is it true that white dogs are more prone to deafness?

Question

ive heard that sooo many places and from soo many people.. and i just got a puppy (almost ALL white) and either he just doesnt like acting like he hears or.. he really is hard of hearing.. help

I just got the puppy like.. 6 hours ago. I took him to my fiance's work, to let him see him, and he agreed (which is unlike him... lol) that he might be. I wouldnt mind at all about taking care of a deaf dog, but.. I just need to know if im going to be able take care of him the right way IF he is deaf..

abbybme.. that makes no sense.. lol you need to explain where you got the blindness thing from.. aghhh...

Answer 1

It depends on the breed. Some breeds are white - Samoyeds, for example. It would be ridiculous to say that all Sams are blind or deaf.

But in some breeds white is a recessive gene that is linked to blindness and/or deafness. Great Danes are one of these, and that is why a white Dane should never be bred. Some of the puppies will be born deaf and/or blind. And that is why white is not a recognized colour for this breed.

Take your puppy to a vet. Any new puppy should have a checkup anyway. Check his hearing, and if he should be deaf, he is a perfectly fine puppy, and he can learn hand signals.

Answer 2

Have the puppy checked by a vet. The puppy will need immunization shots anyways and nobody can tell you for certain if your puppy is deaf without seeing it. It could be that the puppy is more interested in just playing. I've heard some white dogs are more prone to being deaf but it depends on the dogs breed. (white boxers are suppose to be prone to being deaf) but who knows better than a vet? Ask your vet. Every dog deserves a loving home regardless if it's deaf, blind or other handicap. Good Luck!

Answer 3

Not only is deafness a big problem but blindness as well in a lot of breeds. If you are getting a dog from a shelter you can bet the reason it is there it is already showing signsof the problems, but if deafness is the only problem it has you can teach it to use basic hand signals and can get along great. If you do not have the time patience then steer cleer of them. It is a genetic thing. Read up on the breed you interested in to see if they seem to have the problem

Answer 4

yes - it's not afor sure thing - eg - all white dogs will be deaf -but alot of whitedogs are prone to deafness / born deaf - orget it earlier in lifethan most non white dogs - the reason currently slips my mind
puppies can be like teenagers at times I reccomend testing him with various noises like a hidden squeak toy noise , or other suchthings - if your still worried take him to the vtthey can do a check up there

Answer 5

in some breed like shelties if you breed blue merles together you will come up with puppies the can be deaf or blind. in danes the same thing harlequins. white shepherds are normal because of black skin same as samoyeds, bichons.and westie. so not all white dog are going to be deaf

Answer 6

yes it is a tendency to have hearing problems in white dogs; many a deaf dog learns by hand signals and is still a great dog even though deaf

Answer 7

Yes it true. It applies to most of the animal kingdom also, I have a white cat who was born deaf and he'salmost 11 now, they adapt and lead normal lives.

Answer 8

Dalmatians are. But your puppy is just disobedient and needs to be trained, like all puppies, to respect you as his boss (pack leader). Ask your vet about puppy pre-school. If you don't train the dog early, you could have huge problems later.

Answer 9

It depends on the breed, and it isn't because of the coat color, but the lack of pigment in the ears.

There are also other reasons for deafness.

Answer 10

No, it is not true that a white dog is more prone to deafness. A white dog is more prone to going blind. All dogs are prone to deafness to the same degree...same as people.