Cochlear Implant Surgery Date

Dogirl said:
My Zoe is a 68 lb. black Lab. I rescued her when she was about 4 years old. A man brought her in as a stray to the vet I was working for. She is the best dog. When I first got my HA's about 4 years ago...I investigted training her to be a hearing ear dog with an organization here in Florida. While they said she was a perfect candidate, they could not accept her because of her age. :( Ironically, she is pretty much deaf herself now.

Because I do train dogs for a living, I have helped a few deaf and HOH people with acquiring a hearing dog. I also have a friend that works for CCI here in Florida. That is an amazing place with an amazing program. Another friend of mine just returned from working with Paws With a Cause. Did you aquire your dog from an organization or some other means?

dogirl
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Awww, Zoe sounds so cute! :)

When you say that you have helped a few deaf and HoH people obtain hearing dogs, do you mean that you've trained them (the dogs) yourself? If so, is the training difficult? I've often thought about having my guide dog Tigger trained for hearing duties, but she's already 11 years old. However, I think that's something I will do when I train with my next guide.

I received both of my guide dogs (my previous guide dog was named Sugar -- and she really was a sweetheart :)) from a school in Michigan called Leader Dogs for the Blind. They have a wonderful program which asseses the needs and abilities of each student individually and designs a training program around those needs. For example, despite my deafblindness, I was able to successfully complete the training and have been very pleased with both of my dogs. Unfortunately, not all guide dog schools are willing to work with deafblind students (particularly those with profound hearing loss/deafness), so it's nice to know that Leader is willing to work with those of us who have hearing loss ranging from mild to profound.
 
Dogirl said:
That is a cutey...pets are good therapy...don't ya think?

dogirl
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Yes I agree, although I just got done babysitting two Jack Russel's for a friend of mine. Hear Again, you want to talk about high strung?! lol. I was so stressed out from them. I playfully nicknamed them ADD dogs.
 
Hear Again said:
I don't want to hijack this thread, but what kind of a lab do you have? I'm deafblind and am working with my second guide dog -- a 45 pound yellow lab. She's one of the sweetest, lovable, mellow dogs you could ever meet. (My first guide dog was a 65 pound golden retriever -- also very lovable and sweet, but a bit on the high strung side. :))
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Hear Again, Don't worry about hijacking this thread about dogs :) They are always highly welcomed in any conversation topic as far as I am considered :)
 
contradica said:
Yes I agree, although I just got done babysitting two Jack Russel's for a friend of mine. Hear Again, you want to talk about high strung?! lol. I was so stressed out from them. I playfully nicknamed them ADD dogs.
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:laugh2::laugh2::laugh2::laugh2: A friend of mine used to have a Jack Russell terrier and you're right -- they can be *very* high strung. LOL!
 
contradica said:
Hear Again, Don't worry about hijacking this thread about dogs :) They are always highly welcomed in any conversation topic as far as I am considered :)
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Oh good. I'm glad to hear that. :) I'm a dog lover and could talk for hours on end about dogs. :giggle:
 
Hear Again said:
Awww, Zoe sounds so cute! :)

When you say that you have helped a few deaf and HoH people obtain hearing dogs, do you mean that you've trained them (the dogs) yourself? If so, is the training difficult? I've often thought about having my guide dog Tigger trained for hearing duties, but she's already 11 years old. However, I think that's something I will do when I train with my next guide.
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I have not done the alert training myself because I cannot certify. I have helped them set the basic foundation with general obedience while they wait for the approval process. The alert training itself is fairly simple however. The organization actually sends trainers to the home so people can work with the dogs where it counts. The book "Lend Me an Ear" outlines step-by-step the process of selecting the right dog and training it.

Hear Again said:
I received both of my guide dogs (my previous guide dog was named Sugar -- and she really was a sweetheart :)) from a school in Michigan called Leader Dogs for the Blind. They have a wonderful program which asseses the needs and abilities of each student individually and designs a training program around those needs. For example, despite my deafblindness, I was able to successfully complete the training and have been very pleased with both of my dogs. Unfortunately, not all guide dog schools are willing to work with deafblind students (particularly those with profound hearing loss/deafness), so it's nice to know that Leader is willing to work with those of us who have hearing loss ranging from mild to profound.
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That program sounds amazing. Yes you are lucky to be working with such an organization.

It amazes me the concepts these dogs have to learn. For example, a guide dog has to determine whether a wheelchair can fit through a specific doorway. This takes some problem solving and reasoning.

dogirl
 
Contradica,

Congrats on the Surgery and Activation Dates! You won"t be far behind me. My Surgery is this week (Right Ear) and My activation is August 10. Your Dog is a Cutie! Mine is going to be on my lap when I am recovering. Good thing he is only 12 pounds.
 
set2 said:
Contradica,

Congrats on the Surgery and Activation Dates! You won"t be far behind me. My Surgery is this week (Right Ear) and My activation is August 10. Your Dog is a Cutie! Mine is going to be on my lap when I am recovering. Good thing he is only 12 pounds.
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Wow that's not long Set2. I didn't realise you were that far into the process. Best wishes for next week :)
 
Set2,

I also didn't realize your surgery date was just around the corner. All the best!! :)
 
contradica said:
I think this site has been the most active and incredibly informative regarding losing your hearing. I know a few other sites but they aren't as hip and happening like this one. I wish I discovered this a long time ago. Welcome aboard :)
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Wahey! Good to know we are hip. :afro:

Yes I did stay overnight but that's something they require of all CI patients. I had an afternoon surgery so I was glad I stayed overnight.
 
set2 said:
Contradica,

Congrats on the Surgery and Activation Dates! You won"t be far behind me. My Surgery is this week (Right Ear) and My activation is August 10. Your Dog is a Cutie! Mine is going to be on my lap when I am recovering. Good thing he is only 12 pounds.
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Congrats! I can't wait to hear about it! You can let me know if it hurts :) What day is your surgery?
 
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