Congenital Deafness in Dogs: Causes, Testing, and Care

Name: Congenital Deafness in Dogs: Causes, Testing, and Care
Creator: Dr. Zubair Khalid

By Dr. Zubair Khalid, DVM, MS, PhD · 2026-10-03

Congenital deafness in dogs means a puppy is born unable to hear in one or both ears. It is most common in breeds with white or merle coat patterns, and it is usually permanent. A simple electrical hearing test called BAER confirms the diagnosis, and deaf dogs can live full, safe lives with a few changes to how you train and manage them.

This article is educational and is not a substitute for veterinary diagnosis or treatment.

Quick Answer

Congenital deafness is hearing loss present at birth. It can be inherited or caused by damage before birth from a virus or a poisonous substance [1].
Breeds commonly affected include the Dalmatian, Bull Terrier, Australian Cattle Dog (also called the Australian Heeler), Catahoula, English Cocker Spaniel, Parson Russell Terrier, and Boston Terrier [1].
BAER testing is the most definitive way to diagnose deafness and can detect deafness in one ear that is easy to miss at home [2][3].
Puppies are usually tested between 4 and 10 weeks of age, before they go to new homes [4].
Deaf dogs can be trained with hand signals and kept safe with supervision, secure fencing, and a tag that says the dog cannot hear.

What Congenital Deafness in Dogs Actually Means

Congenital means the dog was born with the condition. In most affected dogs, the inner ear structure that converts sound into nerve signals never developed normally. The technical name is congenital sensorineural deafness, and it is primarily caused by atrophy of a part of the inner ear called the stria vascularis of the organ of Corti [3].

Hearing loss can be partial or total, and it can affect one ear or both [1]. A dog deaf in only one ear often seems completely normal. That is why the condition is so easy to miss without testing.

Congenital deafness is different from hearing loss that develops later. Acquired deafness most often comes from age-related changes to the cochlea, but it can also follow inner ear trauma, very loud noises, disease, certain drugs (including some antibiotics), anesthesia, or tumors [1]. If your older dog is losing hearing, that is a different problem with a different set of causes.

Signs Owners Notice

Owners often describe a puppy that does not respond to its name, does not wake when the food bag rattles, and does not turn toward loud sounds. Some puppies sleep through vacuuming or doorbells that would wake littermates.

The tricky part is that young puppies in a group copy each other. A deaf puppy may follow its littermates to the food bowl or the door, so it looks like it hears fine [1]. Deafness becomes easier to notice once puppies are about 3 to 4 weeks old, especially if you watch one puppy alone, away from other dogs [1].

Signs that point toward hearing loss include:

No reaction to sudden loud noises, even when the puppy is awake and alert
Not turning toward you when you call from behind
Sleeping unusually deeply
Watching your face or hands closely instead of responding to your voice
Startling easily when touched or approached from behind

Partial deafness or deafness in one ear is very hard to detect by watching alone. It usually requires careful observation or an electronic test [1].

Causes and Risk Factors

Genetics and coat color

Most congenital deafness in dogs is tied to pigmentation. White coat color and certain pigment patterns are strongly associated with heritable deafness [2]. The piebald locus on chromosome 20 and the merle gene on chromosome 10 both play a role, and pigment-associated deafness appears in many species, including cats, mice, horses, and humans [5].

Why some piebald or merle dogs go deaf while others do not is still not fully understood [5]. Researchers have looked hard at the Dalmatian, where extreme white coat patterning has long been suspected as the major risk factor [6].

Breed risk

The list of commonly affected breeds changes over time as breeding practices shift [1]. Breeds reported as commonly affected include the Dalmatian, Bull Terrier, Australian Heeler, Catahoula, English Cocker Spaniel, Parson Russell Terrier, and Boston Terrier [1].

