Originally Posted by gillieworm

Hi Kay

White animals tend to be more prone to being born deaf due to the lack of pigment in their inner ear. This isn't exclusive to dogs, and can affect all other white animals such as cats, rabbits etc. Having Dalmatians this is one of the things that puppies get tested for (well reputable breeders anyway ). The test is called BAER (Brain Audible Electronic Response) and is usually done on puppies at about 5 weeks old. Deafness can occur in both ears, or just 1 ear and the test will be able to determine this.

Hope that helps