who has a working service dog?

J

januaryhands

Guest
I was just wondering how many of you guys own a hearing dog or know of anyone who owns a hearing dog.

I am interested in your experiences and also the pro and cons of hearing dogs.
 
I have a friend who still owns a hearing dog but it is not working anymore.. it is lazy so it now refuses to listen or do anything. it still barks whenever a phone rings, a doorbell rings or knocks on door, stranger coming to the door...
She spoiled the dog so it became a dog! She is now trying to rend it back to obey orders so she can use him as a service dog when she travels. but... the dog is 14 years old and she spoiled him since age 2!! She said he started to stop when he was five or six years old... :-X
 
My Hearing Ear Dog

I had a hearing ear dog at one time. "Dawn" was a very nice girl and she loved to please me. I took her to work with me every day where I was a Student Life Counselor with young boys (aged 5 to 8). It was wonderful! The boys loved her and she them. The boys kept her busy!

Then my lifestyle changed, I moved to junior and senior girls and Dawn was unhappy without her little boys! She just layed around and did not pay much attention to the girls. I tried leaving her home and she became very depressed and would not even meet me at the door when I arrived home.

So I returned her to Dogs for the Deaf and they found another home for her, with another single lady that liked to ride her bike, and Dawn ran along beside her.

That is my experience. I would think long and hard before applying for a Hearing Ear Dog. It is a big comittment and it is very difficult to part with them if that becomes necessary.

Dawn was alot of fun. She used to come and warn me when my boyfriend got into my Fridge! She did alot of cute things. I miss her, but I think she got a better home after she left me.

:ily:
 
Dog takes big bite of the SSI check!

The pro's of a service dog is being able to do a lot of things you would otherwise be unable to do so without the dog.

I'm sure there's a few cons to this and I will tell you one of them.

I have come accoss a young lady in her 20's who got a dog from the Guiding Eyes for the Blind (GEB). After a year the dog becomes very allergic to many dog foods and has to rely on very expensive dog food. And the dog gets frequent infections in the ears that requires expensive trips to the vet and expensive medicine.

Both problems have become a finnancial drain on the lady who draws a small SSI check each month.

One of the cons is you never know if the good service dog would become a horrific drain on on your finances especially if your finances are limited and the state government does little to help with the service dog expenses.

Richard
 
Nesmuth said:
The pro's of a service dog is being able to do a lot of things you would otherwise be unable to do so without the dog.

I'm sure there's a few cons to this and I will tell you one of them.

I have come accoss a young lady in her 20's who got a dog from the Guiding Eyes for the Blind (GEB). After a year the dog becomes very allergic to many dog foods and has to rely on very expensive dog food. And the dog gets frequent infections in the ears that requires expensive trips to the vet and expensive medicine.

Both problems have become a finnancial drain on the lady who draws a small SSI check each month.

One of the cons is you never know if the good service dog would become a horrific drain on on your finances especially if your finances are limited and the state government does little to help with the service dog expenses.

Richard
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Yep, that sucks. That's why we have to be careful about what we want. The same goes for people. There's one guy at RIT who has a guide dog. In order to take care of the guide dog, he also has a woman with him. He lives in the dorms. Since he's handicapped, they gave him a HUGE dorm room. It's one of those dorm rooms that's big enough to fit 3 people. What do they do with the woman? They give her a room too. Of course, the room she has is the same as his... HUGE! All she does is sit there all day long, All expenses for her food, her gas, his dog's food, her room, his room, etc... comes from his pockets and whatever support he has. Yep, it really does take a bit out of our asses when it comes to situations like these. :(
 
januaryhands said:
I was just wondering how many of you guys own a hearing dog or know of anyone who owns a hearing dog.