Some numbers from testing programs help put the risk in perspective:

Breed	Deafness findings
Dalmatians in the UK	Overall prevalence 17.8% (13.4% unilateral, 4.4% bilateral) across 8,955 puppies tested [7]
Australian Cattle Dogs in the UK	88.6% had normal hearing in both ears, with 9.7% unilateral and the remainder bilateral [4]
Dogo Argentinos	74.23% hearing in both ears, 20.35% unilaterally deaf, 5.43% bilaterally deaf, an overall prevalence of 25.77% [8]
Bull Terriers, Australian Cattle Dogs, English Setters, Dogo Argentinos (combined testing)	81% normal, 11% unilaterally deaf, 5% bilaterally deaf [3]

In Dogo Argentinos, dogs without a body patch had a significantly higher rate of deafness than patched dogs [8]. In Dalmatians, blue irises were genetically correlated with deafness, and having a pigmented head patch was linked to lower risk [7].

Non-pigment causes

Not every case follows the coat color pattern. Beauceron dogs can develop a bilateral hearing loss in puppies that is not linked to coat color, caused by a variant in the CDH23 gene and passed in an autosomal recessive pattern [9]. This shows that congenital deafness has more than one genetic route.

Before-birth damage

Congenital deafness can also result from damage before birth from a poisonous substance or a virus, not from inherited genes at all [1]. Your veterinarian may ask about the mother's health and exposures during pregnancy.

How Congenital Deafness in Dogs Is Diagnosed

Physical exam and history

Your veterinarian starts by watching how your dog responds to sound. This is less reliable in young animals or dogs kept in groups, because they copy each other [1]. A full ear exam also matters, since ear canal obstruction can cause hearing loss that may improve if the blockage is treated [2]. If your dog has discharge, odor, or head shaking, that points to a different problem, and you can read more about how to tell if a dog has an ear infection.

BAER testing

The brainstem auditory evoked response test, or BAER, is the most definitive way to diagnose deafness [2]. It measures the electrical activity of the hearing pathway in response to a clicking sound. It accurately detects deafness in one ear or both ears [3].

BAER testing is quick and does not require the dog to respond voluntarily. Puppies are typically tested between 4 and 10 weeks of age, which is why responsible breeders of high-risk breeds often test whole litters before placing puppies [4]. If you are buying a puppy from an affected breed, ask for BAER results for the puppy and, when available, the parents.

Why home testing falls short

You cannot reliably confirm normal hearing in one ear at home. A dog with one working ear behaves almost normally. Only BAER testing separates unilateral from bilateral deafness with confidence [3].

Treatment Options

There is no treatment that restores hearing in congenital sensorineural deafness. Treatment is generally not available for most forms of deafness [2]. The one exception is hearing loss caused by ear canal obstruction, where clearing the blockage may improve hearing [2].

That means management, not cure, is the plan. The good news is that deafness itself is not painful and does not shorten a dog's life. What matters is safety and communication.

Recovery, Outlook, and Long-Term Management

Outlook

Unilaterally deaf dogs can live close to a normal life [6]. Bilaterally deaf dogs can also do very well in the right home. Sadly, dogs with bilateral deafness are frequently euthanized, largely because of the challenges of placing them [6]. With committed owners, that outcome is avoidable.

Training a deaf dog

Train with hand signals and body cues instead of voice. Keep sessions short and reward-based. A deaf dog watches your hands and face constantly, so be consistent with your signals and use a flashlight or a gentle touch to get attention from a distance.

Deaf dogs often startle when approached from behind or when they are asleep. Teach family members and visitors to approach where the dog can see them. Some owners use a vibration collar to cue attention, but a veterinarian or qualified trainer should help you introduce any device.

Behavior issues in deaf dogs usually come from communication gaps, not from the deafness itself. For a deeper look at what owners commonly face, see deaf dog behavior problems.

Safety at home and outside

Keep your dog on a leash or in a securely fenced yard. A deaf dog cannot hear traffic, other dogs, or you calling.
Use a tag or collar that clearly states the dog is deaf, so anyone who finds your dog knows.
Never let a deaf dog off leash in an unfenced area.
Supervise around children and strangers, since a startled deaf dog may react defensively.
Wake your dog gently by touching the floor nearby or using a light, not by grabbing.

Breeding decisions

Because congenital deafness is heritable in many breeds, breeding choices matter. In Dalmatians, selection against deafness has produced significant improvement in both phenotype and genetics over time, equivalent to avoiding breeding of affected dogs [7]. If you breed dogs, BAER testing before breeding is the standard tool. For related reproductive health topics, see breeding soundness examination of the canine male.

