Do Deafies Need Hearing Dogs?
Jun.26, 2007 in
Deaf Topics, Vlog
Summary: Why do we need hearing dogs for?
These quotes I showed in the video:
“Learning to live with deafness can be a devastating experience.”
“Deafness is an invisible disability and can lead to isolation and loneliness as people withdraw, finding it increasingly hard to communicate.”
You can find these quotes and more, click this Hearing Dogs for Deaf People.
Here’s this article regarding the boy that sued the school about hearing dog I mentioned in the video, you can find the article, click this.
And finally, my friend Kevin, a blogger called Key Lime Boy wrote an interesting post about Hearing Dogs For The Deaf? (click on the title directly to his post).
Buy me a cup of coffee
June 26th, 2007 at 6:35 am
Good topic… well, I know a bit about those hearing dogs’s purpose to serve. I know some deaf people aren’t sensitive to light flashing or vibrating so they are best to have them. Also those dogs are good guardian for them. Like break in or beating on deaf people’s life. That is all I know of.
June 26th, 2007 at 6:45 am
Nutty biz. LOL.
June 26th, 2007 at 6:45 am
“Deaf people can do anything except can’t hear” — That’s what you said!! Double negative? (No offense intended).
It should be quoted, “Deaf people can do anything except hear”.
Anyways, back to the point about needing a hearing dog, I am trying to understand why those deaf people bring the hearing dog to the restaurants! Do they need the hearing dog to alert the deaf customers that the waitress is talking to them?
Can anyone tell me that the hearing dog indeed save (or alert) the deaf life in a restaurant?
I need to be educated about the hearing dog! :)
For the quotation you excerpted from Hearing Dogs for Deaf people website, that is apathetic! They need to be educated about the deaf ablility to lead their own lives without needing a hearing dog!
Thank you for bringing up an interesting topic.
One more, last night at Hell Kitchen was a WOW show because all candidates suck big time!
June 26th, 2007 at 6:55 am
Maybe some deaf people feel secure to have a dog and have it as pet but same time they work for them.. Sometimes deaf people just need a dog to be around. I know myself I have two dogs they arent hearing dog no. But I feel secured to have them around so if they do the service (hearing dog) it can increase deaf people to feel secured that the dog knows I am Deaf and need to be alert. Also, ya know dogs are great therapy too! It is my opinion.
June 26th, 2007 at 7:17 am
Hello Seek Geo,
That is interest story, well, my opinion that deaf people dont need hearing dog to lead them. But, if some deaf people really dont have that money to pay the technology, like light alarm, etc. So, they can pay hearing dog instead. I think it is good idea. Some people hate technology and love animals. It would be perfect for them to buy hearing dog. Actually, this issue is gernal. There is nothing right or wrong to buy hearing dog. I dont need that hearing dog to lead myself because I know how to do whatever with out life like you do, right? So, all depend on this people’s desicion. Thanks, =D
By the way, I was watching Hell’s Kitchen last night. Oh boy, it is crazy. Lot of mad, insult, remake the food, blah. Oh boy. That why it called, “Hell’s Kitchen!” =P
June 26th, 2007 at 7:18 am
I’m profoundedly deaf myself and I train dogs for Deaf in Texas. I also have a hearing dog myself. As for what can a dog do for you in a restaurant, most people are not aware that you are deaf when you walk into a building, any building. A dog with you actually shows them that you are deaf without you having to tell them. I’ve had people come up to me and ask me if a certain car in the parkinglot was mine. Apparently they announced over the speakers a description of the car with headlights on which of course I didn’t hear. A Hearing Dog promotes awareness of the Deaf. And yes, accidents can happen anytime. I was pulled out of the way of a forklift that was backing up without the driver looking over his shoulder to see that I was in the way! Thankfully to my dog, she pulled me out of the way fast! My mother calls the Deaf, the Silent Minority because people are not aware that there’s a Deaf person in their midst until it’s almost too late. A dog actually forces them to open their eyes.
June 26th, 2007 at 7:27 am
Kathy, umm, first thing comes to mind when I see person with dog is, “that person must be blind.” Ahh, heroic stories are abundant to any mission statement.
June 26th, 2007 at 7:34 am
Response to Riolo – I doubt that owning a pet can be cheaper than purchasing technology. There are constant needs such as medical care including annual shots, daily feedings, grooming, etc. I realize those expenses are tax deductible – hey maybe that’s another reason why some decide to have a “pet”.
June 26th, 2007 at 7:39 am
Fascinating discussion about dogs! I love them, especially huskies because they are closest to my favorite animals, wolves. As for quotes, they should not be posted ANYWHERE! How offending and arrogant of hearies who posted them! If they make those quotations more specific and say deaf individuals without ASL and lousy speaking skills experience those stuff they claim all d/Deaf experience, then just maybe it may be brutally more honest but would it be respectful? I think not.
June 26th, 2007 at 7:45 am
Seeing Eye dogs have special harnesses that identifies them as Seeing Eye dogs. Most Hearing Dogs have vests with the wording Hearing Dog on them. Key words here: harnesses versus vests, two different things. If a person is curious, all they have to do is ask. Most managers of restuarants do come out to ask if the dog is legitimate. Hearing people have big ears, they overhear the conversations with managers. They also will ask an employee if the dog has a right to be there. Employees will tell them that the dog is a Hearing dog.
