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http://www.minotdailynews.com/news/story/0422202006_new22news2.asp
Man's best friend not only has proven itself many times with escorting the visually impaired and being used for pet therapy, but it can also be used for lending an "helping ear'" to the hearing impaired.
Lois Kauffman, from Minot, received Mimi, a hearing dog from Dogs for the Deaf, an international hearing dog training and placement service located in Central Point, Ore., on Wednesday.
It has been difficult for Kauffman, who has always been hearing-impaired, to rely on family and friends to alert her of sounds including the telephone ring and smoke alarm. As a result, she decided to enlist the aid of Dogs for the Deaf.
Mimi is the second dog for Kauffman from Dogs for the Deaf. She received her first dog in 1995, but it died recently. So, she turned to Dogs for the Deaf again for help.
"I originally found Dogs for the Deaf through my family members, and it took me a year to receive my first dog," Kauffman said. "I'm so glad Mimi was available so quickly. She is a great companion dog to have in the home because she can alert me for the smoke alarm, the oven timer, a door knock and the telephone."
According to Tanya Diaz-Casillas, a Dogs for the Deaf trainer, Mimi came to Kauffman by submitting another application, paying a $25 deposit and going through a series of steps for the application process.
"We give the applications to an audiologist first for them to determine if the applicant has enough hearing lost. If there is enough hearing lost, then the dog trainers screen the application to determine if the applicant will move on to an interview," Diaz-Casillas said. "If the applicant is chosen to move on, we then conduct an interview and re-evaluate the application based on the interview. Once all of these processes are finished, we determine whether or not the applicant will receive a dog."
Diaz-Casillas said Dogs for the Deaf is a non-profit agency, strictly run on donations and currently has 20 dogs available. Moreover, there is a one- to seven-year waiting list based on applicants' needs, and not every dog available is qualified to help out the hearing impaired.
"Numbers vary, and one out of every four dogs make it through our program. The other dogs we have are available for adoption," she said. "We match dogs to the applicants' personality, environment at home and other various factors. Regardless, all the dogs at Dogs for the Deaf are spayed or neutered and have all of their shots."
Furthermore, the Dogs for the Deaf trainer said they receive their dogs from the humane society, local rescue groups or from owner surrender. They then determine if a dog has the aptitude to be trained as a hearing dog through meeting certain conditions.
"A hearing dog must be friendly, confident, outgoing, steady and stable and have no fears," Diaz-Casillas said. "The dog must also be willing to train and work."
Diaz-Casillas said the dogs are trained to associate sounds with treats, then eventually take them away * Pavlov's theory.
"To train a dog to respond to a sound, the sound must be a repetitive sound that can be practiced regularly with the dog by placing the treats near each sound. These sounds include smoke alarms, the telephone, oven timer, alarm clock or doorbell," she said. "We train the dogs for four to five months prior to placing the dogs in the home. Once placed in the home, training usually takes three to five days."
The dog trainer, who has worked at Dogs for the Deaf for four years, said trainers are hired on an as-needed basis as apprentice trainers. Apprentice trainers then spend two years working with the certified audio canine instructors on staff learning their training methods. After two years of satisfactory work and upon passing the certification test, apprentices can become certified. Requirements for apprentice positions include hands-on dog experience and good communication skills. The ability to communicate in sign language is also preferred.
"I love working with dogs and people. It (Dogs for the Deaf) is a great way to meet new people," Diaz-Casillas said. "It is the best feeling in the world knowing you helped make a difference in a hearing-impaired person's life."
Kauffman said finding Mimi is a blessing, and she finds her to be very playful.
"Having Mimi will allow more normalcy in the house, and I don't have to be as conscious of my surroundings," she said. "I have comfort to know Mimi will be there to alert me. She is going to keep me busy."
Man's best friend not only has proven itself many times with escorting the visually impaired and being used for pet therapy, but it can also be used for lending an "helping ear'" to the hearing impaired.
Lois Kauffman, from Minot, received Mimi, a hearing dog from Dogs for the Deaf, an international hearing dog training and placement service located in Central Point, Ore., on Wednesday.
It has been difficult for Kauffman, who has always been hearing-impaired, to rely on family and friends to alert her of sounds including the telephone ring and smoke alarm. As a result, she decided to enlist the aid of Dogs for the Deaf.
Mimi is the second dog for Kauffman from Dogs for the Deaf. She received her first dog in 1995, but it died recently. So, she turned to Dogs for the Deaf again for help.
"I originally found Dogs for the Deaf through my family members, and it took me a year to receive my first dog," Kauffman said. "I'm so glad Mimi was available so quickly. She is a great companion dog to have in the home because she can alert me for the smoke alarm, the oven timer, a door knock and the telephone."
According to Tanya Diaz-Casillas, a Dogs for the Deaf trainer, Mimi came to Kauffman by submitting another application, paying a $25 deposit and going through a series of steps for the application process.
"We give the applications to an audiologist first for them to determine if the applicant has enough hearing lost. If there is enough hearing lost, then the dog trainers screen the application to determine if the applicant will move on to an interview," Diaz-Casillas said. "If the applicant is chosen to move on, we then conduct an interview and re-evaluate the application based on the interview. Once all of these processes are finished, we determine whether or not the applicant will receive a dog."
Diaz-Casillas said Dogs for the Deaf is a non-profit agency, strictly run on donations and currently has 20 dogs available. Moreover, there is a one- to seven-year waiting list based on applicants' needs, and not every dog available is qualified to help out the hearing impaired.
"Numbers vary, and one out of every four dogs make it through our program. The other dogs we have are available for adoption," she said. "We match dogs to the applicants' personality, environment at home and other various factors. Regardless, all the dogs at Dogs for the Deaf are spayed or neutered and have all of their shots."
Furthermore, the Dogs for the Deaf trainer said they receive their dogs from the humane society, local rescue groups or from owner surrender. They then determine if a dog has the aptitude to be trained as a hearing dog through meeting certain conditions.
"A hearing dog must be friendly, confident, outgoing, steady and stable and have no fears," Diaz-Casillas said. "The dog must also be willing to train and work."
Diaz-Casillas said the dogs are trained to associate sounds with treats, then eventually take them away * Pavlov's theory.
"To train a dog to respond to a sound, the sound must be a repetitive sound that can be practiced regularly with the dog by placing the treats near each sound. These sounds include smoke alarms, the telephone, oven timer, alarm clock or doorbell," she said. "We train the dogs for four to five months prior to placing the dogs in the home. Once placed in the home, training usually takes three to five days."
The dog trainer, who has worked at Dogs for the Deaf for four years, said trainers are hired on an as-needed basis as apprentice trainers. Apprentice trainers then spend two years working with the certified audio canine instructors on staff learning their training methods. After two years of satisfactory work and upon passing the certification test, apprentices can become certified. Requirements for apprentice positions include hands-on dog experience and good communication skills. The ability to communicate in sign language is also preferred.
"I love working with dogs and people. It (Dogs for the Deaf) is a great way to meet new people," Diaz-Casillas said. "It is the best feeling in the world knowing you helped make a difference in a hearing-impaired person's life."
Kauffman said finding Mimi is a blessing, and she finds her to be very playful.
"Having Mimi will allow more normalcy in the house, and I don't have to be as conscious of my surroundings," she said. "I have comfort to know Mimi will be there to alert me. She is going to keep me busy."