# White Pups being deaf



## LET82 (Feb 24, 2009)

I had a litter and one of the solid white males is deaf. The sister to him my friend has and she just had a litter and we think on of her solid white puppies may also be deaf. Do you know if there is normally trouble with solid white pits?? Also the pups are young only 4 and a half weeks so when should they really respond to sounds good??

Thanks!!


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## thaim (Feb 6, 2009)

solid white dogs are known to be deaf and blind there isnt much you can do but care for them as you would normally with a perfectly fine dog or the dog will become dominant over you because he senses ur sympathy


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## FloorCandy (Feb 19, 2009)

Do they have blue eyes? It is common fr white dogs, especially breeds that carry blue eyed genes to, to be deaf. In odd eyed dogs, it is common for the pup to be deaf on the blue eyed side. Very common in Dalmatians.


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## LET82 (Feb 24, 2009)

FloorCandy said:


> Do they have blue eyes? It is common fr white dogs, especially breeds that carry blue eyed genes to, to be deaf. In odd eyed dogs, it is common for the pup to be deaf on the blue eyed side. Very common in Dalmatians.


No they are still pups but their eyes are dark. I got a male from the litter and they are still young 4 1/2 weeks. The mom stopped feeding them and started attacking them so I went ahead and took him since I raise pits I knew how to care for him at such a young age. Mine seems like maybe he hears certain things but then again he doesn't others such as me hitting the wall, shouting his name, clapping hands. But then sometimes things like my cellphone ringing and the alarm going off he seems to sense something. I know their little ears have skin over them for a while....do u think he is deaf or not old enough to totally hear yet?? His sister is the same way. The others seem fine as of right now. The mother of the pups brother was deaf????/


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## jbh38 (Apr 26, 2008)

I've always heard it was if they had solid white heads they were usually deaf, but that was mainly when dealing with Catahoula's


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## buzhunter (Sep 3, 2007)

Sounds like way too many deaf dogs. I'd damn sure stop breeding all of them. Now.


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## FloorCandy (Feb 19, 2009)

Most white dogs are not deaf, it is generally statistically higher based on breed, for example many white GSD's are deaf, however many dalmatians, like I said are deaf. I can almost guarantee that an ALL white dog (of a breed that is not predominantly white)with one blue eye and one brown will be deaf in the ear on the blue eyed side. I have personally seen many solid white english bulldogs that have perfect hearing, so it is not all white dogs. The best advice I can give you is to not breed these deaf puppies. The sire and dam should not be bred to each other again. Also, if the pup seems to hear some things, but not much, take the pup to the vet and have it's ears checked, perhaps it has a blockage or infection. 
Just be careful with homing any deaf dogs, as pits are not for the inexperienced to begin with, and a deaf dog of any breed is a real handful. I have seen deaf dogs perform amazingly in obedience.


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## LET82 (Feb 24, 2009)

buzhunter said:


> Sounds like way too many deaf dogs. I'd damn sure stop breeding all of them. Now.


I had one male deaf one out of a litter and he has not been breed. However these weren't my dogs and I didn't do the breeding. she told me she would have her fixed though...I hope she does she wasn't the best mother either.


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## LET82 (Feb 24, 2009)

FloorCandy said:


> Most white dogs are not deaf, it is generally statistically higher based on breed, for example many white GSD's are deaf, however many dalmatians, like I said are deaf. I can almost guarantee that an ALL white dog (of a breed that is not predominantly white)with one blue eye and one brown will be deaf in the ear on the blue eyed side. I have personally seen many solid white english bulldogs that have perfect hearing, so it is not all white dogs. The best advice I can give you is to not breed these deaf puppies. The sire and dam should not be bred to each other again. Also, if the pup seems to hear some things, but not much, take the pup to the vet and have it's ears checked, perhaps it has a blockage or infection.
> Just be careful with homing any deaf dogs, as pits are not for the inexperienced to begin with, and a deaf dog of any breed is a real handful. I have seen deaf dogs perform amazingly in obedience.


I will have him checked...like I said he seems to hear somethings. But this litter was from a friend and she says she is getting the mother fixed I sure hope so. She really had no clue on breeding and they probably all would have died if not for me....wasn't a good experience. The breeding was an accident to begin with. Just hope it doesnt happen again!


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## Daynes (Feb 18, 2009)

Interesting post, I have looked at thousands of puppies to adopt in the past month or so and a suprising amount of the pure white dogs are marked "special needs" and they are deaf. Many of them were pitbulls and a few of them were great danes.