I am interested in your experiences and also the pro and cons of hearing dogs.
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Related to my experiences? I can't really say, because a lot of people I know who have one... abuse the priviledge. They take their dogs to restaurants, to class, to work, to labs, to libraries, etc. When I see them, they brag about how they have a dog that they can bring with them. It's like a handicapped person bragging about how he gets to cut in line at amusement parks because he's handicapped. I saw one girl in a computer lab at NTID. I saw another gal with a dog in the grocery store and in the mall. I mean, come on... what do they need the dog for? The one biggest thing that I think anyone should need a guide for is... blindness. I'm deaf. That doesn't stop me from knowing where the local toy store is. That doesn't stop me from finding the eggs in a local grocery store. If I can't find it, what am I gonna do with the dog... tell it to point me in the right direction? I am more likely to ask someone at customer service, but will the dog interpret what that woman said to me? Nah! The main thing that hearing dogs are good for is alerts. If someone knocked on the door, the dog would let me know. If the phone was ringing, the dog would let me know. It would be a lot cheaper if you got simple alert systems.

An alarm clock with a vibrator and connection to light is under $50. The light would probably be $10. A flasher for the phone and/or video phone would cost under $30. A flasher for the door would be under $40. Most apartments include strobe lights under ADA laws. Overall, you're probably looking at a one-time cost of under $200 to $300 for all the helpful equipment. Those equipment probably don't need to be replaced for another 5 to 10 years. With a dog, there's vet visits, grooming, food, medicine, etc... and those are daily, weekly, monthly, annually... and that could be racking you up for thousands of dollars... just so you'll know if someone is knocking on the door or if the phone is ringing.
 
Service Dogs (for the deaf)

Yes, we have so many mechanical helpers for deaf people now. While dogs are great companions, there are many instances where they are a pain in the posterior.

I was flying back East to visit my daughter and had a layover in Dallas/Fort Worth while waiting for a comuter plane. I had no where to go to take Dawn to go potty! I went to the handicapped services and they took me outside to a small strip of grass, but Dawn refused to use it! I felt really bad for her.

Dawn was rather a large dog and the airline gave me a bulkhead seat to accomodate her, so I had to sit there looking at a wall during the whole trip.

If you LOVE ANIMALS and have all kinds of patience and plenty of money for a vet, go for it. But it isn't as "romantic" as they like to make out, too many drawbacks. :dunno:
 
Lantana - Thanks for sharing your experiences - I have a question - does the service dogs have trouble adjusting to change? Or do the trainers train them so they are used to change?

VamPyroX - You do make a good point about technology being much cheaper. However, I live in Australia and I rent - does this mean I have to install these things each time I decide to move?

Nesmuth - Thanks for your story - I do realise the costs of owning a hearing dog as I have had dogs as pets before.

The reason why I asked these questions is because I need some sense of security around the house and am interested in your opinions in case there are things I didn't consider while weighing up my pros and cons.

Thanks so much for all your help and stories, it was much appreciated. :)
 
Hearing Ear Dogs

These dogs appear to be very quick at adjusting! They want to be loved and appreciated for what they do. These dogs are chosen very carefully because of their personality and their dedication to duty.

I do not go with them choosing mutt "pound" dogs, however. Each one of us has a different taste and for myself I would have preferred to have a well bred dog, like they have for the blind. When the Public sees you with one of these "mutts" they find it difficult to understand that it is a true "Service Dog". I had alot of fun made of me and my dog at first. I felt bad!

I would have preferred to have a "Boxer" type dog, with a short tail and short hair and with ears that "pricked up". Ears that stand up are easier to "read" than others. Mine was a Britanny Spaniel mix. I don't think that Dogs for the Deaf really consulted deaf people's wishes before they decided to use mixed breeds. Everything is visual to us, we love beauty and fluid of motion. This is another case where hearing people "take over" and forget to consult the true, deaf, handicapped person and their wishes.

I am happy to be of assistance to you. And will be here for anything furthur you need. Good luck!
 
januaryhands said:
Lantana - Thanks for sharing your experiences - I have a question - does the service dogs have trouble adjusting to change? Or do the trainers train them so they are used to change?

