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