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## LET82 (Feb 24, 2009)

Daynes said:


> Interesting post, I have looked at thousands of puppies to adopt in the past month or so and a suprising amount of the pure white dogs are marked "special needs" and they are deaf. Many of them were pitbulls and a few of them were great danes.


Its weird not sure why but it always seems to be white dogs. I think my puppy is either hard of hearing of deaf.


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## redog (Oct 14, 2005)

genetic defects....Ill never have a deaf dog again. no matter how noble it is to tryto take care of one, its not worth it. deafness is only part of the dogs problems. Its actually down right dangerous. I ve heard of breeders that avoid the color when breeding and cull when necassery. its a drag but responsible is responsible


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## MY MIKADO (Apr 7, 2006)

It could be the different pitches the pup is hearing. You said the cell phone and the alarm clock. maybe you should get one of those dog whistles and see if he hears that.


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## LET82 (Feb 24, 2009)

MY MIKADO said:


> It could be the different pitches the pup is hearing. You said the cell phone and the alarm clock. maybe you should get one of those dog whistles and see if he hears that.


I think I might....I know for sure he hears the alarm clock because his ears perk up and he jumps up looking around. But my tone he doesn't respond to at all. I don't know if he is stubborn or is hard of hearing almost deaf or maybe it will get better as he ages...he is only 5 weeks today. His momma stopped taking care of the puppies at 4 weeks and was attacking them (not my dog a friends dog). I knew I needed to go ahead and tae him since I breed myself and start him on foods. He is growing and doing well.


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## redog (Oct 14, 2005)

If he can hear a dog wistle , thats great! anything to get a re direct is most helpfull. in any situation. my experience is with stoned deaf boxers and dalmations butt have studied a few cases of deaf apbt's that didnt come out good at all either


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## LET82 (Feb 24, 2009)

redog said:


> If he can hear a dog wistle , thats great! anything to get a re direct is most helpfull. in any situation. my experience is with stoned deaf boxers and dalmations butt have studied a few cases of deaf apbt's that didnt come out good at all either


I am definitly going to get a dog whistle and see how it works he is still rally young yet but I figure the sooner the better. He is precious bless his heart. I wish and hope his hearing will get better but its unlikely.


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## 318Bulleez (Mar 15, 2010)

*white pups*

I have a solid white male (Boudreaux/Furlow) who came from an all white litter, and he has no hearing or vision issues, nor does any of his brothers or sisters. He had bright blue eyes for almost 6 months and then they slowly changed to a yellow color. Ive always heard that an all white dog, especially one with blue eyes would most probably be deaf or blind, but I have never had an issue with any of my white pups. I also was told to look out for sunburn because of sensitive skin, but we have never had an issue with that either. No dog is the same. I guess you have to hope for the best!


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## Joseph_Norfleet (Sep 23, 2009)

i heard it was if the pups were albino they had a greater chance of being deaf.


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## performanceknls (Apr 4, 2009)

This is the problem with breeding dogs with little to no pigment or too much white. You see it in other breeds too, Boxers, aussies, border collies, and so on. It is a genetic defect and the line should not be continued to be bred. In my experience most deaf APBT's or bullies have to be put down because of behavior issues and it becomes to dangerous since they cannot hear. I have trained many deaf dogs and even some in sports like agility but they are mostly other breeds like Aussies. They tend to do well but most of the pit bulls have to be put down later because of various problems. For example DA, it is extremely dangerous to have a DA dog who cannot hear. While the right owner could keep the dog safe and out of harms way that is not always the case and it complicates things. Because of my negative experience with so many deaf pit bull being put down over the years, I would not except them in rescue or we would put them down. IMO if you have deaf puppies at this stage you should cull them and stop breeding those dogs. At four weeks the puppies ears are open and should be able to hear but you sold wait a few weeks to be sure, then cull if deaf.


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## pitbullmomma (Apr 11, 2009)

Yeah all white pups will not grow up and be old, they will only live for a few years. If we ever had any my DH would kull them, harsh I know but with all our hard work he doesn't want that coming back on our name.


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## StaffyDaddy (Mar 28, 2009)

performanceknls said:


> This is the problem with breeding dogs with little to no pigment or too much white. You see it in other breeds too, Boxers, aussies, border collies, and so on. It is a genetic defect and the line should not be continued to be bred. In my experience most deaf APBT's or bullies have to be put down because of behavior issues and it becomes to dangerous since they cannot hear. I have trained many deaf dogs and even some in sports like agility but they are mostly other breeds like Aussies. They tend to do well but most of the pit bulls have to be put down later because of various problems. For example DA, it is extremely dangerous to have a DA dog who cannot hear. While the right owner could keep the dog safe and out of harms way that is not always the case and it complicates things. Because of my negative experience with so many deaf pit bull being put down over the years, I would not except them in rescue or we would put them down. IMO if you have deaf puppies at this stage you should cull them and stop breeding those dogs. At four weeks the puppies ears are open and should be able to hear but you sold wait a few weeks to be sure, then cull if deaf.


