Hearing Assistance Dogs
Hearing dogs enable those who are deaf or hard of hearing to be more aware of their surroundings. These dogs can accompany their disabled handler into public settings and will naturally give off sound cues to the handler. For example, if the dog looks to his left the handler will know their is an auditory signal coming from that direction, which prompts the handler to look to their left to see if it is something they should respond to. Hearing dogs are also trained to purposefully alert their handler to certain sounds in the home. These dogs are trained to paw at their handler’s leg when the smoke alarm goes off, the doorbell rings, the microwave dings, or the teakettle whistles. Our dogs are trained on a case by case basis for the specific sounds each recipient will need to be alerted to. These dogs can be a small or large breed, as size is not a factor.
COMMANDS
Alert
Hearing dogs are also trained to purposefully alert their handler to certain sounds in the home. These dogs are trained to paw at their handler’s leg when the smoke alarm goes off, the doorbell rings, the microwave dings, or the teakettle whistles.
COMMANDS
Specific Sound Recognition
Our dogs are trained on a case by case basis for the specific sounds each recipient will need to be alerted to. If there are sounds that are important for the handler to hear, but usually they cannot hear, our dogs can be trained to specifically recognize that sound and either alert the handler, or act accordingly. These dogs can be a small or large breed, as size is not a factor.
Is a Little Angels Hearing Dog Right for Me?
In order to receive a Hearing Dog from Little Angels, you must:
- Be deaf or hard of hearing with documentation from your doctor supporting your disability.
- Have strong communication skills and the ability to be consistent with a dog regarding training exercises.
- Have a love for dogs.
- Have patience to work through problems (even a trained dog is still a dog).
- Have finances to provide your dog with veterinary care and maintenance for the next 10-12 years.
- Be willing to travel to San Diego, California or Bartlett, New Hampshire for handler training with your child and at least one additional adult to provide child care while you are in your lessons