Service Dogs

InfamousMacBook

InfamousMacBook

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What are your views on Service Dogs for Deaf and Hard of Hearing? Why do you feel so strongly on that?

I'm not a student. I am Late-Deaf but, am curious about this.
 
I'm an ex-trainer of service dogs here in Texas. If you are curious, that is the first step to independence and you should educate yourself by first going to www.texas service dogs.org
There are strict rules to be followed concerning the care of the dog (i.e. Vet. care, diet, exercise, etc.) but the organization will totally work with you in consideration of your needs and ability.
You will NOT be allow to pick the dog, this is the #1 reason the deaf back out of the program because they want their own choice. Following your own lifestyle evaluation, your "home" will also be evaluated (i.e. home/apt./trailer....yes/no children....yes/no other pets)
One thing you probably want to know is cost. First consider the organization considers the value of the dog to be $8,000, that is NOT a typo. You will have to pay an application fee (i don't want to say what it is because it may have change). Unless things have change in the last four years, your Vet. care is paid for....you are just responsible for taking your dog to the scheduled appointment.
Once you are certified with your dog, you can, under ADA laws, take the dog anywhere with you. That includes a restaurant, movie, hospital, church, work place, etc. In short, wherever your ears can go, the dog can go.
I hope this has been a benefit to you and that you take the next step to go to the web site.
 
rolling7 said:
I'm an ex-trainer of service dogs here in Texas. If you are curious, that is the first step to independence and you should educate yourself by first going to www.texas service dogs.org
There are strict rules to be followed concerning the care of the dog (i.e. Vet. care, diet, exercise, etc.) but the organization will totally work with you in consideration of your needs and ability.
You will NOT be allow to pick the dog, this is the #1 reason the deaf back out of the program because they want their own choice. Following your own lifestyle evaluation, your "home" will also be evaluated (i.e. home/apt./trailer....yes/no children....yes/no other pets)
One thing you probably want to know is cost. First consider the organization considers the value of the dog to be $8,000, that is NOT a typo. You will have to pay an application fee (i don't want to say what it is because it may have change). Unless things have change in the last four years, your Vet. care is paid for....you are just responsible for taking your dog to the scheduled appointment.
Once you are certified with your dog, you can, under ADA laws, take the dog anywhere with you. That includes a restaurant, movie, hospital, church, work place, etc. In short, wherever your ears can go, the dog can go.
I hope this has been a benefit to you and that you take the next step to go to the web site.
Click to expand...

I had a hearing dog and a bank in my city helped me pay for my dog. I got $500 from the bank and I did not use the bank. I also got a grant of $5,000
to pay for the cost of training my dog. The agency that train the dog should be able to help you find ways to help with the cost of getting a dog. I know the waiting time is long 'Paw with a Cause' has 18 -24 months waiting time just to find out if you can get hearing dog from them! It take about 2-3 years to get hearing dog. Some places are longer . NEADS is not training
as many hearing dogs any more, I called them and was told you have to wait 3 years to get dog now! It did not take that long to get Finlay from NEADS.
I miss Finlay a lot.
 
I do believe everyone is allowed to be opinionated. I have already found being nice to others and people have opinion about me. No one likes me here anyways.
 
Personally, I have been told (not here on AD) that I needed a service dog for both my hearing loss and my mobility issues. I found that I do not qualify since there are too many people in my house. I was told that I would have to wait for my mother to die and both kids to move out and it just be hubby and me. Well, daughter will not be moving out at all, so I guess I am "up the creek without a paddle".
 
Oh I have heard about this program. I didn't like it at all. It is too cruel program. I was told that they cannot have more freedom such as taking a break and let the leash out to let the dog to play with non-trained dogs. That's why I feel sorry for the trained dogs. Sorry! I don't give a damn if it is not true because it is very easy for them to lie you in the dog business.

Actually, I have met a very few deaf people who owns a trained dog. Believe me, some of them are really so idiot because we were told that we, included grown kids, cannot touch their trained dog at all even it is at a picnic or social party because they were told from the team at the dog business. Oh my goodness - that is serious not true at all.

About the price, it is most unfortunate. That is almost rip-off because most dogs need a home so badly. Most of them are in their cage for very long time.
 
webexplorer said:
Oh I have heard about this program. I didn't like it at all. It is too cruel program. I was told that they cannot have more freedom such as taking a break and let the leash out to let the dog to play with non-trained dogs. That's why I feel sorry for the trained dogs. Sorry! I don't give a damn if it is not true because it is very easy for them to lie you in the dog business.
Click to expand...

I use to let Finlay off his leash so he could run around or to play ball at woods or beach! He loved it and and it made him a happier a dog! And tried too!!
 
From what I understand, most places that will place a service dog with you require the dog to have plenty of "off work" time to just be a dog and have exercise and play time.
 
webexplorer said:
Good for you! Thank you.
Click to expand...