:goodpost::goodpost:


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## Sampsons Dad (Jul 4, 2008)

White pups and pups from white parents should be BAER tested.

What is the BAER test?


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## bahamutt99 (May 14, 2008)

If you notice a lot of all-white or heavy-white breeds (think Dalmatians and Dogos) have a high incidence of deafness. I think we are comparatively lucky with the APBT, but we still need to do those health tests.


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## Shan (Mar 7, 2011)

*I need help with some answers, Please*

I am a proud mom of sibling gladiator pups and the girl pup i just got is deaf.
I dont know how or why she is like this and i am just really trying to get as much info as i can so i can train her, and that she will know that she is loved and cared for. 
I am new to this site and i have been looking for help all day since i found out.
Thank you to anyone who can help.


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## r0ckah0l1c (Jan 18, 2011)

Is your dog white? Pics would be appreciated. But have you officially had the pup get a baer test? Also, how old is the pup? Begin sign language. When I thought my pup was deaf I was given a lot of great links regarding the issue. I will search the thread and post the link to it.


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## Chloesmygirl (Jan 31, 2011)

redog said:


> genetic defects....Ill never have a deaf dog again. no matter how noble it is to tryto take care of one, its not worth it. deafness is only part of the dogs problems. I*ts actually down right dangerous.* I ve heard of breeders that avoid the color when breeding and cull when necassery. its a drag but responsible is responsible





performanceknls said:


> This is the problem with breeding dogs with little to no pigment or too much white. You see it in other breeds too, Boxers, aussies, border collies, and so on. It is a genetic defect and the line should not be continued to be bred. In my experience most deaf APBT's or bullies have to be put down because of behavior issues and *it becomes to dangerous since they cannot hear. *I have trained many deaf dogs and even some in sports like agility but they are mostly other breeds like Aussies. They tend to do well but most of the pit bulls have to be put down later because of various problems. *For example DA, it is extremely dangerous to have a DA dog who cannot hear. *While the right owner could keep the dog safe and out of harms way that is not always the case and it complicates things. Because of my negative experience with so many deaf pit bull being put down over the years, I would not except them in rescue or we would put them down. IMO if you have deaf puppies at this stage you should cull them and stop breeding those dogs. At four weeks the puppies ears are open and should be able to hear but you sold wait a few weeks to be sure, then cull if deaf.


Can you please elaborate more on what makes it so dangerous? Dangerous how? Maybe be a bit more specific on the problems. The research I have done on deaf dogs seemed to be more positive than this. What did I miss? I understand that you would have to train differently but what makes the situation actually dangerous?


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## Blue_Nose_Bella (Jan 16, 2011)

Chloesmygirl said:


> Can you please elaborate more on what makes it so dangerous? Dangerous how? Maybe be a bit more specific on the problems. The research I have done on deaf dogs seemed to be more positive than this. What did I miss? I understand that you would have to train differently but what makes the situation actually dangerous?


Dangerous as in owning a deaf dog who may become dog aggressive. A deaf dog can't hear another dog approaching. If the other dog is loose and a fight starts how can you vocally try to control your deaf dog....you can't. Also a person can scare a deaf dog and if someone comes running up behind a dog who is deaf they could possibly bite out of fear. That is my personal way of thinking that owning a deaf dog could be dangerous.


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## circlemkennels (Aug 29, 2010)

this is Gixer... he is solid white and isnt deaf









this is Nemo.. she is solid white except the spot on her eye.... she is deaf as a board.. her dam was solid white and deaf too


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## 00 S/C Lightning (Apr 7, 2010)

My breeder has had many white sbt. She spay/neuter them prior to rehome. Almost always giving the dog to good homes. My parents boxer is mostly white as well as two other males. Of the three her female checked out ok


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## Diggit (Jan 24, 2011)

Hmmm.... bunny is white and she is not deaf and probibly over half of her close relitives are white with no problems. even the blue eyed ones.

http://apbtpedigrees.com/printpedigree/printout.php?recordID=39532

I have never heard of anyone culling white dogs, I mean most colby dogs where white and many dogs in the 1900's.

look at GRCH white rock... him and his brother apear in almost any dogs pedigree.

sure white coloration is looked down on in the UKC if thats what you mean. 
but white dogs have always been around.

teaching a dog hand signals isnt very hard to do. I think a deaf dog can be just as good as one that can hear. depending on how you go about keeping the dog.

