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Image Source: Dogs for Better Lives
Service animals have become an increasingly commonplace sight over the last few years, and you likely have seen a service dog in public. However, you may still be unsure what exactly a service dog does, what kind of health and accessibility concerns they can help with, or proper service dog etiquette. There are a variety of jobs that a service dog can be trained to do to serve a variety of needs and kinds of people.
If you or someone you know have mental health concerns or a physical disability that makes it difficult to complete daily tasks, at home or in public settings, you may benefit from a service dog. For those who are deaf or hard of hearing, there are even trained hearing assistance dogs to alert their handler to specific sounds. In this article we will take an in-depth look at the different types of service dogs, hearing assistance dogs, and how to determine if a hearing assistance dog is right for you.
Service dogs, also referred to as assistance dogs, are animals that have been trained to perform specific tasks directly related to their handler’s disability and support their individual needs. There are a wide array of conditions that service dogs can provide assistance for such as: mobility, autism, epilepsy, anxiety, and more including hearing assistance dogs. Assistance dogs can provide help both at home or in public settings, if the dog has been trained for public access. Not all dogs are suitable for public access work, which can be too stressful for some. However, the service dog can still provide assistance to their handler at home and in some cases, this may be enough to meet their accessibility needs. The training of the animal is what classifies them as a service dog under the requirements of the ADA. Some tasks that service dogs may be trained to perform are calming a person during an anxiety or panic attack, pulling a wheelchair, or alerting someone with epilepsy of an oncoming seizure. Under the ADA, businesses and organizations that serve the public must allow the service dog to accompany its handler in all areas where the public would generally be permitted to go.
A majority of the public are familiar with service dogs, therapy dogs and emotional support animals, but remain unclear about the difference between them. Emotional support animals [ESA] serve to provide comfort to their handler and are not required to undergo the rigorous training that assistance animals are. As a result, emotional support animals are not considered service dogs under the ADA and are not allowed public access.
Therapy dogs are dogs who accompany their owner to provide support to those in settings like schools, hospitals or nursing homes. Although therapy dogs are not considered service dogs, they do need to meet certain training requirements in order to attend visits. The requirements to become a therapy dog may vary depending on the organization the dog and owner choose to work with, but many organizations mandate that the dog first pass the AKC’s Canine Good Citizen (CGC) test as a prerequisite. This skill test is designed to teach dog’s necessary manners and responsible ownership to their handlers. Whether a therapy dog is helping a child learning to read or visiting a hospital patient, the CGC can help prepare them for a successful visit and improve quality of life for others.
Hearing assistance dogs provide support and improved accessibility to their Deaf or hard of hearing handler by alerting them to sounds. The sound of the doorbell, smoke alarm, oven timers or a phone ringing are all examples of noises a hearing assistance dog can be trained to alert to in order to ensure everyday safety and independence After alerting their handler to the sound by physical contact like nudging them, the dog will then guide the individual to the source of the noise.
InnoCaption was lucky to connect with assistance dog organization, Dogs for Better Lives, a 501c3 nonprofit, to share their insights and the process of training and matching hearing assistance dogs to their recipient. Founded in 1977, Dogs for Better Lives is the oldest provider of hearing assistance dogs in the United States and was formerly known as Dogs for the Deaf. Unlike other service dog organizations, Dogs for Better Lives offers their service dogs at zero cost to recipients. Believing that anyone who can benefit from an assistance dog should have access to one, Dogs for Better Lives breaks down barriers by removing the issue of cost and distance, placing service dogs in the homes of recipients who cannot travel to their facilities. Dedicated to changing the lives of humans and dogs for the better, Dogs for Better Lives has placed over 1,700 assistance dogs nationwide to date .
The InnoCaption team is grateful for all the work Dogs for Better Lives does for the deaf and hard of hearing community, and for their team taking the time to answer our questions. We were fortunate enough to speak with Sara Ifert, Vice President of Marketing at Dogs for Better Lives, to answer our questions about hearing assistance dogs. Sara has a wealth of knowledge when it comes to assistance dogs and shared what goes into the process of selecting a dog, training and matching the right assistance dog to their person.
