So, we have a little fenced area in our complex, and he just played for 20-30 minutes with an intact, 3 year old pit/chihuahua mix. Cody was so happy. His tail didn't stop wagging once. He had that puppy energy and submissiveness. He was great.

I believe so, but I would have to ask her again. I've been pretty stoned by these allergy meds the past few days, so maybe I misheard her. At this point, I think that is probably the best solution. The kids and my husband really seem attached, and I honesty think that I would be overwhelmed by 2 dogs, a 3 year old, a 7 year old, homeschooling, living in a small apartment with no yard, and driving a two-door sports car that isn't exactly comfortable . But it's hard to predict what life will be like for us in 6 months, or whenever another litter arrives.

Also, it took me a solid 24-48 hours of spending one-on-one time with this pup to figure it out. People go years without knowing their senior dogs have lost their hearing, and two vets also missed it. So, I don't think she's unethical; I just think that she has learned a lesson. I mean, do breeders really spend that much alone time with their dogs in 12 weeks? I have no clue.

My impression is that she had two litters within a week of each other, and was likely overwhelmed (she is a widow). She said that the timing was unusual because she jumped at the chance to get one of the sires' semen while one of her bitches was in heat. So, it sounds like a bunch of puppies happened at once, and there were some issue's with Cody's mother. She had oversupply and was getting mastitis. She would call the dogs outside in a group, and Cody likely just clued into what the others were doing. It also sounds like she also played with them in a group vs. individually. I met Cody's sire, and he was amazing -- beautiful, friendly, the entire package -- and Cody seems well socialized. I just think she dropped the ball here because she had too many pups at once and some issues during his birth.

I agree. I didn't sign up to be in this position, and certainly not with the $$$$ we paid.

He also snored a lot and excessively panted for no reason last night (haven't seen in it during the day though), but this morning he had about a minute of reverse sneezes. This makes me concerned about Brachycephalic Airway Obstruction Syndrome as well.

Thanks, Bill. I don't think Cody will get much bigger than 10 lbs. He is almost 6 months old, and only weighs 8 lbs. His parents are 15-16 lbs., but he has obviously had growth issues. Do dogs get dx with failure to thrive? Athletically, he seems fine. He is definitely lower energy than my cockers were at this age. He also doesn't seem to know what stairs are, but I think many dogs are unsure of stairs at first. My last cocker was exceptionally athletic, and 25 lbs., so it is hard to make comparisons.

Yes, we are getting attached. He has been such a sweetie. My husband is especially a softie, and I am pretty stoned on a combo of Benedryl and Zyrtec at the moment. We have a fenced small dog park a few miles away. I think that I will take him there this afternoon and see how he does. There are also a million doggie daycares, which is what I did with my latchkey cocker when I was slaving away at work.

Yes. That is where I have been getting information. There is also a FB Page called Deaf Dogs Rock.

The breeder is going to take him to her fancy repro vet, as they are one of the few place in So Cal who do BAER testing. Neither of the parents were BAER tested, but they are both show dogs, so she has had to communicate with them. She is obviously concerned with her breeding lines and reputation, but apparently, there is no way to DNA test for this issue in Cavs. Not sure how to get to the bottom of who is the gene carrier. He has seen other dogs when I met him (and her) at the dog show. He didn't seem to care about them. Other dogs have also walked past our patio window and he hasn't barked at them. I was thinking of taking him to our local small dog park just to be sure. My cocker was a scaredy cat, that eventually translated into fear biting, as he aged. I don't see any anxiety or timidity in this dog. Several people have handled him, picked him up, etc., and he doesn't mind. My cocker would never have allowed that with strangers.

I found two models that were recommended by the Deaf Dog Education Action Fund website. Both will work on a dog this size. I have never used one of these collars. Does anyone have any input on which of the two would be a better choice? http://www.k9electronics.com/dog-training-collars/unleashed-technology-gentle-trainer-gt-3.html and http://shop.dogtra.com/280c/ My husband and I are very concerned that if we give the dog back, he will be euthanized. I am not sure that we can have that on our conscience. If there was any sign of risk to my children, I would send him back. But, from what I have seen, the biggest risk is to our pocketbook. My husband and I can live with that risk to help an animal.