I have made a point in the past that if Bunny ever has a deaf puppy that I would keep it and test my theory that a deaf dog can do anything a normal dog can. 
but then again im tenacious like a terrier when it comes to training and teaching.

not such a good idea for someone who has a busy scedual.


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## Diggit (Jan 24, 2011)

ped link didnt show.. must be down heres a diff one'

ONLINE PEDIGREES :: [232723] :: STEFANI'S WHITE TERROR

a large amount of boyles dogs also have white heads and I have yet to hear of one being deaf.


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## Diggit (Jan 24, 2011)

Blue_Nose_Bella said:


> Dangerous as in owning a deaf dog who may become dog aggressive. A deaf dog can't hear another dog approaching. If the other dog is loose and a fight starts how can you vocally try to control your deaf dog....you can't. Also a person can scare a deaf dog and if someone comes running up behind a dog who is deaf they could possibly bite out of fear. That is my personal way of thinking that owning a deaf dog could be dangerous.


most dogs wont stop fighting by vocal command anyways.

fear biters should be PTS IMHO. doesnt matter the color.


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## Chloesmygirl (Jan 31, 2011)

Diggit said:


> most dogs wont stop fighting by vocal command anyways.
> 
> fear biters should be PTS IMHO. doesnt matter the color.


I agree. I have 2 females that are DA and neither are deaf and if they get in a fight they won't listen to anything. Any dog can be a fear biter.


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## SuthernStyles (Nov 7, 2009)

I had a chocolate dalmatian when I was a kid and found out it was deaf. had green eyes and brown spots


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## circlemkennels (Aug 29, 2010)

Chloesmygirl said:


> I agree. I have 2 females that are DA and neither are deaf and if they get in a fight they won't listen to anything. Any dog can be a fear biter.


i wouldnt say that any dog can be a fear biter.... i have dogs that are DA and dogs that are friendly with everything they meet....even cats... so no not all dogs can be a fear biter. JMO


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## Chloesmygirl (Jan 31, 2011)

Sorry, I know I wasn't very clear on my post I was in a hurry!

What I meant to say is that "fear biting" would not be something that only deaf dogs may have.


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## circlemkennels (Aug 29, 2010)

nemo became very DA but i dont think it was due to her being deaf.... her mother was deaf and fine with other dogs... i think that bein deaf isnt a factor of wether they are goin to be aggressive.... i think its like any other dog sometimes you get an aggressive one and sometimes you get a lover


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## Chloesmygirl (Jan 31, 2011)

circlemkennels said:


> nemo became very DA but i dont think it was due to her being deaf.... her mother was deaf and fine with other dogs... i think that bein deaf isnt a factor of wether they are goin to be aggressive.... *i think its like any other dog sometimes you get an aggressive one and sometimes you get a lover *


Yes, that is my thinking as well. But then there are some other posters who were saying it could be dangerous to have a deaf dog, and they seem more knowledgeable than I as far as training dogs. Which is why I asked for more clarification on what they meant by dangerous. So I just wanted to listen to more ideas and thoughts on this subject.


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## circlemkennels (Aug 29, 2010)

Chloesmygirl said:


> Yes, that is my thinking as well. But then there are some other posters who were saying it could be dangerous to have a deaf dog, and they seem more knowledgeable than I as far as training dogs. Which is why I asked for more clarification on what they meant by dangerous. So I just wanted to listen to more ideas and thoughts on this subject.


they are right... i could be very dangerous... i understand what they are saying about being spooked by other dogs and i agree... we just never had that issue.


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## AngelDogs Foundation (Mar 10, 2011)

Hi all, I know I'm chiming in late on this thread....we are new to the forum. We rescue deaf dogs, and most of them are pit bulls, dogos, and ABTs and mixes of same. My husband is a CPDT with a specialty in deaf dogs, and I have ten years of rescue under my belt, the last two with the deafies. 

The deafness at birth is genetic. Either the dam or the sire are throwing the deafness, and it can skip a generation. Honestly, I don't like to tell anyone how to breed, but if you have produced a litter with a deaf pup, both dam and sire should be sterilized. There is no way to tell where it came from, unless you've had repeat deafness in the litters. Deaf dogs should never be bred, as the incidence of deafness in the pups increases. It is common in certain breeds like Pitbulls, dogos, dalmations, cockers, aussies, cattle dogs. Sometimes it can be a product of breeding merle to merle, and causing a "lethal white" combination. The deafness can also be caused by a lack of pigment in the ear canals. The fine hairs in the ear canal that pick up sound have no pigment, and don't absorb sound. 

