The Upper Ohio Valley Obedience Training Club will offer a six-week training course specifically for deaf dogs and puppies beginning at 6 p.m. on Sept. 3 at its headquarters in Bellaire.

The nonprofit club is scheduling the course at 56490 Key Bellaire Road to teach handlers methods adapted for dogs that do not respond to sound. Instructors for the class are Kris Metz and Connie Smith, who will lead weekly sessions designed for visual and tactile cues as an alternative to voice commands. Common training techniques for deaf dogs include hand signals, visual markers like thumbs up or hand flashes, and positive reinforcement with treats or toys, emphasizing the importance of getting the dog’s attention through visual and tactile means.

The club plans a staggered schedule of related classes across the first days of September. On Sept. 2 the club will run an advanced obedience class from 6-7 p.m., followed by a trick dog class from 7:30-8:30 p.m. The deaf dog and puppy course begins at 6 p.m. on Sept. 3, with a puppy kindergarten session the same evening from 7:15 p.m.-8:15 p.m., and a beginners manners class slated to start Sept. 4.

Kris Metz will teach the deaf dog series alongside Connie Smith; Metz will bring her Papillon, KC, to demonstrations and hands-on portions of the course. Linda Cornell, a board member of the club, praised Metz’s expertise: “She is amazing. She truly is a specialist with deaf dogs. She said she would love to teach and bring her knowledge to others with deaf dogs and puppies,” Cornell said. Deafness prevalence in dogs varies by breed, with congenital sensorineural deafness being especially common in some breeds such as Australian Cattle Dogs, making this training highly relevant for many dog owners.

Cornell emphasized that age is not a barrier to training: “Senior dogs, they’re never too old to learn. When they start losing their hearing, it’s good to teach them signals to come, sit and stay and things like that,” she said.

Organizers described the series as six weekly sessions targeting owners who need alternatives to verbal commands. The approach will rely on visual signals and handler positioning to communicate basic obedience cues. For owners seeking broader background on visual and tactile training techniques, resources from the American Kennel Club (AKC) and Deaf Dogs Rock are widely available online, offering guides on using hand signals and other techniques suitable for deaf dogs.

The club’s headquarters at 56490 Key Bellaire Road will host the classes, which are open to deaf adult dogs and puppies; handlers should expect instruction that pairs demonstrations with practice time. The inclusion of Metz’s Papillon KC in class demonstrations aims to give handlers a live example of working with a deaf companion.

The schedule across the Sept. 2–4 period gives owners multiple entry points into the club’s programs: advanced students may attend the Sept. 2 sessions, new owners can enroll in puppy kindergarten on Sept. 3, and beginners have a start date on Sept. 4. The six-week deaf dog course beginning Sept. 3 will follow through subsequent weekly sessions at the same location.

The Upper Ohio Valley Obedience Training Club is offering these classes as part of its regular programming for dog handlers in the region. Interested owners should contact the club directly for registration details and any class fees.

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Original reporting: view the original article.