hearing dogs

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eatinganesh

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Ironically, I used to train assisting dogs when I was in college. The Canine Companion program is so wonderful, but it was heartbreaking to give up a new dog every 2 years (I had to quit after the 2nd dog).

Now I find that I might really need a dog myself, but I just can't have a big dog like a lab or retriever.= where I live. In fact the HOA rules say the dog has to be under 40 lbs.

Does anyone know of a program that works with smaller dogs? Does anyone know if there are certain smaller breeds that make better hearing companions?
 
eatinganesh said:
Ironically, I used to train assisting dogs when I was in college. The Canine Companion program is so wonderful, but it was heartbreaking to give up a new dog every 2 years (I had to quit after the 2nd dog).

Now I find that I might really need a dog myself, but I just can't have a big dog like a lab or retriever.= where I live. In fact the HOA rules say the dog has to be under 40 lbs.

Does anyone know of a program that works with smaller dogs? Does anyone know if there are certain smaller breeds that make better hearing companions?
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What are HOA rules? The ADA does not limit the size of a service animal. My dog (a CCI Service dog and hearing dog wanna-be) is 72 lbs. He is exempt from housing rules regarding pets since he is a working dog.
 
BTW, Canine Companions used to use corgis for hearing dogs for many years, with good success. I also know someone with a mixed breed dog about 30 lbs who is a great hearing dog. Good luck!
 
I don't believe in programs, as they'd rather have the ADA changed so they can "correct" the damage hearing people have done to deaf people, thus "certifying" dogs. I trained my own Akita-German Shepherd and if I can do it, you can too. By the way, Snickers weighs 89 lbs.

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Hey Doc,

it is really good to know that housing rules for my complex cannot apply to service dogs. That makes sense. Unfortunately, our property manager is a real piece of work and would probably fight me on a big dog every step of the way. I love Corgies - the queen's dog! - so I'll have to look into that breed.

Bottesini - thanks for the link to the rescued dogs. That sounds like a neat program that delivers a double whammy of goodness.

Thanks for the perspective, Pete! Your fuzzy friend is just beautiful and Akita mixes are so darned smart! It must have been a joy to train him/her. I hadn't thought about training my own dog, but these days I am so busy with work I doubt I'd have the time to it properly.

Thanks everyone!
 
eatinganesh said:
Hey Doc,

it is really good to know that housing rules for my complex cannot apply to service dogs. That makes sense. Unfortunately, our property manager is a real piece of work and would probably fight me on a big dog every step of the way. I love Corgies - the queen's dog! - so I'll have to look into that breed.
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Well, you have the law on your side. Don't let the size of the dog limit you from getting the right helper for you.

And you're right about Corgis. They say the Cardigan Corgi is the one with the tail, and the Pembroke is the one with the Queen :giggle:
 
eatinganesh said:
Ironically, I used to train assisting dogs when I was in college. The Canine Companion program is so wonderful, but it was heartbreaking to give up a new dog every 2 years (I had to quit after the 2nd dog).

Now I find that I might really need a dog myself, but I just can't have a big dog like a lab or retriever.= where I live. In fact the HOA rules say the dog has to be under 40 lbs.

Does anyone know of a program that works with smaller dogs? Does anyone know if there are certain smaller breeds that make better hearing companions?
Click to expand...

You said you used to train assistance dogs. You should be able to train any breed yourself. You should know enough that the breed does not make any difference in terms of "better hearing companions." It's just the matter of finding desirable personality in any breed. Not all Golden Retrievers are suitable for assistance program.

good luck finding any small breed catches your eyes! :cool2:
 
DeafDoc1 said:
What are HOA rules? The ADA does not limit the size of a service animal. My dog (a CCI Service dog and hearing dog wanna-be) is 72 lbs. He is exempt from housing rules regarding pets since he is a working dog.
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exactly. my previous guide dog was a 65 pound golden retriever and my current guide dog is a 45 pound lab. the ada does not place limitations on how large or small a service animal can be.
 
eatinganesh said:
. . . Thanks for the perspective, Pete! Your fuzzy friend is just beautiful and Akita mixes are so darned smart! It must have been a joy to train her. I hadn't thought about training my own dog, but these days I am so busy with work I doubt I'd have the time to it properly. . .
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Snickers is a nine-year-old spayed female and I got her from the humane society in 2000 when she was a year old. She started out as my pet, but after awhile she started showing signs of wanting to be more than that. I took her off pet status and started training her to be my hearing dog and yes, it was fun training her. :D
 
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