Also, Seek Geo, about advance technology… how many times has a light bulb gone out? And what about blackouts? Would you be able to hear a firetruck pull up in front of your house/apartment during a blackout or does your technology cover that? I prefer to use both the dog and the technology. I actually have two hearing dogs(benefit of being a trainer, ha). One stays home all the time because she “failed” qualification because she hates to ride in cars. The other one, fully qualified, goes with me everywhere. I keep hitting the snooze button on my vibrating alarm, my dogs run over me in bed when they’ve had enough of waiting for me to wake up and let them go outside to do their business. Thanks to them, I don’t miss an important engagement because I like to oversleep.
June 26th, 2007 at 7:52 am
Hi Judge,
You are right, I did this video at late night last night so I was dead tired and when I was typing subtitle and I realized I did say “can’t” hear instead of “hear”..my bad. But I figured, I’m only human so I will just leave as it is rather than try to edit. HA!
I’m sure you all know what I mean anyway. :-D
-SG
June 26th, 2007 at 7:55 am
Hi Kathy,
You brought up valid point about blackouts, when it did happen, I usually depend on hearing person(s) who lives with me or at least next door.
So I’m not sure what would have happened if I live alone. But to be honest, I’m not sure about the idea of taking hearing dog to public places. I have been out in public all my life and I’m doing fine so that’s why I’m curious.
Wow, interesting one of your dogs did not like riding in the car. I thought all dogs love cars, he he. :-)
-SG
June 26th, 2007 at 8:00 am
I’m with you to a degree. I really don’t see the utility of having a hearing dog with you at all times outside the home. But, I do see the benefits of having a hearing dog inside the home.
I don’t mind Deaf people carrying their hearing dogs with them everywhere they go. However, I admit to being a little bit concerned; it could be viewed as an ‘abuse’ of existing laws governing access to hearing dogs. If there’s too much of it going on in public places, there will be pressure upon legislators to revisit the issue and possibly change the laws for the worse.
June 26th, 2007 at 8:08 am
One other thing; Didja see the blogroll on my site? :) (Just click on the link in my name.) And thank you for linking to my site.
June 26th, 2007 at 8:17 am
I prefer to have hearing dog over my technology. It is not very reliable what I have. I can’t afford to buy different brand. I have several rooms to alert me.
June 26th, 2007 at 8:23 am
Seek Geo, in my first post, I mentioned the fork lift driver but I didn’t mention where it took place. It actually took place at Sam’s (you know, the big wholesale place, that also owns Walmart), a very public place. I think I would either be dead or in the hospital if my dog hadn’t alerted me to the fork lift behind me. I was told by an employee that usually they have spotters on the floor with the fork lift driver, but that morning (a very quiet morning with few ppl in there) there were no spotters.
Personally, I like having a dog with me in public because I can read their body language. They have their own “language” as to how they react to things. Ears going back, tail tucked under their belly are extreme signs, but my dog displayed both of them during the fork lift incident. My old hearing dog also was a good judge of people. If she didn’t like someone there was a good reason behind it. At college (yes, I took her on campus with me at a hearing college) there was this guy flirting with me, but she would bark at him so much that it was so distressing to me. I had to get up and leave the room with her to make her shut up. I have to point out that it’s very unusual for her to bark if at all, so this weird behavoir from her signified that something wasn’t right with this guy. Fortunately we weren’t in the same class with the guy…however I found out that this guy had beaten up his girlfriend and was a drug addict. There’s just too many reasons to have a dog with me, as a Deaf woman for protection. Oh, by the way, my hearing dog is a German Shepherd, again another perk of being the trainer, I get to choose the kind of dog I would like. Some agencies are flexible, some aren’t. That’s my own preferences, however, I do would like you and others without dogs to know what it really is like living with a dog by your side every day, every where you go. In other words, there’s two sides to every coin :) Don’t put down a Hearing Dog without fully understanding the pros and cons of living with one. I’m not trying to convince you to own one LOL..I’m trying to convince you that they do have a place in society anywhere in the world :) That place may not be by your side and that’s okay. I have been training dogs since I was eight years old, I have driven people nuts since I was six about wanting a German Shepherd Dog, and now I own a German Shepherd kennel, I breed, show, and train dogs in other avenues, not just Hearing Dogs. My life is dogs, dogs, dogs :) a very alien concept for most people, Hearing and Deaf both. FYI, there is a Deaf woman who won a National title in Agility a few years back (a sport for dogs and handlers) with her poodle, the same poodle that I trained for her as a hearing dog. If a dog is not for you, then that’s the way it is :) Just realize that there’s more to having a Hearing Dog than it appears to be on the surface even in public.
June 26th, 2007 at 8:30 am
Response to puzzled- Well, in gernal, pet should be expenses as usually, but, technology is same. Because of use lot of electic and pay more electic bill. Hm? =P But, you are right, buy pet will be expenses but, depend on person’s willing. Right? =) thank you for responsed. =D
June 26th, 2007 at 8:32 am
Kathy,
I can see your points and, although, Geo is absolutely correct. I’ve been out in the public all my life and I am okay.
But, what about taking hearing dogs to OC films? To deaf socials? Is it necessary??
Most importantly, we don’t need to carry this “Poor me, I’m Deaf. I deserve to have special treatments” angle to the public.
Have you seen comments on my blog entry on this subject?
