Scare Story, Prejudice or Nonsense ? -A Deaf or Blind Dog is a Defect in the Design of Dogs?
Summary: Among the natural varieties and differences caused by the ancient genetics of dogs are a few deaf dogs, blind dogs, long ears, others have short ears, people crop ears of some breeds but leave others glorious, owners nipped off the whiskers of some for the show ring despite discomfort to the dogs, and other breeds seem to lack whiskers, breeds are allegedly born without tails and the owners chop off the tails of other breeds - -so why is hearing with one ear an unforgiveable social dog-defect, and hearing instinctively by other doggish perceptions forbidden by some people such as the Dalmatian Club of America Board of Directors, (1994-2011) and Dr Strain, a professor of LSU? Some objections seemed to be religious, implying that the believer knew precisely what their deity intended or designed for all “perfect” dogs. Other people seemed to regard an owner's anxious suspicion of deafness as a means of marketing a BAER test, perhaps followed by a cremation and a little pine box for the mantelpiece.
As long as dogs existed, some of them have been slightly deaf (hearing with one ear) and perhaps two of each ten thousand dogs were unable to hear exactly like ordinary dogs and humans do with two ears, each relying on cochlea and tiny inner ear nerves. Always also every dog was born with many alternative ways of detecting mechanical waves (sounds) and could do almost everything as well as ordinary dogs.[1]
Ignorance or careless thinking over thousands of years lumped rare traits, of dogs and humans, with diseases. Differences such as missing hair and odd dog coat colors could look like symptoms of diseases. Many human differences until this century had a social “stigma” attached; non-contagious diseases such as cancer, difficulties of old age, and accidental deafness meant that the different ones were abused or “punished” and long ago some were perhaps even put to death.
Calling deafness a “social defect” of dogs is a very modern notion arising with demands for individual dogs to live in human homes. Dog-deafness was so rare that it was a surprise to many of the new owners in recent years. Most humans recognized that differences in humans and dogs such as color-blindness, colors and hair styles are unimportant or even sometimes beneficial traits to the survival of a group if a few members of the group have an unusual trait. Dr Stanley Coren [1] described observations of modern wolves. While dogs lived and hunted in groups, the presence of a few deaf day to day would likely be unnoticed by the group and nearby humans.
Discussions by archeologists, biologists and researchers of species behaviors suggest that beneficial genetic changes could have been vital to survival of species during times of severe environment stress, such as the ice ages and other times. Survivability of a groups of dogs hundreds and thousands of years ago might have plausibly gained if (as current science about blue dog-eyes associated with deafness suggested), blue-eyed deaf dogs might have had better vision and specialized on broken partly open and partly tree covered terrain by using sight-hunting. An advantage for group survival might explain the fact that genetic deafness traits persisted in dogs, cats, other mammals and reptiles. Deaf and hearing dogs almost certainly lived with humans for more than 10,000 years [2].
In the last century, the size of homes and suburban properties, and other factors, created demands that individual dogs live alone, or with one or two other dogs in human homes. That made dog deafness or blindness a surprise to many of the unexpecting and unprepared new owners. In the most recent 25 years, the US social structures have begun to more and more overcome the social stigmas condemning deafness as a defect of humans and dogs. More people accept without prejudice the presence of deaf dogs, and provide social acceptance and support as owners, and for the dogs and owners, through rescues, shelters and Internet list-groups.
Genetic research and other scientific studies apparently recently demonstrated that deafness of dogs is typically closely tied to exotic coat colors and patterns, such as dappling, merles or spots on white. Selective breeding for such exotic dog coats seems very probably selecting for genetic deafness and some blindness. Selection for white-coated Pit bulls plausibly led to a recent rapid increase in the numbers of that breed’s deaf dogs.
Causing deaf or blind puppies while seeking a coat color was not a “first-time” human mistake resulting from forcing on dogs a particular shape or color.[3] Dr J Serpell described in 1996 [4] impulsive behavior difficulties in English Cocker Spaniels quite clearly connected with breeding for a coat color, where the resulting trouble were reportedly relieved by publicity. -That probably leads to less breeding for that breed’s exotic coat color. Survival and happiness of domestic dogs living with humans, during perhaps 10,000 years, eventually through selective pressures seems very likely led to very low rates of genetic deafness and blindness of mixed breed in the US, indeed probably less on average than among some registered "pure-breeds" .