Finlay taught himself how to catch a ball with his front paws!! I wish I had photo of him doing this!! He decides using his mouth was too boring to catch a ball so Finlay worked on trying to use his front paws and when he finally caught
the ball his whole face lite up! He was so pleased with himself!! He had a great life until he got sick.
 
I am so sorry to hear about Finlay. I don't have a service dog. I was just curious. I have a little dachshund mix who is really smart. I got her 6 months before I lost my hearing and I think she knows I cannot hear and has just adapted to letting me know things. I am proud of her. I even taught her how to sit, stay, wait, in doggy sign.
 
Dogs generally learn signs very quickly, more quickly than the verbal commands, quite often. Both my dogs will respond to signs alone (standard obedience signs, not ASL signs). Casey in particular will respond to signs even at a distance. Pippin isn't quite as good about paying attention; he needs the oral reinforcement too.

Casey can run an agility course with me, paying attention to my hand signs along with voice commands, and proceed perfectly to the next obstacle. He ADORES that; it's wonderful exercise for him and great for us to work as a team.

I have not formally trained either of them for being hearing assistance dogs, but they naturally will bark if someone comes to the door, and that's really all I need, so that's fine with me. I am working on getting Casey to come to me after barking; he's learning that to some extent, but isn't fool-proof yet.
 
rolling7 said:
I'm an ex-trainer of service dogs here in Texas. If you are curious, that is the first step to independence and you should educate yourself by first going to www.texas service dogs.org
There are strict rules to be followed concerning the care of the dog (i.e. Vet. care, diet, exercise, etc.) but the organization will totally work with you in consideration of your needs and ability.
You will NOT be allow to pick the dog, this is the #1 reason the deaf back out of the program because they want their own choice. Following your own lifestyle evaluation, your "home" will also be evaluated (i.e. home/apt./trailer....yes/no children....yes/no other pets)
One thing you probably want to know is cost. First consider the organization considers the value of the dog to be $8,000, that is NOT a typo. You will have to pay an application fee (i don't want to say what it is because it may have change). Unless things have change in the last four years, your Vet. care is paid for....you are just responsible for taking your dog to the scheduled appointment.
Once you are certified with your dog, you can, under ADA laws, take the dog anywhere with you. That includes a restaurant, movie, hospital, church, work place, etc. In short, wherever your ears can go, the dog can go.
I hope this has been a benefit to you and that you take the next step to go to the web site.
Click to expand...
How is having a service dog a first step towards independence? Isn't it "away" from independence?

By having a service dog, you're depending on the dog and not yourself.

Perhaps, the wording should be different?
 
I'm not going to say that I'm against service dogs for the deaf, but I do not see why there's really a need for them.

You don't need a dog when you're shopping at the mall or when you're eating at a restaurant. You can still do everything you're already doing physically. The only thing you can't do is hear. You don't need to hear to order food... to shop... to swim... to work... to do your homework... to pray... to get your shots or stitches... etc.

So, having a hearing service dog when it's not really necessary... is actually putting a burden on others who can have problems with dogs (dog allergies). Just because it's your "right"... everyone else who's allergic to dogs has to leave the restaurant... the store... church... school... or wherever you bring it? Isn't that actually making things worse?
 
You don't NEED a service dog, but I've heard they can "help".

Some examples I've heard of for using a service dog:

They can alert you if you drop something (like your keys). Hearing people might hear an item drop.

They can alert you if someone is calling your name.

And of course, alerting if someone is at the door, if the smoke alarm goes off, etc.
 
Beach girl said:
Dogs generally learn signs very quickly, more quickly than the verbal commands, quite often. Both my dogs will respond to signs alone (standard obedience signs, not ASL signs). Casey in particular will respond to signs even at a distance. Pippin isn't quite as good about paying attention; he needs the oral reinforcement too.

Casey can run an agility course with me, paying attention to my hand signs along with voice commands, and proceed perfectly to the next obstacle. He ADORES that; it's wonderful exercise for him and great for us to work as a team.

I have not formally trained either of them for being hearing assistance dogs, but they naturally will bark if someone comes to the door, and that's really all I need, so that's fine with me. I am working on getting Casey to come to me after barking; he's learning that to some extent, but isn't fool-proof yet.
Click to expand...

Marty is a funny little dog he only bark at dogs that are bigger than him and squirrels, cats etc! He will run to the door if someone ring the bell or knock on the door. The trainers I was going to use back out on me after I got
Marty! They told they where too busy to help me! I am really pissed off at the trainers! I when to another trainer and he used those horrible choke collars that have spikes on them to train people dogs to heal! When I saw the trainer use the choke collar I did not want to work with him!
 
I had a black labrador, who was not a hearing dog per se, but she did the job of a hearing dog for me anyway. She naturally adapted to my needs. Had to give her away when we moved overseas. Miss her terribly.
 
I don't know behind on house! I was very almost scared!
I wasshocked i am lucky her dog fence on escape almost hit not joke! protect

hard to 3 times stranger access on hole, they figure out fix not easy! I expect to hope hear I think so guess! not sure pretty
 
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