VamPyroX - You do make a good point about technology being much cheaper. However, I live in Australia and I rent - does this mean I have to install these things each time I decide to move?

Nesmuth - Thanks for your story - I do realise the costs of owning a hearing dog as I have had dogs as pets before.

The reason why I asked these questions is because I need some sense of security around the house and am interested in your opinions in case there are things I didn't consider while weighing up my pros and cons.

Thanks so much for all your help and stories, it was much appreciated. :)
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A lot of these things are part of your every day things. For a flasher for the video phone and/or phone is like hooking up your VCR, TV, phone, DVD player, etc. It's just an extra plug or two to hook up. As for the door flasher, they're easy to install and doesn't require a bunch of wiring through the walls or anything. A lot of it is wireless. They do have another kind of door flasher that you hang on the door. When someone knocks, it flashes. Nothing more.
 
VamPyroX said:
A lot of these things are part of your every day things. For a flasher for the video phone and/or phone is like hooking up your VCR, TV, phone, DVD player, etc. It's just an extra plug or two to hook up. As for the door flasher, they're easy to install and doesn't require a bunch of wiring through the walls or anything. A lot of it is wireless. They do have another kind of door flasher that you hang on the door. When someone knocks, it flashes. Nothing more.
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Thanks - that was very helpful - I am hopeless with things like this lol. It was much appreciated.
 
januaryhands said:
Thanks - that was very helpful - I am hopeless with things like this lol. It was much appreciated.
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Here's a good site for more information...

http://www.sonicalert.com

NTID uses the flasher button for a couple of their offices/classrooms... and it's wireless. :thumb:
 
Oakley_04 said:
What is the website about finding hearing dog?
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I was referring that member to other means that can be used instead of spending money on a hearing dog.
 
Never had one myself but know of one deaf lady who did. It was frustrating for her because she was always fighting for access. She no longer has the dog.
Along this lines, the valedictorian at the public high school in my town is blind. Has a Fidelco dog to guide her around the school. Very inspiring to see a blind girl at the top of her 300+ students class. But, this is beside the point perhaps.
 
I do!

My service dog is Shelby but she isn't a hearing dog, she's a service dog to help me with fibromyalgia and a couple other medical issues. She's pretty much retired now but when she was going out with me I could use her to hold onto so that I wouldn't fall (my balance is terrible due to Meniere's) and if it weren't for her I'd have frequently needed to use a wheelchair because of severe pain and fatigue.

I'm training my younger dog Sunny as a service and hearing dog for help at home. I'm teaching her to do things like let me know when the doorbell or phone ring, or to bring things to me. Of course I could use flashing light type of things but I'm obsessed with animals anyway and I love training them <grin>.

Anyway, I can't use Sunny in public because her hips aren't in great condition, so I only have her helping at home in ways where she can't get hurt. I can't think of much a hearing dog could do for me in public, anyway, though I do wish I still had a service dog who could help me with the walking stuff.

Maggie
 
I agree with vampyrox deaf eguipment is more chaper then have hearing dog. MY mom in law wants me and my hubby have hearing dog but we don't wants to have hearing dog she ask me why i told her beause it cost money for vet and food and other things to take care of she say like well it will be good for us I told her well there is deaf eguipment for us but she say she will find a way to got us hearing dog i told her We don't need it we will be fine
 
gnarlydorkette said:
I have a friend who still owns a hearing dog but it is not working anymore.. it is lazy so it now refuses to listen or do anything. it still barks whenever a phone rings, a doorbell rings or knocks on door, stranger coming to the door...
She spoiled the dog so it became a dog! She is now trying to rend it back to obey orders so she can use him as a service dog when she travels. but... the dog is 14 years old and she spoiled him since age 2!! She said he started to stop when he was five or six years old... :-X
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I couldnt stop laughing!! That is the funniest thing Ive ever heard!!
 
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