Dalmatians carry an inherited tendency toward deafness linked to the breed's coat patterning, which is why hearing testing is a standard part of choosing a puppy responsibly. The test that counts is the BAER test, and a buyer should know what it measures, when it happens, and what paperwork a careful breeder will hand over, because informal sound checks at a viewing cannot do the same job.
What the BAER Test Actually Measures
BAER stands for brainstem auditory evoked response. Small electrodes placed on the head record electrical activity in the hearing pathway while clicks are delivered into one ear at a time through an insert or headphones. The puppy does not need to react, cooperate, or even be awake and alert in a particular way, because the equipment measures the nervous system's response directly rather than watching for a startle or a head turn. Testing each ear separately is the critical feature: a puppy deaf in one ear behaves almost identically to a fully hearing puppy in a litter, turning toward sound using the working ear, so only an ear-by-ear electronic test can find one-sided deafness. Sedation is sometimes used for wriggly puppies, and the procedure is brief and painless.
When Testing Happens and What Results Mean
Puppies are usually tested at around five to six weeks of age, once the ear canals have opened and hearing can be assessed reliably, and testing earlier than that window can mislead. Results are reported for each ear, giving three practical outcomes. A puppy may hear in both ears, described as bilateral hearing. A puppy may be deaf in one ear, called unilateral deafness, with normal hearing in the other ear. Or a puppy may be deaf in both ears, bilateral deafness. One-sided deafness is not an illness and many such dogs live ordinary pet lives, though sound localisation is poorer and the condition matters greatly for breeding decisions. A puppy deaf in both ears needs an owner prepared for visual signals, lead security, and management around traffic and recall, because a deaf dog cannot hear danger or a call.
What a Breeder Should Provide
Ask for the individual BAER certificate for the puppy you are considering, not a verbal summary for the litter, and expect the paperwork to name the puppy, the date, the testing centre, and the result for each ear. A careful breeder tests the whole litter, shares results for puppies you are not buying as readily as for the one you are, and discusses results plainly, including which puppies are deaf in one or both ears and what homes those puppies need. Ask also what the parents' hearing status is and whether the breeder records results openly, since a pattern of one-sided deafness in a line informs future breeding choices. Treat vagueness as information: a breeder who offers only a clap test, who tests some puppies and not others without a clear reason, or who will not show certificates is asking you to accept an avoidable unknown in a breed where the proper test is routine.
Deciding With the Result in Hand
A bilateral hearing result is the straightforward outcome buyers usually seek. A unilaterally deaf puppy can suit many pet homes well, provided the buyer understands that training, recall work, and road safety should assume hearing on one side only. Choosing a fully deaf puppy is a deliberate commitment to sign-based training and secure management, rewarding for prepared owners and unfair to the puppy if taken on casually. Whichever result you accept, keep the certificate safe alongside vaccination and microchip papers, because KinsLe's Pet Passport holds a copy in the dog's file for every future vet visit.