Thanks to Geo! This is gonna be verrrrrry interesting…
June 26th, 2007 at 8:33 am
I would like you check out for me and Watch my Video …http://my.videoegg.com/video/dvbPuV
Thanks and see you around
Sara or Shrimpy :-)
June 26th, 2007 at 8:46 am
Kevin, I don’t consider a dog with me as a sign of “poor me, I’m Deaf” rather I take it on as a challenge to promote awareness of the Deaf. There are places that I don’t take a dog to, more for the dog’s safety than any other reason LOL one is movie theaters, (icky floors! germs everywhere!)and another is amusement parks for the simple obvious reason is that you can’t take the dog with you on the rides. It’s personal judgement as to whether you want to take a dog with you or not. I’ve declined taking my dog with me to church the last few years, it bores her to death and she just sleeps anyway.
Special treatment…hmm, if a hearing dog saves my life from being crushed by a forklift because I couldn’t hear the loud beeps that it does when it’s backing up, then I need the special treatment to keep me alive :)
sorry for the long posts…I’ll try to keep it short from now on! Heading over to your blog now, Kevin :)
June 26th, 2007 at 8:50 am
I think it all depends on the deaf person himself. Perhaps SOME deafies feel better with a dog and the dog helps them deal with their disability.
However the deaf tend to take matters into their own hands and try to beat the system. I know of quite a few deaf people who take their family dogs along in a restaurant and pass them off as Hearing Ear Dogs”. You can even purchase doggie coats online that make these family pets look authenic. I am AGAINST THIS and feel that the deaf are taking advantage. They KNOW that many restaurant owners are afraid to approach the deaf person because of the communication barrier.
If you feel the need for a Hearing Ear Dog, by all means apply for one, but do not try to fool the system!
Lantana
June 26th, 2007 at 9:08 am
Lantana, I certainly haven’t found that to be true about MANY restaurant owners are afraid to approach deaf because of the communication barrier. I find it to be the opposite. Every new restuarant I go in, I get approached. (how do you put spaces between paragraphs?)
Let me say this: if ONE hearing dog is able to save One Deaf person’s life in public, then they do have the right to be in public.
Also, as to those abusing the system, it happens and yes, I get very upset about it. That’s why I stress to my clients to take their card with them that identifies the dog as qualified and also lists the organization that trained the dog complete with phone numbers.
Also the ADA law does allow the public places to kick the service dog out if the service dog misbehaves in public. Most family pets do not know how to act correctly. A well trained Hearing Dog does know how to act in public. There’s so much that goes into training a dog to be socially acceptable.
June 26th, 2007 at 9:10 am
Kathy,
Your dog would get bored at church? LOL Most people find sermons very boring anyway.
It’s very fortunate that you got saved from that forklift. I consider that as a one time incident.
June 26th, 2007 at 9:23 am
For my personal, I would rather to get a hearing dog because I wouldn’t worry about the electrics being out and not being able to see the alerting flashing lights! If I had a baby that cried, my dog would alert me (that’s if the electrics went out). I grew up in the area where we had frequently thunderstorms that caused blackout, I felt very comfortable with my dog besided me at all the time and see her at the door so that I knew that there’s someone at the door.
The hearing service dogs are trained to alert owners when they drop keys. One day, my friend brought her hearing service dog with us to the mall. After we got out of the mall, her dog alerted her that I dropped my keys at the parking lot. Thanks to this dog… Otherwise I would have to look for the keys forever!
Also, the trained hearing service dog would alert its deaf owner when her/his name is called.
My friend lived in a 3 stories one sided townhouse. Someone broke into his house while he slept on 3rd floor — someone took advantage of his deafness! I’ve told him to get a dog!
June 26th, 2007 at 9:24 am
Kathy,
All you can do is hit ENTER two times to make paragraphs separate. Get in habit for web writing only to hit ENTER twice instead of once.
June 26th, 2007 at 9:27 am
Kathy brought up some good points and I would have to agree with her. Yes, we do have all that advanced technology out now. I do have a doorbell alerter and it is working not too good now and I only have two flashing lights in the rooms I am in the most so there is a chance I could miss it, even in the daytime when not see the light too good. Also there are times when we have tornado warnings and it continues through the nights and I won’t be able to hear the signals. I made a agreement with my neighbors that they will help alert me. When I go to sleep, I keep all my doors locked and if it happened during the night, my neighbors wouldn’t be able to come in and alert me. (Just had an idea, I could give a door key). I had a friend who took turns with her husband staying awake during the night to watch for any updates. In that case, a hearing dog probably will be very helpful.
Anyway, some of my thoughts on how a hearing dog can be helpful. I don’t have one though.
June 26th, 2007 at 9:53 am
Hi,
These days, I don’t see many blind people using guide dogs, I wonder why. They mainly use canes to get around. Disabled people use motorized carts. I think technology has improved a lot for many disabled people and they would much rather use technology over animals.
Also I would love to see stores and restaurant have an open policy of letting people bring their dogs in like in France and other European countries so that dogs are welcomed if they are well-behaved and know how to act properly in public.
I think it is perfectly okay for deaf people to have dogs to help them around in the house like alerting them to the door, telephone or whatever but to take them out in public, I am not too sure about it. One person brought their dog to the graduation ceremony, what is the dog going to do except to lay down and sleep. If we could get in the dogs’ minds, they probably would want to be at home, be comfortable and sleep instead of being on the leash all the time and going to places where they are literally forced to lay down still and not to move around so much. I would imagine how hard it would be for the dog.
I would ask you all, imagine if you were a guide dog, would you like it? It would be interesting to see what people would say.
