Hearing 101

While deafness does occur in the breed, the vast majority of Dalmatians can hear

• • ~70% of Dalmatians have a bilateral hearing. They hear with both ears.
  • ~22% have a unilateral hearing. They hear with only one ear.
  • ~8% are totally deaf. This unlucky minority do not hear at all.

Note: These statistics are representative of pre-weaned puppies. 
Total Congenital Deafness (should it occur) is detectable before the puppy begins it\’s the eighth week of development (see Ethics #\’s 9 & 10).

• Select only bilaterally hearing dogs for breeding.
• Choose from lines with the fewest deaf relatives.
• Do not repeat breeding with dogs that produce many deaf pups.
• Favor breeding dogs with brown eyes.

• Puppies can be tested as early as 5 weeks of age.
• The BAER test method provides a permanent record of a dog\’s hearing status.
• If a Dal hears as a pup it will hear as an adult, barring injury, infection or old age.

• Where BAER testing is not available, breeders rely on home testing methods.
• Responsible breeders provide sales agreements and documentation with the hearing status of a puppy.
• The DCA provides breeder referral information to help you find healthy, well-bred puppies.

• DCA sponsored research continues to lead to a better understanding of deafness.
• An open Hearing Registry has been established to maintain a database of BAER test results.
• The purpose of DCA policies regarding deafness is to advance the quality of the breed.