[1] Stanley Coren, 2004, "How Do Dogs Think”, Free Press, pages 129, 310,
[2] Adam Miklosi, 2007, “Dog Behaviour, Evolution, and Cognition”, Oxford Biology
[3] Scott and Fuller, 1965, “Genetics and Social Behavior of the Dog,” page 406, et al
[4] Dr J A Serpell et al, “English Cocker Spaniel: Preliminary Findings on Aggressive Behavior”,1996
As long as dogs existed, some of them have been slightly deaf (hearing with one ear) and perhaps two of each ten thousand dogs were unable to hear exactly like ordinary dogs and humans do with two ears, each relying on cochlea and tiny inner ear nerves. Always also every dog was born with many alternative ways of detecting mechanical waves (sounds) and could do almost everything as well as ordinary dogs.[1]
Ignorance or careless thinking over thousands of years lumped rare traits, of dogs and humans, with diseases. Differences such as missing hair and odd dog coat colors could look like symptoms of diseases. Many human differences until this century had a social “stigma” attached; non-contagious diseases such as cancer, difficulties of old age, and accidental deafness meant that the different ones were abused or “punished” and long ago some were perhaps even put to death.
Calling deafness a “social defect” of dogs is a very modern notion arising with demands for individual dogs to live in human homes. Dog-deafness was so rare that it was a surprise to many of the new owners in recent years. Most humans recognized that differences in humans and dogs such as color-blindness, colors and hair styles are unimportant or even sometimes beneficial traits to the survival of a group if a few members of the group have an unusual trait. Dr Stanley Coren [1] described observations of modern wolves. While dogs lived and hunted in groups, the presence of a few deaf day to day would likely be unnoticed by the group and nearby humans.
Discussions by archeologists, biologists and researchers of species behaviors suggest that beneficial genetic changes could have been vital to survival of species during times of severe environment stress, such as the ice ages and other times. Survivability of a groups of dogs hundreds and thousands of years ago might have plausibly gained if (as current science about blue dog-eyes associated with deafness suggested), blue-eyed deaf dogs might have had better vision and specialized on broken partly open and partly tree covered terrain by using sight-hunting. An advantage for group survival might explain the fact that genetic deafness traits persisted in dogs, cats, other mammals and reptiles. Deaf and hearing dogs almost certainly lived with humans for more than 10,000 years [2].
In the last century, the size of homes and suburban properties, and other factors, created demands that individual dogs live alone, or with one or two other dogs in human homes. That made dog deafness or blindness a surprise to many of the unexpecting and unprepared new owners. In the most recent 25 years, the US social structures have begun to more and more overcome the social stigmas condemning deafness as a defect of humans and dogs. More people accept without prejudice the presence of deaf dogs, and provide social acceptance and support as owners, and for the dogs and owners, through rescues, shelters and Internet list-groups.
Genetic research and other scientific studies apparently recently demonstrated that deafness of dogs is typically closely tied to exotic coat colors and patterns, such as dappling, merles or spots on white. Selective breeding for such exotic dog coats seems very probably selecting for genetic deafness and some blindness. Selection for white-coated Pit bulls plausibly led to a recent rapid increase in the numbers of that breed’s deaf dogs.
Causing deaf or blind puppies while seeking a coat color was not a “first-time” human mistake resulting from forcing on dogs a particular shape or color.[3] Dr J Serpell described in 1996 [4] impulsive behavior difficulties in English Cocker Spaniels quite clearly connected with breeding for a coat color, where the resulting trouble were reportedly relieved by publicity. -That probably leads to less breeding for that breed’s exotic coat color. Survival and happiness of domestic dogs living with humans, during perhaps 10,000 years, eventually through selective pressures seems very likely led to very low rates of genetic deafness and blindness of mixed breed in the US, indeed probably less on average than among some registered "pure-breeds" .
[1] Stanley Coren, 2004, "How Do Dogs Think”, Free Press, pages 129, 310,
[2] Adam Miklosi, 2007, “Dog Behaviour, Evolution, and Cognition”, Oxford Biology
[3] Scott and Fuller, 1965, “Genetics and Social Behavior of the Dog,” page 406, et al
[4] Dr J A Serpell et al, “English Cocker Spaniel: Preliminary Findings on Aggressive Behavior”,1996