Miss-Delectable
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Dog show brings deaf people hope (From Watford Observer)
MORE than a hundred dog owners brought their pets to Bricket Wood today to raise money for the training of hearing dogs for deaf people.
Some 102 dogs, of all shapes and sizes, took part in the dog show organised by the Hertfordshire branch of the national hearing dogs charity.
St Albans MP, Anne Main, a regular supporter of the organisation, opened the event for the third year running.
She said: “Every year I open it and every year I want to take one of the dogs home. I certainly support it as it's a brilliant charity.”
Hearing dogs are trained to help their owners around the house by alerting them and leading them to sources of sound.
Chairman of the Hertfordshire branch of the charity, Liz Arendt, who was awarded an MBE for her services to deaf people in 2005, said: “They learn to alert us by touching us with a paw to say they've heard a sound.
“We will then say to the dog, 'what is it?' and make a gesture and the dog will lead us to the doorbell or whatever the sound is, unless it's a smoke alarm.
“We don't want to be led to the smoke alarm as there could be danger. For the smoke alarm they will touch us and lay down.
“Each dog can learn about eight sounds, if a person has a baby they can learn to recognise when the baby is crying. Any sound you want they can learn.
“When I had my first dog I was a teacher and my dog was taught to alert me when the end of lesson bell went.”
Liz started the charity ten years ago. It has since raised around £230,000 for the training of hearing dogs.
Today's dog show is expected to have raised around £500.
For more information visit Herts Hearing Dogs - Front Page
MORE than a hundred dog owners brought their pets to Bricket Wood today to raise money for the training of hearing dogs for deaf people.
Some 102 dogs, of all shapes and sizes, took part in the dog show organised by the Hertfordshire branch of the national hearing dogs charity.
St Albans MP, Anne Main, a regular supporter of the organisation, opened the event for the third year running.
She said: “Every year I open it and every year I want to take one of the dogs home. I certainly support it as it's a brilliant charity.”
Hearing dogs are trained to help their owners around the house by alerting them and leading them to sources of sound.
Chairman of the Hertfordshire branch of the charity, Liz Arendt, who was awarded an MBE for her services to deaf people in 2005, said: “They learn to alert us by touching us with a paw to say they've heard a sound.
“We will then say to the dog, 'what is it?' and make a gesture and the dog will lead us to the doorbell or whatever the sound is, unless it's a smoke alarm.
“We don't want to be led to the smoke alarm as there could be danger. For the smoke alarm they will touch us and lay down.
“Each dog can learn about eight sounds, if a person has a baby they can learn to recognise when the baby is crying. Any sound you want they can learn.
“When I had my first dog I was a teacher and my dog was taught to alert me when the end of lesson bell went.”
Liz started the charity ten years ago. It has since raised around £230,000 for the training of hearing dogs.
Today's dog show is expected to have raised around £500.
For more information visit Herts Hearing Dogs - Front Page