I am all for saving dogs, putting them in good homes, giving them love and attention and teach them tricks but beyond that, making them work hard and forcing them to go out in public places just to lie still and not move around can be a torture for the dog, they cannot tell us so they have to be patient and follow the owner. Ouch, that would be hard.
Just my humble opinion!
June 26th, 2007 at 10:00 am
Thanks Oscar! :-)
Hey Kathy,
Yes I’m very grateful that your life was saved and true like Kevin said one time incident.
The reason why I don’t like the idea about having a hearing dog with me going public is because if we want to show hearing people outside that we can do anything so how can I explain if I walk around with a hearing dog?
Not that it’s anything wrong so that’s why I’m questioning why we really need to bring hearing dogs with us everywhere or at least almost all of places. :-D
-SG
June 26th, 2007 at 10:36 am
Actually, I had a hearing ear dog at one time. She was trained in Oregon and was a sweet dog, but my lifestyle changed and I found that I no longer could make good use of her so sent her back. They found a good home for her with another single woman.
My dog flew across the United States with me once, laying under my feet. The airlines gave us a bulkhead seat for the extra room. The only problem was when I had to lay over at Dallas/Fort Worth there was no place for the dog to go potty. I went to the special needs desk and they took me outside and helped me look around for a good spot. Actually, on this trip I considered the dog a nuisance.
Like I mentioned, it all depends on the deaf person and their lifestyle.
Lantana
June 26th, 2007 at 12:44 pm
I’m with Lantana. I had a hearing dog (two, actually) as tryouts when my three children were very small. The idea was that being home alone, the dog would help me keep tabs on all the kids no matter how widely they scattered. As part of the tryout, I had to take the dog everywhere with me, restaurants, offices, etc, sometimes with trainers. Yes, we were challenged by nearly every business owner, restaurant owner or security guard.
Hearing dogs are most useful at home for single occupants. Outside the home, their value is doubtful because not every situation requires hearing all the time, and we Deaf are very good at compensating with our eyes.
Maybe at a wholesale club, but definitely not an office or restaurant! Maybe at outdoor picnics, but not a festival or an outdoor exhibition where dogs are normally prohibited because of crowds.
Pretty sure I would take a dog if going alone or with small kids to bus stations, shopping centers after dark, or camping with deaf friends.
I found coping with the dog’s needs such as eating, pottying, bathing, medical needs and so on a burden on my time, and gave up the dog within several weeks. The only real use was at home, but the dog did not stay consistent with my original purpose: keeping an ear on the kids. I found myself having to stay within visual range because the dog sometimes ignored sounds I needed to know about, such as a child playing with water or a sleeping baby starting to cough.
Oddly, the best companion ears when I was a single girl were those of a Siamese cat. Cats stay close to you, and their alerting is very sensitive: they swivel their heads or ears at everything and don’t bark when they hear other dogs in the neighborhood. Plus, they are much more convenient to take care of.
June 26th, 2007 at 12:53 pm
Geo,
Something happened I have heard of two my friend struggle after someone told me about two problem is:
1) The hearing dog cannot stay and sometime have a problem with an apartment are not allowing and fued after ADA were passed law.
2) but, some of my friend end up with dog to return to place when they are stuck with ADA law and Apartment were not allowing that time. Several deaf people don’t realized it is more hassle with hearing dog between Good and Bad law of ADA. That’s why they are end up to put dog back to training and send it same dog to other deaf people.
3) I read about the wheelchair with cohlear implant boy struggled with dog cannot go to his school. Same message from Geo’s message was accurated information that I read USA-Deaf website.
It’s seem hard and it is sucker for three incident.
4) We are sucker when the signal light broken over and not working well in the house for some related to electronic have a problem. SUCKER We spent 100 dollars little bit higher then I replaced and not working..
Problem is: feed dog for one years. It might be cheaper. but Vet cost is keep hearing dog alive and Really it’s sucker,too.
Margaret
June 26th, 2007 at 1:02 pm
many deafies like to keep a pet at home as friendship. often they use them to alert for noises too. They tend not to take their pets in public. Relatively a few deafies actually own hearing dogs. Another reason for taking hearing dogs is to keep up with their training. otherwise they can become lazy or ingore with their duties. Some dogs are trained to alert people with seizures, diabetic, other health problems. Sometimes with wheelchair users. They are now called service animal or something like that.
June 26th, 2007 at 1:03 pm
Hi, #24 – Julie B.
I never thought about have a dog. it is happened things. you were right it is better than electronic flash signal sometime sucker.
I did not have a dog when I raised my babies of two were nearly scared to me death 4 incidents. I should have one of dog. Casper once complained about my hearing is impossible. Casper is hard of hearing and always heard my babies. Now they are teenager. Whew! One of my daughter doing fine after incidents were crazy..*&^%$#@! I was mad for not able to hear them.
My cat did save us once. but, he’s passed away with sick and loose weight.. he was not along with his brother cat. It has been hard on me. My cat..Corky is 17 yr oldstill alive .. one cat left. he’s blind on left eye and was attacked by raccon few years ago and one tooth loss by racoon attacked few month ago! Spend on VET. My heart was broken it was happened.
