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[D408]Disability For Hearing Loss

by Jeff Nenadic, Jef

It is a common misconception on the part of dog owners to equate a decrease in the animal's attentiveness or not practicing what they learned in obedience training as a sign of improper behavior or insolence. Typically, these things occur with older canines and have nothing to do with their behavior or intelligence whatsoever. Where older dogs are concerned, these usually indicate a gradual loss of their hearing. It follows then that if your dog appears to be ignoring you or is slow to respond that you should not be punitive of their behavior.

Reductions in the dog's ability to hear are normally based on one of two aspects:

noise and sounds

range of volume

Remember that it isn't just a matter of hearing loss, but that the older a dog gets, the slower their brain processes the input, hence the lag in reaction time. This combination of hearing loss and lack of reacting is very common in older canines and will oftentimes result in the owner feeling that their dog is being inattentive. Avoid making those "knee-jerk" reactions and being harsh with your dog, otherwise they will become afraid of you.

There is a simple test that you can perform if you feel that hearing loss may be causing that slow reaction time. First of all, seclude your dog in a private room making sure that there are no types of distractions - i.e. lights, sounds, and vibrations. Next, make sure that your dog is resting, but not asleep. Position yourself 5 to 6 feet behind the animal so they cannot see you and then clap your hands loudly.

Pay attention to both the dog's ears and their head when clapping the hands as any dog that is not having any hearing problems should react to the noise. Observe if the ears perk up immediately following the sound or if they actually turn around to notice you. A hearing impairment is normally evident if the animal is slow to respond, but if there is no response at all, repeat the test by standing a foot or two closer to your dog. If there is still no noticeable reaction, then you should definitely call your veterinarian and schedule an appointment for a hearing test for the animal.

An additional suggestion is that you repeat this test two or three times, decreasing the volume of the sound each time. This will give you an idea as to their actual hearing range of the animal and help you determine if your dog has a normal hearing level or not. Keep in mind that following a loud noise with a soft noise will make it even more difficult for the animal to hear you if they are suffering from any hearing loss at all. Therefore, you don't want to conduct these "clapping" tests with rapidity. Take a little bit of time in between the tests.

As the dog gets progressively older, consider conducting this hearing test with greater frequency because it enables you to track your dog's hearing ability. You might even consider constructing a chart where you can make notes so that you have this with you when you make an appointment with your veterinarian. Be aware that these tests are by no means an absolute determination of a hearing loss condition.

If you're anything like me, then your hearing is something that you definitely take for granted. You don't think too much about the privilege of being able to hear everything around you because it has simply always been that way. You grow up hearing the voices of the ones you love, the music that you love, and all the other fabulous (and annoying) sounds in the world. Think about all of the smallest sounds that make up the sounds of your day: your turn signal blinking in the car, the keys of your keyboard as you type an email, the coffee pot as it creates your pick-me-up brew, or the sink as the water gets hot. All of these sounds, and so many more, make up the small details of our worlds. Can you imagine dealing with hearing loss and not being able to hear these ordinary things?

We've probably all experienced the temporary hearing loss that comes from having water in our ears or from having a really bad cold. There is nothing like not being able to hear the people around you. Hearing loss, no matter how small or severe, makes communication with people really difficult and frustrating. We rely on our abilities to talk and to hear in every significant relationship in our lives.

Or take your job for example. Regardless of what you do, isn't the ability to hear quite significant to your work? How would you sit through a board meeting or teach a class or make a phone call if you had hearing loss? Once you start to really think about the role of hearing in our lives, you can never deny the privilege and the blessing it really is.

In today's age, there are many ways to battle against hearing loss and to use techonology to restore hearing loss. So if you or someone you know is struggling with the beginning stages of hearing loss, then make an appointment to see your doctor today and see what you can be done to keep your hearing intact. You won't know how valuable hearing is until you lose it, so do what you can do preserve your hearing starting today.

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Both Jeff Nenadic & Belina Storrey are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.

Jeff Nenadic has sinced written about articles on various topics from Pets, Dog Breeds and Dogs Training. Written by Jeff Nenadic from - where you can find in over 150 different styles. Jeff Nenadic's top article generates over 27100 views. to your Favourites.

Belina Storrey has sinced written about articles on various topics from Japan Car, Home Management and Finances. Belina Storrey loves being a physician's assitant. She thinks it is the dream job. She loves helping people deal with . See www.funhearingloss.info for mo. Belina Storrey's top article generates over 9900 views. to your Favourites.