retired Service Dog. Highly trained, was a perfect puppy, dream to train, just perfect. Awesome with everything and everyone. Never bitten or even growled at a human.

Suddenly, I am noticing that when he once had a perfect recall off leash at a distance (We have 4 acres and when I let him out I just open the door, he goes off a few feet, does his thing, comes right back while I wait) I now have to repeat myself a couple of times loudly before he comes.
Today I called him to give him his heartworm med and flea and tick spot treatment, and also his yearly 8-way shot and when I called him from the kitchen (he was in the dining room right off the kitchen) he got up from laying down and walked into the living room tail wagging looking for me (in the opposite direction). I called him again and he turned around and came to me like nothing was amiss.
I have never had a dog this long before. I don't know the signs of dog aging. At 8 could his hearing be starting to go?

He's snoozing under my desk right now, always the loyal companion.

 

[Shanay235]

Yes it's possible that his hearing could be going at 8 yrs. old. Even possible that he may be getting a touch of canine dementia. A vet once told me that they start treating some large breed dogs as "geriatric" at 5 yrs. old.

 

[PineBurrowPeeps]

Oh man... I had no idea. I was thinking like 10-12 was the time when things would start to go in that regaurd. Thinking about him getting old and going away makes me choke up bad. Darnit

 

[gaited horse]

train him with hand signal[sp]

 

[Shanay235]

I agree with gaited horse. We've trained all of our dogs with corresponding hand signals to their verbal commands just in case the day ever came when they may need it.

Best to take him to the vet for a hearing evaluation but you could try testing him a little at home. Stand behind him or someplace where he can't see you but you can watch him and try making different pitched sounds. Clap your hands, lightly at first, if he can't hear that keep getting louder and louder until he responds. That should tell you how well his hearing is.

 

[stumble_n_mumble]

yes it can happen to a 8 yr old dog. my pug who is 5 is almost deaf and it is very upsetting but she is still getting by. we taught her hand signals and shes right back to her perfect self

 

[katrinag]

Yes the can start losing there hearing at 8. I had a mixed lab go deaf at 6.

 

[PineBurrowPeeps]

He is trained to about 20 different hand signals already but I just never put one on the recall. It should only take me about 10 minutes to get the basics of it down with him. This is a dog that is trained to retrieve all sorts of things (a dime off of a hard floor), can put a VHS tape in a VCR and turn on the TV, bring a remote, makes sure I take my daily meds, brings bottles of water to take meds with, did mobility bracing work, blood sugar change alerts, etc. He picks things up FAST. It just crept up on me, where did 8 years go?!

Here he is in harness at 2. This picture was in Just Labs magazine in an article about Psychiatric Service Dogs and featured Reese. I love this pic.

 

[Shanay235]

If worse comes to worse and he is going deaf it may be a little hard to train him on a recall hand signal. I mean, I know he's capable but what if he's not looking at you when you say it's time to come back inside? In that case, for a recall, you may have to get a little creative and train him to come back with a vibrating collar or something similar.

 

[PineBurrowPeeps]

Yes, I was thinking that. A vibrating collar, thats a neat idea!