Margaret
June 26th, 2007 at 1:11 pm
I consider hearing dog is worth to have because u can’t trust the techology even blackout also notice that not many alarm would alert the breakin the house ? that’s why i feel it is worth to have hearing dog sometime we could be overslept for work time hearing dog knew our routes and save our times to be alert.. also u know that some techology require to have the battery like fire alarm etc .. how will we know if the battery is good or weak .. we might not notice the light flash alarm ?? thats why hearing dog is saving time to alert us .. eventhrough if we go backyard not hear or notice the flash from doorbell ?? hearing dog is another answer .. umm think about it ???
June 26th, 2007 at 2:03 pm
#30, Dianrez, I was going to mention my cat too,and forgot! I agree that cats are very good tattle tales! My cat usually gives me some “company coming!” signals long before the lights start flashing. (Then she splits for under the bed!) With a cat in your lap it is a good bet that you will be forwarned of alot of things.
Our cat is a female Bengal. Very protective. When my husband is gone for overnight she sleeps right on top of me!
>Grin
June 26th, 2007 at 2:08 pm
Oh yeah good ol’ cats!
I have two cats at home, when I was home alone one night they were playing in living room when I watched TV. Then all of a sudden they stopped playing and stared at the door for a moment, I was like.. uh.. ohh must be the door!
Sure enough, it was someone from next door knocking.
Gotta love these cats.
-SG
June 26th, 2007 at 3:40 pm
Yeah cats are intelligent animals, they just don’t get much recognition like dogs and I’m not sure why they don’t use cats for service animals. Maybe cause of their nature and moodiness??
June 26th, 2007 at 3:46 pm
Lantana,
I notice cat have a senstive and hear really good I have to watch my cat Spike’ behavior became weird. I knew it was kid’s say WAAAAWAHHH ! It was Tara’s voice.
Corky is very lazy and very going outside easy in overnight. but Spike is very parnoid all the time. He’s weird behavior more than Corky.
Interesting for me to watch the two cat used be hang out easy. but not anymore .. Corky is alone and Casper say few month ago,Casper notice Corky finally quit to not go outside frequent than he used to be.. Casper say it must be Corkey retired overnight. he seem no longer interesting outside very late anymore.
Speaking of about my kids were babies. Tara is one of hate cat. she is now 15 yr old and wont feed them. She is parnoid and fear for scratch her face.
Glad to share about cat instead of dog. I think my cat is Male. Corky have a weird tail croaked. That’s why My mom in law called Corky before they moved to NY and I keep her cat til I fell love them. Depend on male or female have a good behavior. Male is possible good behavior more than female cat. I tried to talk with people have a their cat. female or male. I often learn that Male cat is really good behavior. I have not tried to have a female. I need to learn about dog issues, too. maybe I need hearing dog while my girl are nearly leavnig for their own life. Lilly is plan to go to college next year after graduation from High School.
Margaret
June 26th, 2007 at 4:24 pm
SG and Lantana,
Interesting I listen your comment about cat. but I have hard time to sleep when my cat used to sleep with me. I am allergy to dog and cat. I have to take allergy medicine everyday. It is cost more than the people are fortunely to have a pet. I am wait for Corky to gone. I know I love him but not frequent pet Corky alot. it is hard to let him go.. (I am not allowing. Casper say he is too old???) I am kind of selfish. Corky might be half bomboy and black perisian breed. I am really allergy to perisian cat. The reason why I am take medicine for long time. eye dropping for anti itch. lost of medicine.
But, I am try to find a right kind of dog hair. I learn about allergy to pet who can use poodle.Have to ask doctor with a specialist allergy clinic where I used to work.
Some kind of large dog with poodle the people doesn’t have any problem with dog with allergy.
Margaret
June 26th, 2007 at 10:41 pm
*smile*
Hi all! You might want to “hear” my story. See my story on Feburary 11 under the topic ” Do you really need a hearing dog? ” at
http://fookembug.wordpress.com/2007/02/11/do-you-really-need-a-hearing-dog/
My story might be too sad for you to read but you will understand why I got a hearing dog in the first place.
With regards,
Bug
June 27th, 2007 at 1:00 am
Do deaf people need hearing dogs ? In short no they don’t. Abundant and cheap technology allows alerts for deaf people, that don’t need to be exercised and fed or cleaned up after either ! Dogs make reasonable pets, that’s all. They work well with the blind but I cannot see the point deaf having them. Mostly people on our high street thinks you are blind if you have a dog, not deaf !
June 27th, 2007 at 5:30 am
People, let’s stay on the topic: Do Deafies Need Hearing Dogs? Geo’s point (like mine) is the necessity of having a dog in the public places. We’re not interested in reading about your cats.
Most importantly, does having a “hearing dog” send a wrong message to hearing people? They might think “oh poor deaf people – they’re so helpless”. This is what I’m afraid of.
June 27th, 2007 at 5:38 am
Enjoy watching your vlog about a hearing dog … MY opinion is that Deaf spend so much on their money like phone ,cable , tty , computer , light waking alarm clock or vibration ,electric bills , so on … I rather to have a hearing dog because it s a cheaper to pay dog food / vet. animal hosptial fee once a year … also give dogs’s love .. I understand some deaf people have their allergic to animals .. i believe in the USA there are many deaf people cant afford technology things for deaf .Average salary about 50,000.00 a year or below or their SSI / SSDI monthly ..so consider yourself to give some deaf s love to animals
June 27th, 2007 at 5:48 am
Hey Bug,
Thanks for sharing the story with us, this is very touching. I’m very grateful that you were okay but am very sorry about your dog.
