In 1994 I had an appointment with an audiologist, the news wasn’t great; he said I had congenital hearing loss and that I was “that far” (holding thumb and index finger ½ inch apart) away from being able to understand conversational speech. He suggested hearing aids might be in my near future, but hearing aids aren’t cheap so it wasn’t until 2005 that I could afford to buy them – at a cost of $1400 a pop!
Also in 2005 we adopted Zack a 5 year old deaf (also congenital) Dalmatian – it was then that I started to think about American Sign Language (ASL) and that maybe learning ASL could help me communicate with Zack as well as provide me with another communication tool as my own hearing would inevitably deteriorate further as I get older.
Sidenote: One day I took one of my hearing aids out and set it on the coffee table and went out, probably to get a Latte from Starbucks or something. I returned home to find numerous little plastic bits on the carpet and upon closer inspection was not pleased that those “pieces” were my hearing aid. I guess Zack found the taste of ear wax (a gross thought I know), simply earisistable! $1400…..poof!! Advice: Never do that!
It is well known that dogs respond better and faster to visual cues than to verbal ones, and I can see learning ASL and teaching it to your dog(s) as a great way to communicate more effectively with them.
What is American Sign Language (ASL)?
The National Institute of Deafness and Other Communication Disorders defines ASL as;
“a complete, complex language that employs signs made with the hands and other movements, including facial expressions and postures of the body. It is the first language of many deaf North Americans, and one of several communication options available to deaf people. ASL is said to be the fourth most commonly used language in the United States.”
Dogs communicate with each other and with their “persons”, in a variety of ways including visual cues (eye contact, body language etc.), verbal cues (barks, whining & whimpering), olfactory communication (communicating by smells) and even licking as a form of communication.
Since dogs don’t understand English (as a language at least), or any other language for that matter, and because we don’t understand bark-speak, visual communication through hand signals (ASL) can be a great tool, in addition to the vocal communications we all use when communicating with our dog(s).
When a dog meets another dog in the “real dog world”, they’re way of saying “hi how are ya” begins with body language first and then by smelling each other’s butts – there’s not much going on in the way of small talk.
Why Teach a Dog ASL?
The obvious reason is if you have a deaf dog, but there are other reasons why you might want to teach your dog ASL such as;
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When his/her hearing begins to deteriorate due to age
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Dogs competing for obedience titles are required to know hand signals
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Command from a distance, when they are unable to hear you but can still see you
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Command a working dog from a distance
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Just for the cool factor
Many dog owners that sign with their dog use the same ASL signs as deaf people use, but some prefer to use a modified version of hand signals called Canine Sign Language. ASL usually requires two hands, but when you’re out with your dog on a walk, you may not always have two hands available for signing. More than likely you’ll be holding a leash, a poop bag or both, which is the reason for the modified CSL.
Of course in teaching your dog to understand sign language, you yourself have to learn to sign too. You can probably find an ASL course in your local city or town, read a book or find online tutorials to learn it. Due to laziness and procrastination I still haven’t taken the time to learn ASL, but communicating more effectively with my dogs is something that I’ve very interested in. Maybe it’s time to get off my lazy a$$ and take an ASL course?!
Resources
Deaf Dog Education Action Fund
Signing Savvy – a great website with video showing how to sign letters and words.
Mimic Mutt Sign Language for Dogs
Do you sign with your dog?
I'm a dog guardian to Sweety, my 15 year old Border Collie & Zeus a stray American Pit Bull Terrier that I rescued in October of 2009. I write about canine health and nutrition focusing mainly on topics relating to feeding a raw meaty bones diet.