Prevention

You cannot prevent congenital deafness in a puppy that already carries the genetic risk. What you can do is reduce the odds of producing or buying an affected dog.

Choose a breed and a breeder carefully. Ask for BAER test results on the puppy and the parents.
Avoid breeding dogs that are deaf in one or both ears. In Dalmatians, this kind of selection has measurably lowered the prevalence of deafness over decades [7].
Understand that coat color raises risk. White pigmentation and merle patterning are linked to congenital deafness [2][5].
Protect puppies from before-birth harm. Congenital deafness can follow exposure to a virus or a poisonous substance during pregnancy [1].
Test early. Puppies are typically screened at 4 to 10 weeks, before placement [4].

If you are researching a specific breed's inherited conditions before you commit, resources like this guide to Portuguese Water Dog health problems show how breed-specific screening is organized.

Limitations and When to Contact a Veterinarian

No article can tell you whether your individual dog is deaf, and no home test can replace BAER testing. Your veterinarian needs to examine your dog and, in most cases, arrange a BAER test to confirm the diagnosis.

Contact your veterinarian the same day if:

Your dog suddenly stops responding to sound after previously hearing normally
Your dog has ear discharge, a bad smell from the ear, head tilt, or repeated head shaking
Your dog seems painful around the head or ear
Your dog becomes wobbly, circles, or has a change in balance

Seek emergency care now if:

Your dog collapses, has a seizure, or cannot stand
Your dog shows sudden severe balance loss with vomiting
Your dog is hit by a car or has head trauma, since deafness can follow inner ear trauma [1]

Schedule a routine visit if:

You have a new puppy from a high-risk breed and want BAER screening
You notice your puppy does not respond to sound but seems otherwise healthy
You are considering breeding a dog from an affected breed

Frequently Asked Questions

Can a deaf dog live a normal life?

Yes, a deaf dog can live a full and happy life with the right home. Unilaterally deaf dogs often live close to a normal life, and bilaterally deaf dogs do well with consistent hand-signal training and safety precautions [6].

Is congenital deafness in dogs painful?

No, congenital deafness itself is not painful. It is a sensory loss, not a disease process that causes discomfort. If your dog seems painful around the ears, that points to a separate problem such as an ear infection or injury.

Can congenital deafness be cured?

No, there is no treatment that restores hearing in congenital sensorineural deafness. Treatment is generally not available for most forms of deafness, though hearing loss from an ear canal blockage may improve once the blockage is cleared [2].

Should I test my puppy's hearing even if it seems fine?

Yes, especially if your puppy is from a high-risk breed. Puppies in a litter copy each other, so a deaf puppy can look like it hears normally [1]. BAER testing is the only reliable way to detect deafness in one ear [3].

Will my deaf dog's puppies be deaf?

Not necessarily, but the risk is higher in affected breeds. Congenital deafness is heritable in many breeds and is tied to white pigmentation and merle patterning [2][5]. Some forms, like the one identified in Beauceron dogs, follow an autosomal recessive pattern [9]. BAER testing both parents before breeding is the practical way to lower the risk.

References

Deafness in Dogs - Dog Owners. Merck Veterinary Manual.
Deafness in Animals - Ear Disorders. Merck Veterinary Manual.
Evaluation of the occurrence of canine congenital sensorineural deafness in puppies of predisposed dog breeds using the brainstem auditory evoked response. Acta veterinaria Hungarica, 2016.
Congenital sensorineural deafness in Australian Cattle dogs in the UK: Prevalence and association with phenotype. Veterinary journal (London, England : 1997), 2021.
A genome-wide association study of deafness in three canine breeds. PloS one, 2020.
De-novo and genome-wide meta-analyses identify a risk haplotype for congenital sensorineural deafness in Dalmatian dogs. Scientific reports, 2022.
Decline in prevalence of congenital sensorineural deafness in Dalmatian dogs in the United Kingdom. Journal of veterinary internal medicine, 2020.
Congenital sensorineural deafness in Dogo Argentino dogs: Prevalence and phenotype associations. The Veterinary record, 2021.
A CDH23 missense variant in Beauceron dogs with non-syndromic deafness. Animal genetics, 2023.