I Photographed dogs with congenital deafness in order to highlight just how amazing and adaptable they are

March 12, 2022March 12, 2022 Jessica 0 Comments

In this photo series I photographed dogs with congenital deafness in order to highlight just how amazing and adaptable they are. Though there are some challenges to having a deaf dog, there are also great rewards.

It is often believed that training a deaf dog is difficult, if not impossible, but most have found them to be quite easy to train; you just need to use hand signals instead of verbal commands. Some owners have even taught their dogs ASL (American Sign Language).

I found deaf dogs to be extremely easy to photograph in the studio, because they didn’t have the typical anxiety about the studio strobes firing. Here are some of the adorable and very laid-back deaf dogs that I photographed.

Rhett – Heeler

Congenital deafness can potentially appear in any breed and has been reported in many varied dog breeds. It is particularly prevalent in dogs with white pigmentation of skin and fur.

The disorder is usually associated with two pigmentation genes in particular; the merle gene (e.g., Shetland Sheepdog, Australian Shepherd, Dachshunds, Harlequin Great Danes, Old English Sheepdogs, Collies) and the piebald gene (E.g., Dalmatian, Bull Terrier, Greyhound, Beagle, Bulldog).

Genevieve – Dogo Argentino

Jōnsi – Minature American Shepherd

Dogs with this disorder are not born deaf. Deafness usually develops in the first few weeks after birth while the ear canal is still closed. Collapse to the blood supply to the cochlea causes the sensory nerve cells of the cochlea to die, resulting in permanent loss of hearing.

The exact cause is not known, but it is believed to be connected to an absence of melanocytes (pigment-producing cells) in the capillary loop in the upper portion of the cochlear duct.

Donut – Red Heeler Mix

Patsy – Boxer

Today there are many resources out there to help people navigate the challenges of living with a deaf dog. It’s also important to realize that hearing is not a primary sense for dogs and they are also an extremely adaptable species, who want nothing more than to be happy and loved.

Plus, think of all the things that make deaf dogs unique from hearing dogs: Deaf dogs are not afraid of fireworks or thunderstorms, they are not bothered by your loud music or surround sound TV, they could care less when you pull out the vacuum, they make great service dogs, you can take them anywhere because they are not distracted by noise and commotion, plus, they form a tight bond with their human and will follow you anywhere.

Nola – Catahoula Mix