Hearing in Dalmatians

From the American Dalmatian Club

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

~70% of Dalmatians have bilateral hearing. They hear with both ears.

~22% have 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 eighth week of development.

Careful breeding can produce better than average hearing.

-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. A reliable method for assessing hearing is available.

-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.