- Oct 16, 2025
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Have you ever wondered how to train a disabled dog? In this post, I will go over a few communication methods for disabled dogs.
The methods discussed in this post refer to communication methods, not training methods. The same way you would train your dog with voice commands would be used with these methods in place of speaking.
Deaf Dogs
Hearing is an important sense for humans and dogs alike. But what if your dog cannot hear?
Hand signals
Hand signals are very common ways to communicate with dogs and teach new commands. In fact, most dogs pick up on hand signals more quickly than voice commands because they are more in tune with body language, and don't speak our language.
Blind Dogs
The eye is a powerful sensory organ that allows us to avoid obsticles. Without it, we must use other means of communication with our dogs. A dog's hearing is so acute that they can hear your heartbeat from 15 feet away. This makes Voice Commands perfect for blind dogs.
Deaf AND Blind Dogs
If you cannot use hand signals to train your dog, and you can't use voice commands, what can you use?
When working with deaf and blind dogs, there is one thing that they have in common with non disabled dogs: their sense of smell!
Scent commands
Because a dog's sense of smell is very powerful, we can use different scents to signal the dog to complete different commands. Cotton balls can be frozen with different scents and held in a baggie for use at later times. Hold the cotton ball with the corresponding scent to your dog's nose to associate that with a specific command.
Touch signals
Touch signals are an invaluable way to communicate with deaf and blind dogs. The tactile stimulation makes it very clear to them what you are trying to communicate.
Examples of touch signals:
These training methods are not exclusive to blind and/or deaf dogs. Any dog can learn hand and touch signals. In fact, these types of commands can be very helpful in situations in which there is a need to be quiet, or in cases where your dog is not receptive to voice commands for one reason or another. At the very least, teaching these alternate modes of communication are a great way to work with your dog in new ways, and keep training fun and engaging.
Do you have or have ever had a disabled dog? Have training tips? I would love to hear your experiences!
The methods discussed in this post refer to communication methods, not training methods. The same way you would train your dog with voice commands would be used with these methods in place of speaking.
Deaf Dogs
Hearing is an important sense for humans and dogs alike. But what if your dog cannot hear?
Hand signals
Hand signals are very common ways to communicate with dogs and teach new commands. In fact, most dogs pick up on hand signals more quickly than voice commands because they are more in tune with body language, and don't speak our language.
Blind Dogs
The eye is a powerful sensory organ that allows us to avoid obsticles. Without it, we must use other means of communication with our dogs. A dog's hearing is so acute that they can hear your heartbeat from 15 feet away. This makes Voice Commands perfect for blind dogs.
Deaf AND Blind Dogs
If you cannot use hand signals to train your dog, and you can't use voice commands, what can you use?
When working with deaf and blind dogs, there is one thing that they have in common with non disabled dogs: their sense of smell!
Scent commands
Because a dog's sense of smell is very powerful, we can use different scents to signal the dog to complete different commands. Cotton balls can be frozen with different scents and held in a baggie for use at later times. Hold the cotton ball with the corresponding scent to your dog's nose to associate that with a specific command.
Touch signals
Touch signals are an invaluable way to communicate with deaf and blind dogs. The tactile stimulation makes it very clear to them what you are trying to communicate.
Examples of touch signals:
- Tapping your dog's shoulder blades for a sit
- Swiping down in your dogs foreleg for a down
- Tapping your dog's foot for a shake
These training methods are not exclusive to blind and/or deaf dogs. Any dog can learn hand and touch signals. In fact, these types of commands can be very helpful in situations in which there is a need to be quiet, or in cases where your dog is not receptive to voice commands for one reason or another. At the very least, teaching these alternate modes of communication are a great way to work with your dog in new ways, and keep training fun and engaging.
Do you have or have ever had a disabled dog? Have training tips? I would love to hear your experiences!
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