We find the deaf dogs to be the ultimate velcro dogs. Most of them come from kill shelters, some haven't been treated so kindly, or aren't in such good shape. With a bit of wise handling, they come around. We train them up to respond to hand signals, facial expressions and body language. 

They seem to make up for the lack of hearing in increased intelligence and intuition. We also rescue Chessies, who are known for brain power. Our deafies run circles around our hearing dogs in the brain power department!

The deaf dogs are extremely social dogs, if handled well. They need to be socialized just like any other dog does. They are dogs first, second for breed, and third, their deafness is considered. The only difference between a deaf dog is that their ears are "head ornaments. They seem to train up FASTER because they have less distractions, and are usually focused on us. 

There is alot of support out there for training, and lots of people that compete with their deaf dogs in agility, flyball. Some are therapy and service dogs. 

Please feel free to ask if you need to be pointed in the right direction! Deaf dogs are the BEST, especially the deaf bullies! I have a houseful of them!


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## AngelDogs Foundation (Mar 10, 2011)

And BTW....don't waste your time with BAER testing. 

Takes two people to hearing test a dog. One holding and the other standing behind the dog with the dog looking in the other direction. 

Drop a stainless steel bowl on a hard floor surface where the dog can't see it. If the dog doesn't jump, ears don't move, he/she is likely deaf. 

Snap your fingers behind your back. No ear movement, probably deaf. 

Some of them only hear very high pitches, very low pitches, or very loud noises. If you live with a dog that hears some, you will notice it.


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## AngelDogs Foundation (Mar 10, 2011)

Should also probably add that deaf dogs with companion deaf dogs.......you wouldn't notice any difference in behavior, except that they adore each other. Seems to be an understanding amongst them. 

We summon them by sight. At night, I flip the light on and off. Or I catch their eye and motion a "come" command. They've been trained to come with treats, positive reinforcement, affection, etc., and come tearing in your direction. We just point, they go. 

It's a very serene way to run the household. Quiet. They practically read my mind, and we have one that reads lips....he's a BT/WGS x that is BRILLIANT, and has worked himself way beyond hand signals. Compare that to my hearing chessies that respond to all audio.....boing, boing, boing. We will probably never have hearing dogs again. 

They don't startle easily. They are trained to wake up to treats when they first arrive, and are VERY happy to see us. If they get protective, they are introduced properly, and then allowed the greeting. 

If the deafies have a disagreement here....they are aware of the rules. We are the boss. It stops at the first snark and fighting is not allowed. They don't like our "bad face", so try very hard not to invite the display. They also hate to be removed from the pack- they are extremely social. 

Just like any other dog, they have their personality quirks. You have to work with each dog and their habits to change them and instill new and better habits.


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## aus_staffy (Nov 10, 2009)

Welcome aboard, AngelDogs!


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## American_Pit13 (Apr 23, 2007)

Nice posts! Welcome to the forum. Did you post an intro? You can let everyone know about what you do here.

Introduction Forum - Pitbulls : Go Pitbull Dog Forums


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## redog (Oct 14, 2005)

Its nice to have an experienced deaf dog rescuer here! We ve had quite a few deafies at gopitbull. Check out My Jake! I could only get about 50% out of him. this pic was 4 days before he tore up my wife and daughter. We sure loved that dog


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## rob32 (Sep 22, 2010)

all or mostly white APBT dogs have a much higher percentage of turning out to be deaf, thats why its considered a fault. its a shame too cause i was always partial to the looks of an all white dog.


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## performanceknls (Apr 4, 2009)

AngelDogs Foundation said:


> If the deafies have a disagreement here....they are aware of the rules. We are the boss. It stops at the first snark and fighting is not allowed. They don't like our "bad face", so try very hard not to invite the display. They also hate to be removed from the pack- they are extremely social.


While doing rescue over the years I have found that most of the deaf APBT's we got ended up having to be PTS. The DA got to dangerous levels when placed and several got in trouble with the law. No voice control ended up being too dangerous so we stopped placing most of them.

How do you handle the aggression when you get real APBT's and not just petbulls? Deaf or not my experience has been that some are just as DA as any other APBT's but with not being able to hear it got dangerous.


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## Llopez505 (Nov 29, 2015)

Can anyone tell me where I can find a breeder of these pure white pitbull'sdoes not really matter to me if it carries the genetic DEF Gene or not


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## BCdogs (May 30, 2014)

Llopez505 said:


> Can anyone tell me where I can find a breeder of these pure white pitbull'sdoes not really matter to me if it carries the genetic DEF Gene or not


No ethical breeder will be purposely attempting to breed a dog with such traits.


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## JoKealoha (Mar 22, 2011)

or any color for that matter.


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