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Does Bentley have hearing problem?

1K views 14 replies 10 participants last post by  Thalie 
#1 ·
I'm not sure if I need to take Bentley to get his ears checked or not. From day one DH has tried to teach him to come when he whistles (he does this with all of our dogs). When he whistles, even when Bentley is sitting right in front of him, Bentley will start looking at me then all over trying to figure out where that sound is coming from. He's 6 months old and still does the same thing.

This AM Bentley was laying on the floor in front of DH's bedroom door when his alarm went off. Bentley jumped up and went running to every room (except the bedroom) trying to find that noise.

I know he can hear because I can verbally call him from a different room and he'll come running. Is this a hearing problem or does he need to "ride the short bus"?
 
#2 ·
Our Barnaby has always done a similar thing to Bentley, he will come to his name but then go to the wrong room to look for you. It is almost like he is playing hide and seek. Barnaby too has never responded very well to whistles. The fact that Bentley responds well to his name I don't think would suggest deafness, but you may feel better getting it checked out anyway.
 
#5 ·
The whistle isn't really used for a recall. If DH really wants him he will say "Bentley come". It just seems strange to me that Bentley can't seem to tell from where, or even from which direction, the noise is coming from.
 
#6 ·
I've noticed that if my non-verbal cues aren't consistent, Bella will get confused. For example, I recently changed my hand signal for "down." It took a couple days for her to get used to that. She didn't know what to do at first. Another example....I have her sit stay to wait for her food, and say, "take it," while pointing at her bowl. It I don't point, or do it just a little differently, she doesn't move, and sits there all confused, looking around. I don't know. Maybe this has nothing to do with what's happening to Bentley. It's the first thing I thought of, because I've recently experienced something similar, and it was all about body language and hand signals.


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#8 ·
Joyce, Murdock has since he was just a tiny pup had the same issues. When something on the TV makes a sound that gets his interest, he looks all over to see where it is.

However, if you rustle a bag, which he associates with food, he be all over you in seconds no mater where in the house you are.

I think it is just selective hear and not understand what he is supposed to do. That is why when they are young, you alternate whistle with telling them to "come" so that eventually, they learn the whistling is the same as the command to "come".
 
#11 ·
That's what I'm talking about. He can hear me peel a banana from the other side of the house but he can't seem to tell where noises are coming from or even what direction.
I just found it odd because none of my dogs have ever been like that. I'm guessing it's another "puppy quirk" :D
 
#12 ·
Mine did that too and maybe it is a Golden thing? But the way I got the brain cells to click, was I got on my knees and whistled then called "come" when they came I tried a softer whistle and let them smell and nose my mouth where the "sound" was coming from. We practiced a few days while on a longer lead with a whistle the come, then treat..and by golly they figured it out that the whistle was the same as the word come.

Funny cause all my other dogs have always picked up on this quickly, but these two didn't and I need them to know this when we are out in the fields. Now they come a running.
 
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#13 ·
Thanks Deb. DH read this so he's been working with Bentley the way you described. It's so funny how Bentley not only sniffs DH's mouth, he tries to lick it. Then he tilts his head side to side like he's so confused. It's hilarious to watch!
 
#14 ·
Sage is the same way!!! I'm thinking it might be a puppy thing! I know her hearing is good though, she was outside on the deck with DH being naughty and I picked up her squeeky toy and started making noise, she heard it through the house outside. She also responds to me whispering her name.
 
#15 ·
I know that there is something called "unilateral deafness" that has a lack of ability to detect the direction the sounds come from as a symptom.

Not to say that Bentley or any of the pups who seem to do that are unilaterally deaf, just it is something that does exist.
 
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