My 5-week-old puppy doesn't hear me. Is he deaf or too young?

Puppies hearing develops from 2-4weeks but his responses and behavior in relation to noise takes some time to learn and is often stunted if weaned away from his mother and siblings to early. If you are concerned your vet can do some checks to see if and what frequencies are affected but there are limited treatment options available if there is any lack of hearing. I recommend some puppy socialisation classes as soon as he is vaccinated to encourage some positive training aids at a young age

It is possible that WhiteGirl may be deaf, but it is also common for puppies to have very short attention spans and be very distractable, so sometimes puppies do not respond to auditory cues as expected. You didn't list a breed, but with her name, I suspect your girl is a white dog. We do see deafness more commonly in white dogs of some breeds. I would start with having your veterinarian examine WhiteGirl to get their input and evaluate her ear canals, then decide if further testing is needed. Good luck! I hope that was helpful. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

A very young puppy like Bam Bam often doesn’t respond like an older dog to sights and sounds. It’s too soon to worry about his eye sight or hearing yet. Give him several more weeks to grow and mature. He will probable gradually start responding like you expect, especially if he already had a normal eye exam. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you care for Bam Bam.

It can sometimes be difficult to tell with puppies if they have a true hearing problem, or if they simply get absorbed in what they are doing and don't register sounds around them :) You can try clapping your hands behind his head when he isn't looking, or making a sudden loud sound like clanging pots together - if he doesn't react at all to these things, it's likely that he may be deaf. If you're still unsure, I would recommend having him checked by your vet to get their opinion.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! At 14 weeks old, she doesn’t understand commands or her name. I recommend keep working with her but use things like clapping, slapping your leg, jumping up and down to get her attention to come to you. When she does, give her a lot of praise and make It fun. Over the next few months, you can add her name and command words, like “come”, but it will take time for her to understand. I recommend using a leash during training so you can get her attention and so she can follow you and understand what you are asking her. Good luck and kisses to Princess!

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! 5 weeks is a bit young. You can practice her name now but anything else will be frustrating for you. Most dogs are still with their mothers at 5 weeks. I would start with the leash at 8 weeks and training at 10-12 weeks. Good luck!

One month of age is very young to be separated from his mother and litter, ideally he should stay with his mother until he is eight weeks old. His sight and hearing should be normal for his age, though he's only been able to see and hear for a week or two, so he may not know how to interpret what he senses. I recommend getting him seen by your vet as soon as possible for an exam to determine how normal he is for his age and get him started on everything he needs, such as a vaccination schedule and deworming program.