-SG
June 27th, 2007 at 5:48 am
Everyone,
It seems that a lot of people want a dog because of love, companion as you can say dog is man’s best friend. So of course there is always nothing wrong to have a dog here to protect us all, keep us company, enjoy us, etc.
So my question is why must get a “hearing dog” instead of just a “dog”?
But that doesn’t matter, the main question is why we really have to walk around with a hearing dog out in public to restaurants, groceries, etc.
Some people on here are correct that people outside will mistook you as a blind person. And also, I agree that they will feel sorry for some people when they walk around with dogs.
I can imagine people thinking oh we can’t hear, we need a dog to guide us and help us to hear stuff in restaurants.
-SG
June 27th, 2007 at 5:58 am
Hey Preston and others,
I’m not too sure about having a hearing dog is cheaper than paying technology. I always thought the other way around.
Have to pay dog’s food weekly, taking dog to vet twice a year unless it gets sick. Have to pay treats, toys, etc.
But with having technology, only have to pay them once for a lifetime unless it breaks or dies on you.
I guess it would be nice if anyone can come up with comparison between technology costs and hearing dog fees.
-SG
June 27th, 2007 at 7:58 am
Good question about comparing technology costs/dog fees.
When we moved into our new home, we had flashing system installed (for doorbell, telephone and smoke alarm), it was about $500 dollars (we hired a deaf man to do that). We had to spend thousand of dollars for my other dog who was dying of cancer, we spend a lot of money for their dental care (it is over 300 dollars every year), we have to buy food plus medication for them so in other words, it is more expensive to own a dog than technology.
June 27th, 2007 at 8:32 am
Hey everyone,
I digged up a little and let me share with you all what I found so far the total of costs to own a hearing dog.
The cost of per year:
Food: $500
Vaccines: $150
Vet Bills: $400 (it varies on what kind of visits, remember they charge you for each visit.)
Spay/Neuter: $200 (if you chose to)
Treats: $100
Chew Bones: $150
Fence (if needed): $1500 depending on size
Vitamins: $75
Flea Control: $200
Heartworm: $100
Grooming/Grooming Tools: $625
Dental Care: $75-150
Of course don’t forget the cost of collar, bowls, toys, and more.
I’m not an expert on the cost of getting a hearing dog so these ones I listed is what I can find for you.
Now, you might want to look at michele’s comment which is great one, it costs her only around $500 to have these flashing lights set up.
-SG
June 27th, 2007 at 8:55 am
Bug,
I did read your comment in deafread.com and did very touchy about your beloved, Hearing dog did not make it. It is really change my mind to have a hearing dog. my heart was broken for Fancy, too
But one problem I have to ask someone to find specifically dog for allergy to dog. I have to find some kind of poodle dog is not similiar other dog with possible related hair issues can caused me allery dog. I have to find out more the details with doctor. I still need to research with dog breed.
Agree with Michelle- dog cost more than deaf things for signal.
Margaret
June 27th, 2007 at 1:15 pm
OH No! Poor dogs!! These dogs would never go home and they’d stay at shelter forever and probably be put down. No one would want to get a dog because of the costs you just mentioned. Poor puppies and doggies.
June 27th, 2007 at 1:27 pm
Julie B,
That was regarding the comparison between the fees for hearing dog and the costs for techology that people were stating it is cheaper to own a hearing dog or the other way around.
So therefore it is GREAT to have dogs, just don’t need the dogs to be “hearing dogs.”
There is the difference between a hearing dog and a dog.
I have pets of my own, thank you very much.
-SG
June 27th, 2007 at 1:40 pm
Julie B,
If you own a hearing dog, that is most likely you will unable to adopt other pet in the same household.
So if you plan to adopt just a dog, can easily adopt more pets if you wish.
Here’s the information:
Some programs will also require that you have no other dog in the house (other dogs can interfere with the hearing dog’s work), some have requirements for a fenced yard, and some prefer that you live alone or with another person who has a hearing loss.
Click this link for more information
-SG
June 27th, 2007 at 2:06 pm
When I was at CSUN, I had a deaf roommate who had a hearing dog. By Deaf definitions, the woman was really Hard of Hearing because she depended heavily on hearing and speaking. She did not have technology for the deaf. But she left the dog at home all day!!!
I have nothing against deaf people having hearing dogs. I just don’t like dogs and don’t see the point in having a hearing dog for myself. I lived alone for a while, got a cat but the cat is a companion not a hearing cat. I do fine with technology for the deaf.
I also do not like the quotes that are from the hearing dogs’ web site. Learning to live with deafness is probably a devastating experience for late-deafened adults who have trouble accepting that they have become deaf. Does not apply to us who have accepted early on.
June 27th, 2007 at 6:45 pm
Seek Geo,
I have two dogs — one of them is a trained hearing service dog but no certificate. I opted not to get a certificate because of the cost of training and I did not plan on taking him with me to everywhere. The other one is strictly a pet.
My service dog has the sign that he’s aging — the loss of hearings and sighting — I retired him, and got signalers for the doorbell and phone.
About the ‘no other pet in the same household with a service dog’ part… Yea, I’ve heard that too but I didn’t have any problem with my dog alerting me while the other dog is around here.
The vet where I take my service dog offers discount price for the service dogs. If you have a service dog, you may want to ask the vet to see if they have a service dog program. It would be worth a try and save your $$$.