This is helpful. We have repeated over and over, most of it not filmed, but will continue to try. I just tried whistling in bursts, with him wide awake, laying at my feet (his favorite spot). It seems like sometimes I will hit a tone that he hears, and he almost looks confused by it. It could just be coincidence because most of the time he just sits motionless no matter what the sound. Could he only be hearing certain tones?

This was another one we did, but the file is very large: http://mbf.me/NPatAr

Thank you. We did several other unrecorded tests, at different pitches, etc. Only once did he react, and it may have been from movement by my husband. We've tried to find evidence of hearing, but aren't finding it, unfortunately.

I've read that that is a myth, and that it completely depends on the animal. As I mentioned, this dog is almost 6 months old, and hasn't shown a hint of reactivity with anyone. The fact that he was so nonreactive was what clued me in to the hearing issue in the first place.

I uploaded some videos that my husband and I took. Does anyone think that this dog can hear? I would love to be wrong. https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B90-ZcaAWGMDZFBlVklzdXJlVnc/view?usp=sharing https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B90-ZcaAWGMDVXhob05HVXJUc1E Also, if we do decide to keep him, and add another dog later on, would it be too difficult to add another male? I am reading that we would likely be better off with a female, but I don't know if this is another myth.

Yes. All the ones that I was considering did not have this exclusion. That would kind of defeat the purpose with Cav insurance. :)

That collar is enormous! How would it fit on a tiny dog? He's currently 8 pounds, and not likely to get more than 15.

Thanks, Bill. I would not normally consider any kind of stim collar on a dog, but I understand how it might be helpful in the circumstances you described. I will ask the trainer her thoughts as well.

One other thing. I was planning to get pet insurance for the dog anyway, since Cavs are so prone to issues. No one has actually diagnosed him with anything at this point, so perhaps I should insure him right away, in case anything else crops up.

We have been having people over, and have been taking him with us everywhere. We haven't left this dog in the two days that we have been with him. He loves everyone. Took him to the vet; she poked around everywhere (including anal temp), and he didn't care. My cocker used to have to be muzzled for the same things. My kids and their friends have been playing games next to him -- crashing trucks, sword fights, etc. He doesn't care. He just wants to cuddle. The breeder told me that she held him back because he was small, and wanted to give him time to mature. The only other dog she had at the time was his show-quality sister, which she has offered to me.

In some ways, I kinda feel like it would make me a better dog/animal owner. Perhaps, I am looking at this with rose-colored glasses.

Thank you for this, Bill. It is very helpful.

Pawz, I cannot quote you for some reason. We are planning to boat and RV. But, just recreational/weekend boating and the RV stuff is just pie in the sky right now. Odds are just as good that we stay put and buy a house with a yard in San Diego. Miranda was deaf for at least the last 4 years of his life, and he still went everywhere with us, and we used hand signals, etc. So, it's not really a huge deal for us. Our dog is going to live in a city; he won't be a country dog left to roam about. The dog park and dog beach will be about as much freedom as he is likely to get in his life.

I did read it, and spent all afternoon reading about deaf dogs generally -- training, myths about them, etc. Honestly, if this dog showed even a whiff of reactivity, I would send him back to her. It's just that he is so currently bombproof that I feel like G-d gave us this dog because we would be committed to training him and giving him a happy life. On the other hand, he is a 5.5 month old dog. Will he still be this nonchalant about everything in a few years? Hard to say. And, does this portend even worse health issues down the road? I mean, that is why we went with one of these uppity breeders in the first place. On the other hand, we actually wanted two dogs -- until we saw the price of Cavaliers from reputable breeders and went :svengo: So, in essence, we are getting a twofer if we take another dog.