Assistance Dogs Give the Hard of Hearing Their Hearing / Two Ears on Four Paws
For many, they are man’s best friend: dogs. In addition to being incredibly cuddly and offering lifelong loyalty, these fluffy furry friends have a lot more to offer: When specially trained, they can not only sniff out drugs, explosives, or diseases, but also partially replace their owners’ senses—for example, hearing dogs “lend” their hearing to their hard-of-hearing or deaf owners.
Guide dogs are widely known. But what about alert dogs? These specially trained assistance dogs respond to auditory signals that their owners cannot perceive. The keen hearing of these assistance dogs—also known as hearing dogs—essentially “replaces” their owners’ hearing by alerting them to ambient sounds through a touch on their hand or leg and by checking the source of the sound.
This is a real help, because you can’t immediately tell that someone is hard of hearing or deaf. That’s exactly what can make everyday life challenging when situations are confusing or other people aren’t very considerate. Hearing aids or cochlear implants can help address hearing loss up to a certain degree of severity and restore both hearing ability and quality of life. In addition—and especially for people who are deaf, for whom hearing aids are not effective—signal dogs serve as very special everyday assistants.
What can a service dog do?
Doorbells, alarm clocks, telephones, or alarm sounds like smoke detectors: A signal dog’s tasks—and the sounds it alerts its owner to—are tailored individually to the needs of people with hearing loss. For example, signal dogs can also alert their owners to objects that have fallen unnoticed, crying babies, cars approaching from behind, police sirens, car horns, and other signals.
For people with hearing loss, this is a real relief. If they don’t wear hearing aids or are completely deaf, they have to be constantly alert and watch their surroundings—an exhausting task. With a signal dog, however, they can focus on other things or engage in other activities without risking missing a phone call or an alarm, for example. It’s no wonder that the importance of signal dogs has increased significantly worldwide in recent years.
Start early
Training for signal dogs usually begins when the dog is a puppy or young adult and lasts about a year. The training can be conducted by a specialized institute or privately. In theory, therefore, anyone with hearing loss can train their dog to respond to specific commands. However, it is advisable to seek the support of breeders and dog trainers who specialize in assistance dogs, as they typically train these dogs with a great deal of experience and patience before they go to their owners. They then accompany the new pair during the getting-to-know-each-other phase and as they take their first steps together in everyday life.
Instead of commands like “Sit,” “Stay,” and the like, signal dogs are trained to respond to hand signals or head movements. If vocal commands are used, they are often in a different language or consist of unique terms. This is intended to prevent strangers from giving commands at will. In the United Kingdom, signal dogs even wear a special “uniform”: an orange leash or an orange collar.
Signal Dogs Help Reduce Feelings of Anxiety and Loneliness
Since the early 1990s, numerous studies have shown that signal dogs have a positive impact on the lives of people with hearing impairments. Signal dog owners report that their quality of life has improved, particularly in terms of safety, self-confidence, and independence. Social interactions also become easier to maintain through walks and dog training classes. A 2008 study by Baylor College in Texas involving signal dog owners confirms this: The study participants stated that, since getting their assistance dog, they have been less reliant on help from others and that their relationships with friends and family have improved. The greatest benefits cited were improved ability to manage daily life thanks to the dog’s alerts to sounds.
A study conducted from 2003 to 2006 by the organization “Hearing Dogs for Deaf People” in England shows that hearing dogs help reduce feelings of anxiety, loneliness, and depression. These assistance dogs are particularly helpful to children: They were able to fall asleep more easily, made friends with their peers more readily, saw improvements in their self-confidence and academic performance, and demonstrated greater language skills. Acceptance of hearing aids and overall family life also improved noticeably. In addition, parents’ concerns about their child’s safety decreased.
Requirements for a Signal Dog
There is no specific process for getting a service dog:
- Necessity:The most important requirement is that individuals are so limited in their daily lives due to severe hearing loss or deafness that they feel a signal dog could help them.
- No Other Dogs: The signal dog should be the only dog in the household so that other dogs do not distract it from its assistance duties. Other pets are generally not a problem, depending on the dog’s temperament.
- Minimum Age:If the signal dog is intended for children, a minimum age of six years is recommended.
- Cost Coverage: Information about costs or cost coverage by health insurance is available from relevant organizations for the hard of hearing and the deaf.
Which breed is best?
In principle, any dog breed can be trained to be a signal dog. Since the dog does not need to open doors, take off clothing, or fetch objects in everyday life—but rather is expected to recognize sounds—size is not a factor for a signal dog. It’s even practical if the dog can be carried in a bag in an emergency—because, unlike guide dogs, for example, alert dogs do not have legal access to all locations. In general, an assistance dog should have a calm temperament and be sociable.
More Information
The nearly 15-minute video “Assistance Dog for the Deaf” from the Bavarian Broadcasting Corporation’s series “Anna, Nina, Pia, and the Pets” will remain available in the ARD media library through the end of September 2029. The episode introduces Davina, a small signal dog, and her owner, Britta; it follows them through their daily lives and provides fascinating insights into the training and benefits of signal dogs.
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Signal dogs are especially valuable companions in everyday life for people who are deaf. In most cases, technology also helps people with varying degrees of hearing loss: hearing aids and cochlear implants are small technological marvels that help people hear better again. In our blog, you can learn how Markus and Chris, for example, have regained their quality of life thanks to hearing aids.