June 27th, 2007 at 6:51 pm
Hmm, how many deaf people realize that if their “Hearing Ear Dog” is bonafide, they can deduct all expenses for the dog from their income tax? Yes, it is true. But you have to be able to prove that the dog is a trained Hearing Ear Dog, not just a dog that somone has put a coat on and passed off as a “professional”.
Kevin M. — sorry to have to tell you this, but a cat is as good as a Hearing Ear Dog anyday. You might not want to hear it, but it is a true fact! Try it, you’ll like it!
Lantana
June 27th, 2007 at 7:10 pm
Hey Julie B,
Oh wow, I didn’t know that vet offers discount for service dogs, that is good to know. I will be sure to share the information with some friends of mine who have service dogs.
That’s great about you can have service dog while other dog in the house, not many programs allow that but it sounds like there shouldn’t be a problem after all having both in same household. :-)
-SG
June 27th, 2007 at 7:15 pm
Did I say that the vet offers a discount? It WAS NOT ME if anyone said that.
I remarked that the cost of maintaining your bonafide Hearing Ear Dog can be deducted from your INCOME TAX under “Medical”. That is all I said.
Thanks, Lantana
June 27th, 2007 at 7:17 pm
P.S. You need to have PROOF that your dog is a bonafide, trained, licensed, HEARING EAR DOG.
Lantana
June 27th, 2007 at 7:22 pm
Hi Lantana!
Actually, it was Julie B that I thanked her for the information about discount for vet that offers.
By the way, you are right about cats, some of them actually can be as good as hearing ear dog.
-SG
June 27th, 2007 at 7:47 pm
The post about hearing dog remind me about the time when a deaf couple was at Salt Lake City Int’l airport trying to board the plane with their hearing dog. Guess what breed their hearing dog is… Great Dane… It’s SO huge. The couple and my destination was to Tampa. But the we are not taking the direct fight so we have to take the small jet. The agent refused to board the couple and the dog because of the size of the dog. The couple was raising the hell because they don’t want to wait few hours more hours until they can board the jet that will take them to Atlanta then to Tampa. Finally, the supervisor came out and told them that they can’t take that dog on board at all because of the size until they board the jet. If the deaf people to be depend on hearing dogs then get reasonable size… Ridiculous idea of those animals.
June 27th, 2007 at 8:04 pm
wow! GOOD comments everyone. Sometimes, I DO think its kind of ridiculous to bring hearing dogs to a school or a university that do have devices provided. Such as Gallaudet. Or even resturants.
but hey..that person has the right to choose but a lot of caring and costs come with it.
My roommate has a hearing dog. Still it’s like having a CHILD…gotta give it attention and care. Go out and so on. Its amazing how much care it does require.
thank you all again!
scotty
June 27th, 2007 at 8:05 pm
Wow, that surprises me about the Great Dane, because Dogs For The Deaf is usually extremely picky about the dogs they choose. Perhaps this couple was just trying to pass their family pet along as a real, bonafide Hearing Ear Dog?? Something is fishy here. Sniff, sniff.
I know a deaf couple who had a trained Hearing Ear Dog and it was quite large, like a Sheepdog and had lots of white hair, and they got fed up with the shedding and the size of the dog and sent it back. I cannot imagine a “working dog” being a Great Dane!
Thanks for the laugh!
Lantana
June 27th, 2007 at 9:50 pm
I’m shocked about the Great Dane. I agree with Lantana, that something is fishy. Sounds like a pet that was “trained” by the owner. A service dog needs to be able to fit in tight spaces especially in a restaurant so it’s not causing an inconvenience to the other people and those that work there.
Seek Geo, just read your comment about thinking that all dogs like to ride in a car, he he, I wished! :) Dogs are like people, they have their own problems and fears (like thunderstorms). It’s actually very hard to qualify a dog as a service dog. 9 out of ten dogs may “wash out” during the training program for various reasons. Easily distracted by cats, develop a fear of shopping carts, etc, etc. :)
I, too, enjoy the laugh of trying to fit a Great Dane in an airplane.
June 27th, 2007 at 10:46 pm
I wish my response video to you, Hopefully whenever i can. Yes, I have a hearing dog that i like to keep dog companionship and walk every day that helps me lot, the reason i had it because of my seizure due to stressful situation. I would like to get another deaf dog in the future.
Hope i will be on vlog soon!
June 28th, 2007 at 2:35 am
to Mia,
Does your dog alert you when you’re about to seizure?
I can imagine that some dogs do have double job for deaf/blind people, deaf/CP people, deaf/seizure people, and deaf/wheelchairbound people.
Julie
June 28th, 2007 at 2:44 am
I find it very unusual for a Great Dane to be a hearing service dog. Most of the dog training agencies choice small to large dogs (such as Lab Retreiver or Golden Retreiver) but not the LARGE LARGE dogs like the Great Dane. I think that the couple choice to have a Great Dane and train it to be a hearing service on their own or through the private trainer. There’s no way for the great dane to be in a small plane. Something’s fishy.
June 28th, 2007 at 6:12 am
Another question…. what about a deaf person bringing a guide dog to the job interview?
Personally, I think it would make that person look less independent and the interviewer may not want to hire him/her. Also, I think it’s ridiculous to have both an interpreter and a dog at the job interview.
June 28th, 2007 at 6:40 am
Kevin M.
what do you mean by ‘both an interpreter and a dog at the job interview’? You think that deafies don’t need an interpreter at a job interview? as for bringing a service dog to the job interview, I think that it would be silly since I think that any dogs should be at home except for the service dogs for blind people and wheelchaired people.
