IAADP
International Association of
Assistance Dog Partners
Service Dogs Come In Small Packages Too
By Marianne Hogue There is an oft-quoted poem by Flavia Woodn, which ends by saying, "Some people come into our lives and leave footprints on our hearts and we are never ever the same." In my case, it was a small 12.5-pound dog, a Papillon named Eddie, who padded into my life and wrought such a change.
As a deaf person, I tried relying on flashing lights to alert me to many sounds I needed to be aware of. Because I'm not very sensitive to lights, I often missed visitors and phone calls (I use a Telecommunications Device for the Deaf), and I had no warning systems to alert me to fire or intruders.
Many people are aware of guide dogs for individuals who are blind but few are aware of other types of assistance dogs such as hearing dogs. More often, they also expect the dog to be a larger breed even though hearing dogs aren't needed for their size but for their hearing. Eddie accompanies me 24 hours a day, 7 days per week. Anywhere a member of the general public is permitted to go, state and federal laws (such as the Americans with Disabilities Act/ADA) grant him the same access as is granted to guide dogs. Businesses and those they employee are often unaware of these accessibility laws; because of that, Eddie and I have been confronted several times.
Eddie was carefully selected and tested for proper temperament, willingness to work and sound reactivity. When it was determined he might make a great hearing dog, he went to stay with a professional dog trainer, Susan Hiller, of Maryland. Hiller took care of three parts of his training: socialization (where he interacted with people and animals), obedience (where he learned such basic commands such as sit, down, stay, heel, come), and public access (where he was exposed to things he would confront in public settings such as elevators and shopping carts).
Afterwards, Eddie returned to Pat Treadway of West Virginia (former director/founder of a Maryland-based training agency) for more advanced training in sound alert. Sounds Eddie was trained to alert to include phone ring, doorbell/knock, intruders, fire alarm, sirens on the highway, my name being called, and many more. Treadway explained that while these special dogs "catch on" to the idea that their job is to let the person know of certain important sounds, their training is also ongoing as they learn new sounds and learn to ignore repetitious sounds which aren't needed. For example, Eddie had to learn I didn't want to be alerted to the warning sound that comes on before the vegetable sprinkler in a grocery store starts up.
I made several lengthy trips to work with Eddie while he was in training with Treadway. Finally, at age 2, Eddie completed his training as a hearing assistance dog and came to live with me in December of 1998.
There are no alerting devices which can do the job Eddie does. For example, my new bread machine's instruction manual read, "When the bread machine beeps, sprinkle the [fruit] in." I had no idea how to tell when it "beeped" and was worried since Eddie had not been trained to alert for that specific sound. However, the very first time the machine "beeped," Eddie came to get me. Also, when I took my nephew and niece to a large playground, the large equipment made it impossible for me to always locate them; it was a great relief that they could call my name if they needed me--- and that I could call theirs and they would answer back with mine when I wanted to check on them ---- Eddie would alert to my name being called AND would lead me to them. He has also alerted me to a forklift behind me in one store and will awaken me to sounds in my home such as the fire alarm or sounds an intruder might make.
In public places, he usually wears a cape which is marked "Assistance Dog" and has a patch which reads, "Please don't pet me, I'm working." Being the cute dog he is, it's hard for people to resist petting him and talking to him but he's a working dog and it's important he not get distracted.
Eddie has his "off-duty" time when he enjoys his walks, his squeaky toys, and especially chasing his Frisbee. Eddie's presence in my life has made such a difference. This little dog has left his pawprints on my heart and my life is much richer because of his companionship.
Further information regarding Service Dog laws can be obtained by requesting the brochure entitled, "Commonly Asked Questions About Service Animals in Places of Business" from the U.S. Department of Justice's ADA information line at 1-800-514-0383.
Published in Partners Forum in 2003Return to Writing Contest Winners | Return to IAADP home page