Just like people, each dog has a unique personality and skill set. Depending on their nature, this influences what type of assistance dog they will work best as. While Dogs for Better Lives does utilize purpose-bred dogs for service work, they are also one of the only national assistance dogs organizations that also rescues and trains shelter dogs to become assistance dogs. Dogs for Better Lives allows shelter dogs a second chance and meaningful purpose through this initiative and helps break down the misconception that rescue dogs must be flawed in some way to be at a shelter. When asked how they choose a rescue dog for their program, Ifert shared " Dogs for Better Lives “look[s] for temperament and specific characteristics…like confidence, friendliness, focus and drive.” Offering mixed breed and rescue dogs an opportunity also shows that there is no single breed or type of dog capable of doing this life changing work.
The training process for all service dogs is a lengthy and rigorous one, to prepare each dog for their most important job of aiding their recipient and forever person. Depending on what kind of assistance work the dog will do, the training varies. Dogs for Better Lives hearing assistance dogs are trained using positive reinforcement; trainers reward good behavior and ignore undesirable behaviors. In order to be certified and placed, each hearing assistance dog must undergo training for four to six months and receives hundreds of hours of training at one of Dogs for Better Lives’ campuses.
If you or a loved one are deaf or hard of hearing and learning of hearing assistance dogs for the first time, you may be wondering if a hearing dog might be right for you. Even if you use assistive devices like hearing aids or cochlear implants, a hearing assistance dog can still be of benefit, especially when you are not wearing your device or need a break. When asked how prospective recipients know if a hearing assistance dog may be a good option for them, Ifert shared:
Many clients wait a long time to apply for a [h]earing [d]og, thinking they are getting by. When they finally receive a [h]earing [d]og, they wonder why they waited so long. First an applicant needs to feel as though they are able to care for the dog. If that answer is yes, and they feel their hearing is affecting their ability to feel safe and independent, we recommend they complete our application to get the process started. The choice to apply is different for everyone. Many clients get started with an application when they feel worried when they take out their hearing aids and want to be able to take a break from wearing them.
Matching a hearing assistance dog to their recipient is a meticulous process with a multitude of factors to consider. Dogs for Better Lives takes into consideration the recipient's lifestyle and individual dog’s energy level to ensure compatibility. Each hearing assistance dog goes through sound work training, learning to recognize specific noises and alert when they hear this noise. Some individuals may need their assistance dog to help them through sound work at work or other public settings, while others may solely need this help at home or when not wearing their assistive devices. Depending on whether or not the recipient has sound work needs solely at home or also in public also influences what dog will be most suitable. Discussing the types of hearing assistance dogs and placement process, Ifert said:
For clients that have sound work needs at their workplace or travel frequently and need to be alerted to sounds in a hotel, a [c]ertified [h]earing [d]og who is comfortable and trained for public access would be most appropriate.
For clients who need a trained dog to alert to sounds in their home but do not require a dog to accompany them in the workplace or travel frequently, a [h]ome [h]earing [d]og with sound work and obedience training would be most appropriate.
Prospective clients who apply for an [a]ssistance [d]og go through an extensive application process that includes an in-home interview and doctor recommendation. When the dog is ready for placement with an approved applicant, the dog and trainer travel to the client’s home for a week-long introduction and training period. This format has proven highly effective in laying a strong foundation for lifelong support. The training and placement process are both provided at zero cost to the client.
Dogs for Better Live’s mission enriches the lives of both their assistance dogs and recipients. Hearing assistance dogs empower their recipient to live independently, knowing that their service dog can be their ears and keep them safe. InnoCaption is grateful for the meaningful work Dogs for Better Lives does and for taking the time to answer our questions and help share this resource with the hard of hearing community. If you are interested in knowing more, or to learn if you qualify for a hearing assistance dog and to begin the application process click here.
InnoCaption provides real-time captioning technology making phone calls easy and accessible for the deaf and hard of hearing community. Offered at no cost to individuals with hearing loss because we are certified by the FCC. InnoCaption is the only mobile app that offers real-time captioning of phone calls through live stenographers and automated speech recognition software. The choice is yours.
InnoCaption proporciona tecnología de subtitulado en tiempo real que hace que las llamadas telefónicas sean fáciles y accesibles para la comunidad de personas sordas y con problemas de audición. Se ofrece sin coste alguno para las personas con pérdida auditiva porque estamos certificados por la FCC. InnoCaption es la única aplicación móvil que ofrece subtitulación en tiempo real de llamadas telefónicas mediante taquígrafos en directo y software de reconocimiento automático del habla. Usted elige.