June 28th, 2007 at 6:59 am
Wow… a Great Dane?! That is definitely good laugh, thanks for sharing that with us Jarom M.! :-D
I wonder if that dog was as big as this one in the picture? Click this link. :-D
-SG
June 28th, 2007 at 7:01 am
Hey Mia!
Ok sure, I look forward to your video when you get a moment. :-) I’m sorry to hear about your seizure, that’d be a good idea to explain how having a hearing dog that will help you with it.
-SG
June 28th, 2007 at 7:06 am
Hey Kevin M & Julie B,
I wonder if anyone actually brought a hearing dog to the interview, it should be interesting to hear their side of stories.
And for interpreters, I usually go to interviews without one. It is everyone’s choice of preference, anyway.
-SG
June 28th, 2007 at 7:16 am
Seek Geo,
Great Dane looks like Maverick on comic (I think). See this site http://www.akc.org/breeds/great_dane/index.cfm
The picture you showed us I think is Anatolian Shepherd Dog. See this site http://www.akc.org/breeds/anatolian_shepherd_dog/index.cfm
They’re big dogs! Need to use shovel to pick up after them!
June 28th, 2007 at 3:49 pm
I don’t mind having a dog, only for as a pet, not as the Hearing Ear Dog. :-)
I prefers to have a technology such as a light flash for doorbell, alarm, and phone ringing because I like to be independent.
Yes, there are disadvantages and advantages about dogs. Cats have excellent Hearing Ear cats as well, too.
I was a kid, my mother and stepfather had 8-9 adult dogs with 37 puppies at same time. No kidding! At that time, one of our dog has taught her litter (puppies) how to response to deaf person itself. She “trained” the puppies to be prepare for anything in handy. She knew I was deaf and always there to protect or listen for me.
#62-That’s really humorous!! :-D My late grandparent had a dog, Old English Sheep dog was not friendly in a way, but seems all right. They cut his hair from top front to keep it from drape down in sight. One time, when I hugged the dog, he bite my eyebrow and it bled a bit. Even he growled at us if tried to get HIS toy(s) out of his mouth. Go figure!!
#72-Yes, I remember the comic, “Maverick”. Maverick the dog was my favorite comic. :-) It was so hiliarous!!
I remember I watch a TV program once about training a dogs before giving away to a new home. One of a volunteer had a seizure for a few minutes, a dog sense her body and walked over to her, stay close, poke gently on her to make sure she’s all right until she “wear out” her seizure and got up. Interesting.
#21-agreed..indeed
June 28th, 2007 at 7:40 pm
You can’t cuddle with a flashing light :)
There’s no technology in the world that provides what another living being who really cares about you can do.
August 28th, 2007 at 9:44 am
The problem of having a certified hearing dog, from my understanding, is that you can’t adopt or even save other dogs. In other words, you are to have just this hearing dog, no more! This is where I have an issue with. I am for certified hearing dog only if they are rescue dogs and that people can have more than just one dog.
August 28th, 2007 at 10:07 pm
Hey Katherine,
I agree that there is one bad thing about certified dogs where they can’t have more than one pet so best is to make sure if anyone can get kind of certified dog that can have more than one pet in the house.
But I don’t think there are many certified dogs out there that can have more than one pet in the house from what I understand so that makes it more difficult.
-SG
January 10th, 2008 at 2:53 pm
Yeah, what Nancy (#74) said. :mrgreen:
A service dog can think–a flashing light can’t.
Plus, service dogs are more portable when you move from apartment to duplex to townhouse to … you get the idea.
For people who don’t like dogs–or who don’t like to take care of dogs–then, sure, a Hearing Dog is a bad idea.
I think the idea with having only one service dog is that you don’t want to distract it. In fact, the service dog must inform his/her owner of a noise and let the owner deal with it (answer the door, etc.)–if another person takes charge, the dog will get confused.
March 24th, 2009 at 7:27 pm
Interesting comments.
I have profound hearing loss and had a dog who trained herself. She was not certified and I didn’t take her anywhere, because she had severe motion sickness–the only place we went was the vet. But she learned very quickly what I could hear and what I couldn’t, and would let me know when anyone was at the door or on the property. Motion sensors, things like that can malfunction. Power outages happen, but a dog is pretty reliable.
My dog just passed away and I’m lost without her. When I take my hearing aids out at night I can’t hear anything at all. You have to remove hearing aids at night, they are too uncomfortable to sleep in, and they need to dry out. When I have the hearing aids in I can hear a few sounds and with the help of speech reading I can carry on a conversation. But if someone is behind me in the store aisle, for example, and says something, like “excuse me” I can’t differentiate it from the general noise. That’s where a dog could come in very handy.
People who have service dogs should use discretion when taking them places and not abuse the priviledge. Those who take advantage of a situation, pretending their dog is a certified signal dog when it’s not, etc. are not doing the honest people any favor, but rather giving us a bad name.
I’m looking for another dog. Not only am I concerned for my safety (I live alone) but it’s lonesome as hell around here without her!
September 21st, 2009 at 8:20 pm
i really need a hearing dog cuz what if i am sleep when i cant hear and fell hard sleep when flashing light wont let me woke up sometime or if someone broke my door or window? they can beat me up for sure i hope that my dog need protect me… also i dont really cant afford pay doorbell flashlight, alarm time or etc. but simple i get a hearing dog and help me. also i love to communication with my dog.