December 2012/January 2013 - Low Resolution - PAWPRINT ...
December 2012/January 2013 - Low Resolution - PAWPRINT ...
December 2012/January 2013 - Low Resolution - PAWPRINT ...
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NEWS<br />
Why Hearing Dogs?<br />
ON PAGE 3 of every issue of this magazine, a note has been included,<br />
in the “contact details” box, that Panel, Wood & Solid Surface supports<br />
the work of Hearing Dogs for Deaf People.<br />
Why Hearing Dogs, and why is the charity relevant to the readership of<br />
this particular journal?<br />
Hearing Dogs for Deaf People, which in <strong>2012</strong> celebrated its 30th<br />
anniversary, is a charity dedicated to improving the quality of life for deaf<br />
people, whose only source of funding is the generosity of individuals,<br />
groups, companies and other organisations. All of us, in whatever walk of<br />
life, may well know people who benefit from its work.<br />
It takes 12-14 months for a selected puppy to complete its socialisation<br />
training and a further 16-18 weeks for soundwork training to be completed:<br />
each puppy’s training is tailored to meet the needs of its intended<br />
recipient.<br />
As shown in these photos, taken during a demonstration at a fund -<br />
When an alarm clock goes off in the morning, a hearing dog can<br />
raising event, a hearing dog’s work begins first thing in the morning,<br />
when the alarm goes off. It is the hearing dog’s task to wake the recipient. gently wake the recipient, as Cedar is demonstrating here.<br />
A larger dog, like Cedar, will gently place a paw on the recipient, while a small dog would be<br />
trained to jump up on the bed. No sleeping through the alarm!<br />
A hearing dog is trained to attract the recipient’s attention to a variety of everyday sounds:<br />
a doorbell, for example, so that if a caller is expected, the recipient can get on with the day<br />
without having to spend all his or her time looking out the window. A portable timer can be<br />
used to time certain tasks, and when it goes off the dog will attract the recipient’s attention:<br />
similarly, if called by another member of the family, the dog will alert the recipient to the<br />
sound. As can be seen below, Cedar is attracting the attention of his companion during the<br />
demonstration with a raised paw: gentle and effective.<br />
If the sound the dog is responding to is one of those listed above, or a similar safe situation,<br />
then the hearing dog will lead the recipient to the source of the sound. For other sounds<br />
which denote danger, such as a smoke alarm, the hearing dog will lie down in front of the recipient<br />
and it will be the recipient’s responsibility to choose a safe course of action: that way,<br />
a dog will never lead a recipient into harm.<br />
The improvement to the quality of life that a hearing dog brings cannot be over estimated.<br />
Increased independence and confidence arise from the peace of mind that important events<br />
are not going to be missed, while at the same time isolation is reduced.<br />
A hearing dog is typically a labrador, golden retriever, cocker spaniel, miniature poodle or<br />
Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, either specially bred or, in certain cases, rescue dogs. Over the<br />
past 30 years, over 1,600 partnerships have been created, of which 750 are current at the<br />
time of writing.<br />
At the weekend event at which these pictures were taken, a total of £10,000 was raised for<br />
A hearing dog will gently attract the recipient’s attention in response to a doorbell,<br />
a timer going off or a family member calling the dog’s name, for example.<br />
Hearing Dogs receives no government funding,<br />
relying instead on the generosity of individuals,<br />
groups and companies, and fundraising events<br />
such as this charity auction.<br />
Hearing Dogs, in addition to another £30,000 raised<br />
for a charity supporting children in need around the<br />
world. Fundraising was not the primary aim of the<br />
weekend, but a lot of lives will be changed as a result<br />
of the moneys raised.<br />
From the Hearing Dogs website, the breeding,<br />
training, placement and life-long care of each hearing<br />
dog costs around £45,000. The result of this<br />
investment is a partnership which changes lives.<br />
Hearing Dogs for Deaf People<br />
Tel 01844 348100 (voice and minicom)<br />
Email info@hearingdogs.org.uk<br />
www.hearingdogs.org.uk<br />
Page 26 Panel, Wood & Solid Surface <strong>December</strong> <strong>2012</strong>/<strong>January</strong> <strong>2013</strong>