Update - Recent Placements

Ginger - Double Duty

Danielle R., North Carolina, started losing her hearing at age five, and the loss progressed to the point where she applied for and received her first Hearing Dog Chuckie years ago. Chuckie passed away last year, and Danielle knew she needed another Hearing Dog. Recently we called Danielle and told her we had an extra special dog for her. Ginger, a beautiful Black Lab, was given to us by her previous owner who could no longer care for her. Ginger went through all the normal evaluations and training to be an Autism Assistance Dog, but we didn’t find the right place for her with a family with a child with autism. However, our Training Department did find the absolutely perfect match for Ginger with Danielle because Danielle is a physician and teacher who works with children with autism. We just had to add to Ginger’s training and also teach her to be a Hearing Dog. Once the sound alert skills were Ginger’s abilities, she and her trainer traveled to Danielle’s home. From the second she arrived, Ginger seemed to know that this was her new home. She was so relaxed and happy. They began practicing various sounds, and Ginger worked perfectly. She is alerting Danielle to the door knock, name call, oven timer, smoke alarm, telephone, and alarm clock. In addition, Ginger is using her Autism Assistance Dog skills when she accompanies Danielle to her office and classroom. During the placement week, one of her patients, a boy with autism, needed to have his ears checked. With Ginger there, he actually came over and calmly let Danielle examine his ears. This was a real milestone in this boy’s behavior. So, Ginger is alerting Danielle to all the sounds around her, and she is also having a dramatic effect on the actions and behavior of Danielle’s patients and students who have autism.

Update - Recent Placements

Ryan D., New Jersey, recently lost his first Hearing Dog, Digger O’ Doyle, to old age, and he knew he needed another dog to help him with sound awareness and independence. He is now an accountant and ready to move out on his own, and a Hearing Dog would be a big help with this. Deaf since birth, Ryan knew how much Digger had helped him through his final high school years and into early adulthood, and he wanted to continue having the benefits of a dog trained to alert him to things happening around him. The right dog for Ryan came along sooner than expected. Pippy, a four year old, female, Papillion cross had been placed a couple of years ago with a woman in Texas. Recently the woman developed health problems that made it impossible for her to keep Pippy, so Pippy was returned to us. After evaluation and some refresher training, Pippy was ready to go again, and Ryan was the right applicant for Pippy. Pippy and her trainer arrived at Ryan’s home, and she quickly learned that Ryan was the one she needed to alert out of the five people living in the home. Both Ryan and Pippy grew in confidence every time she alerted him to a sound. Ryan was so happy to again be aware of what was happening around him. Ryan and Pippy are becoming a real team. Pippy is enjoying the love and care she is receiving, and Ryan loves his new partner and the help she is providing.

Dogs for the Deaf Trains First Hearing/Autism Dog

Dogs for the Deaf recently placed its first dually trained Hearing/Autism Dog. Ginger, a black Labrador, was rescued from a shelter and was trained to be an Autism Assistance Dog. Being a short, blocky Labrador, she learned to be an excellent "anchor" when the trainer playing the autistic child started to try to run away. Ginger would sit and not move at all. She also loved to play "hide and seek," practicing to look for where the autistic child was hiding.

At this point, it was decided that she would be the perfect dog for Danielle, one of our previous Hearing Dog recipients whose first Hearing Dog had passed away. Danielle not only is deaf, but she is also a physician and teacher who works with autistic children.

So we next expanded Ginger's skills and taught her to respond to the sounds needed to be a Hearing Dog.

During the placement Ginger started alerting her new partner to sounds, and she also began accompanying Danielle to work. The affect on the autistic patients and students was immediate. The students were more calm, and one little boy even came up and sat on Danielle's lap in order to pet Ginger. This was a milestone event for this autistic child.

Getting ready for the big day tomorrow!

Preparing for Dog Walk 2009! May 30 at Hawthorne Park in Medford... it's going to be fun!

NEW Canine Listener!

Check out the most recent version of our quarterly newsletter, The Canine Listener, Spring 2009.

http://www.dogsforthedeaf.org/newsletter.php

Dogs for the Deaf in the News

Click on the link below to read a great article in the Yakima Herald-Republic of Yakima, Washington, about the May, 2009 placement of Ziggy the Hearing Dog.
Dogs Come to the Aid of the Deaf

Autism Assistance Dogs

In 2008, Dogs for the Deaf launched a new program for children with autism. Specially trained dogs will be teamed with families affected by autism. This program will enhance the lives and increase the safety of these children, giving parents peace of mind. These dogs will be trained to prevent the child from dashing into the street or other unsafe situations, while also providing social benefits that will include raising social awarentess and lessening the stigma associated with autism. Dogs will also create a companionship bond, a sense of calmness in the child, and increase social interaction when in public.

All of our specially trained dogs are trained, placed, and followed up on FREE OF CHARGE for the life of the team. Dogs for the Deaf depends solely on donations to support its programs. No public funding or federal grants are received. Dogs for the Deaf's investment includes rescuing and training the dogs, reviewing and selecting qualified applicants for placement, working with the team during transition, and continuing support and help for the life of the team. Although this investment varies, the average cost is estimated at over $25,000 per team.

Wondering what an Autism Assistance Dog does? Well, here is one in action! This is a news story from our local t.v. station, KDRV channel 12, about our Autism Assistance Dog program.

Dogs for the Deaf rescues dogs that may otherwise be euthanized from animal shelters primarily on the West Coast and in the Northwest. Since 1977, Dogs for the Deaf has rescued and placed over 3,000 dogs in homes as Hearing Dogs, Miracle Mutts, and Career Change Dogs.

If you'd like additional information on any of our specially trained dogs, please contact us at:
Dogs for the Deaf
10175 Wheeler Road
Central Point, OR 97502
(541) 826-9220
1-800-990-3647
info@dogsforthedeaf.org