Most people know that seeing-eye dogs are some of the best companions for people who are blind. While service pets of this type have been around for almost a generation, there has been an increased interest in making the same pets available for people who have hearing loss. This has led to a great deal of specialized training occurring over the last decade, resulting in pets that can help their owner navigate their lives much better. In this article we will look at the training that they undergo as well as how they can help their partners.
The Training The Undergo
Each hearing dog is trained to understand sounds that will help them alert to their owner’s needs. This usually takes between four and six months of time, during which the dog’s temperament will be established. Then, they are trained to identify, locate, and bring awareness to common sounds that occur throughout their home. After they are trained to respond to all of these sounds, they are placed with their partner and given annual training in order to keep their skills sharp.
How To Obtain A Dog
There are many stringent requirements that you must meet if you want to be eligible to own one of these hearing dogs. The first thing that you need to do is be 18 years old or more so that you can request an application. Then your home must be inspected to be sure that it provides adequate living conditions and will not be hampered by finances. You must also identify a friend or family member who can help you with the first stages of home training. Once you have met all of these requirements, then you may be awarded a dog after purchasing one. After this, you must still attend initial canine training as well as annual refreshment courses.
Helping The Hearing Impaired
After the dog has been placed with their hearing partner, there will be a time of getting used to one another and personalized care training. This helps to make sure that both dog and person is a good match for each other. After this bond has been established, then you will see that they offer many different ways of helping the person with hearing impairment that fall outside of their training.
In the event that you are walking outside and come across a situation that is unfamiliar for the dog, it may show hesitancy to warn you that something is going on. You can pick up upon your dog’s body language and then see how they react to different challenges that arise. This will give someone with hearing loss a much better grip on what is happening around them.