My 5-week-old puppy seems deaf. When will he react to noise?

HI, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Snow is very very cute!! 5 weeks is very young. In the US we do not recommend puppies be removed from their mothers that young. Snow is to young to learn commands and come when called. I promise you with time and as he grows he will learn his name and come. Just practice a few times per day for only a few minutes. Puppies tire easily. It is very common at 5 weeks to appear deaf and like they can't see. It is just immaturity! I hope this helps and have fun with your new puppy!

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.

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.

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.

The best way to "test" hearing at home is to wait until the dog is sleeping or not looking at you and then making a loud noise to see if she responds. This is not really diagnostic though. Some animals are deaf at only certain pitches of sound and not all sounds. The only way to definitively test is to take her for Baer testing at a speciality vet clinic. This article may help you: https://www.wikihow.com/Tell-if-Your-Dog-Is-Deaf

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.

Puppies do not develop the respond to blink due to an object in front of the eye until they are 10-12 weeks old (usually). Place objects in front of Leo and see if he walks around them. You can also have a toy and see if his eyes follow it while encouraging play. Your vet can also access and help you if needed. I hope this helps and please feel free to post any additional questions.