Our Hearing Dogs spend four to six months in training learning how to alert their trainer to sounds in their environment. We train our Hearing Dogs to respond to seven sounds: fire and smoke alarms, the telephone, oven timer, alarm clock, doorbell/door knock, and name call (and sometimes the baby cry). Once placed with their deaf partner, the dogs easily learn to respond to additional sounds such as the microwave, tea kettle, and washer/dryer. Hearing Dogs can be taught to alert people to any repetitive sound that can be set up and practiced regularly. If a sound is inconsistent or too difficult to set up and practice, it is hard for the dog to learn to work it.
Many people are curious about what Hearing Dogs can do for people who are hard of hearing or deaf when they're in public. The most important thing a Hearing Dog provides a person in public is an increased awareness of his or her environment. A Hearing Dog isn't specifically trained to alert to sounds, such as a siren or honking horn, in public. But when a person who is hard of hearing or deaf takes his or her Hearing Dog into public, he or she will gain an awareness of the environment by paying attention to whatever the Hearing Dog is reacting to. When the dog turns to look at something it hears, the person will notice and turn to see what's happening as well.
Charlene & her Hearing Dog, Lola
With the exception of a $50 nonrefundable application fee, Dogs for the Deaf places Hearing Dogs free of charge to qualified applicants. Once the dog is placed with a person, the client is financially responsible for the on-going care of the dog.
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