Deaf !

Can dogs or do dogs go deaf as they get older ? does it always happen ? please excuse my ignorance.

Hi-dogs can and do go deaf but it doesn't always happen-if you think you pet is going deaf,try clicking your fingers behind his/her head when he/she has back to you, or try clapping your hands when he/she is least expecting it and see what response you get. Dogs don't go deaf as a matter of course but as they get older their hearing can be impaired-suppose its like a lot of us humans some go deaf some don't-some of us pretend to be deaf if we don't like what we are hearing-dogs are good at that too!

Yes & No in that order

Yes they do sometimes go deaf. I have two dogs the same age - one can hear a pin drop 100yards away, the other is definitely hard of hearing. (lucky in some respects as she can no longer hear thunderstorms and fireworks which used to petrify her). It can be tricky not to take her by surprise and not make her jump though! She often turns her head from side to side as she's walking to see if there's someone behind her.
They will be thirteen this year.

My Kali was 15 in April (he's a Border Collie), and he is definitely deaf (maybe not 100%, but well over 90% ). I'm also pretty sure he doesn't see as well as he used to, but he still watches helicopters going over on their way to the oil rigs


Snorri

I guess some can go deaf yes.

Although, I do wonder at times if it is real deafness, or just selective as they do get more cantankerous & stubborn as they get into their golden years lol

My MIL is like that (not that I'm likening her to a dog! I love her to bits! ). You have to shout at her sometimes so she can hear you, but whisper a bit of gossip and she could repeat it word for word

my 14 and half year old collie is going deaf but not compleatly
jo

My nearly 14 year old Border Collie is deaf, he started to go deaf when he was about 10 years old and is now nearly completely deaf. He leads a happy life, it doesn't affect him at all, he never goes far from me and knows quite a few hand signals.
Luckily my nearly 11 year old Border Collie isn't showing any signs of going deaf as he would be a nightmare he's always off looking for rabbits etc.

Hi Gem not only can dogs become deaf but how they actually hear sounds can change with age. They may retain the ability to hear sounds of a certain pitch but not others. One thing they can usually pick up is vibration so if you think a dogs hearing is failing clap your hands/bang a tin/stamp your feet and that will often get their attention .

Loss of hearing can be due to a problem with the ears, but it can also be due to a condition called Canine cognitive dysfunction (CCD) which is a kind of canine Alzheimer's.
When a dog has CCD they may still be able to hear sounds quite well but don't always react to them.

Sometimes when a dog is losing its hearing (or has CCD) once familiar sounds can suddenly change and the dog may become fearful of this 'new' sound .

Yes, and no, in that order.

Roxy is 13 and is going deaf..... she's off in her own little world most of the time, and really doesn't hear me. I have to go up to her and touch her to get her attention sometimes..... bless!