How do I know if my dog is going deaf or is just ignoring me?

My pug is 11 years old now and I've noticed signs he may be going deaf. He doesn respond to my voice and others like he use to. My boyfriend thinks he has developed selective hearing and is ignoring me. But I know my dog and just don't think that's the case. I you stomp your foot he reacts to the vibration. And there are times when he seems to hear me and reacts to the key words he knows but more and more not as much if at all.

Clap and see if his ears move to locate the sound

I don't think that dogs can have a very selective ear lol. Take it to the vet for a checkup because it might be very possible that he's going deaf, especially at his age.

dude i know what u mean! my dog is like that too and i was trying to figure out if my dog is jsut used to my grandma talking to it in spanish or if its going deaf, but i dont know how to tell! its sad! i dont want my doggy to die! :"(

I would wait until he is asleep, and get a pan and a spoon, and go up behind and bang it really loud. If he jumps up, you know he's not deaf. If it doesn't rouse him at all, i'd take him to the vets for a checkup.

Yes, he'll be getting a bit deaf; he's that age for it.The 'selective hearing' idea is probably caused by the type and depth of any background sounds, and dependent upon if the pug is concentrating, is sleepy, distracted elsewhere etc.Many breeds of dog give away their poor hearing by having one ear permanently half-cocked.Take care that he doesn't get hurt due to his diminished hearing; he won't hear some soft-footed people approaching, or the sound of a door closing, that sort of thing.A big bonus is that Fireworks Night doesn't seem to bother my old girl quite so much anymore!

Deaf dogs can make great pets. They adapt to their hearing loss quite well because a dog's primary sources of communication are through body language and scent. You might notice that when two dogs greet each other, they communicate all kinds of signals to each other without using any sound.http://dogtime.com/train-deaf-faq-lokhandwala.html

I would have to agree with you - it sounds like your dog is going deaf. It's about the right age for it. Certainly dogs CAN choose to ignore things they hear (usually when they are extremely interested in something else or just poorly trained to begin with), but usually they act that way their whole life.If he were suddenly choosing to ignore you, the next big question is: why the change? What is new in his mental state that he no longer reacts the way he used to? Sometimes older dogs do become senile. It's a process called cognitive dysfunction and it may cause them to forget commands, forget training or have difficulty recognizing their loved ones. Signs of cognitive dysfunction include ignoring commands, losing potty-training habits and having accidents in the house, becoming lost in the house, or reacting differently to their owners (like growling at them as if they were strangers).But if all he's doing is failing to respond well to verbal commands, chances are good that it's his hearing and not his brain that's failing. So to test it, you want to pick noises and actions that are just sound, so you know he's not reacting to vibration, smell or sight. Pick noises he'd have a strong desire to respond to, like the sound of kibble being poured into his bowl (or a can being opened). Use beads instead of kibble (so they don't smell) or open the second end of a clean and empty can. Or just shake a sealed bag of treats.You can also come up behind him or while he's sleeping and clap your hands or snap your fingers to see if you get any sort of reaction - even an ear twitch. Remember not to use a sound that's too loud - he probably has SOME hearing left. You could also take him to the vet to have the vet check his hearing, but since pets respond differently in the stress of a vet's office, the vet will mostly rely on your description of what's happening at home unless your pug shows obvious signs of hearing during the exam.

When he is in another room, drop some kibble into his bowl