Read the stories of our hearing dog partnerships
Hearing dogs make a huge difference to the lives of deaf people. Read some of our deaf recipients’ stories to find out how a hearing dog helps.
Amy Dixon and her dog Elvis
Guiding Eyes for the Blind grad Amy Dixon was matched with yellow Lab Elvis a few months before Nash and I were introduced. She will be retiring Elvis in January 2015. “One of the most depressing things to me is that a good friend’s guide dog is nine and a half and still going strong,” Amy says. “Her dog is very enthusiastic about the work. Elvis is seven and a half, and while his pace is still pretty good, his enthusiasm isn’t what it used to be. I’m currently training as a triathlete for the U.S. Paralympics team and I’m doing a lot more traveling.”
Brian Fischler: When did you realize it was time to start thinking about retiring Elvis?
Amy Dixon: In September I was in the hospital having surgery and Elvis was with my Mom in the waiting room. They had just finished polishing the floors and Elvis slipped and fell. He didn’t hurt himself, but the next day when we returned to the hospital, Elvis refused to get off the elevator, as he didn’t want to step on that same floor. We’ve tried lots of things to help Elvis get his confidence back, but shiny floors continue to be an issue.
Will you be able to keep Elvis?
My Mom is going to take Elvis, as his future is something we discussed from the very beginning. Retiring Elvis early has been an unpleasant surprise. Fortunately, my Mom isn’t working as much as she used to, so her life is more conducive to having a dog. My building doesn’t allow pets, which is what Elvis will be as soon as he retires.
I don’t even want to think about it right now, as I can’t even go to the laundry room in my building without him. The retirement is going to be very hard on both of us.
Just look at the way people talk about their pet dogs, but it’s not the same as a guide dog, as your pet isn’t with you 24/7. There’s nobody in your family that spends 24 hours a day with you. The longest Elvis and I have been apart in five years is three hours.
I have started to use my cane a little more, as I need to prepare for the day he is no longer there. We have been through so much together: chemotherapy, me leaving my job of eight years that I was very comfortable at, and 16 surgeries. He has been with me for every doctor’s appointment and every disappointment.
He has been comic relief for me, as he is a total knucklehead and such a dork, but he is so unbelievably smart, too. It’s very hard for you to feel sorry for yourself when you realize there is this dog sitting there counting on you to take care of him. There’s no way I would have survived all of this without him. The next dog will be the next, but he will not have been on this journey with me. I do know my next dog will be great and we will have new experiences — it will just be different.
What are you looking forward to with your next guide?
A guide dog who is always up for anything. I’m looking forward to getting a dog who has patience but also a zest for life. I want a dog who is serious about his work but he also has to be goofy. I need that goofiness in my dog. I thought I wanted a Shepherd, but after five years with Elvis I realized I am a Lab girl, as I love their social nature and how approachable he makes me. I’m a really outgoing person, so I like that the dog almost works as the intro.
Keep up with Amy, Elvis, her new guide, and her training for the Paralympics by friending her on Facebook.
Due to the high volume of applicants and our waiting list, we do not train dogs outside of the primary skill set required of a service hearing dog. Therefore, please consider one of our adoptable Career Change dogs as your perfect match! Also, we recommend seeking a companion from your local shelters or rescue groups.
Due to our extensive waitlist and the impacts of COVID restrictions, IHDIs hearing dog application is at this time closed to the public. While we understand the need is prevalent for many due to restrictive resources, our focus is on ensuring we are serving those currently waiting for a life-changing hearing dog.
IHDIs policy is not to place a hearing dog in a home that already has one or more dogs, though IHDI may grant an exception for a retired IHDI hearing dog. Another dog in the house is a distraction to the hearing dogs work and partnership. The team needs to practice and train daily, especially in the first several months – it is a huge commitment. Bonding as a Hearing Dog Team is crucial to the success and resiliency of the match. Even after the client and hearing dog have bonded and are working well together, no other dogs can be permanently in the home for the duration of the hearing dogs working career. Other pets such as cats are acceptable, and all hearing dogs are desensitized to be comfortable with cats.
Hearing dogs come in all sizes, though mainly we select medium to large size candidates. As hearing dogs alert by touching, or nudging the person and then leading them to the source of the sound, they need to be a manageable size. Therefore, we do not generally select dogs over 65 pounds due to the execution of their alerting tasks.
Hearing dogs are trained service dogs that alert people who are d/Deaf or hard of hearing to sounds around them. For example, they can alert to sounds of a door knock or doorbell, telephone, alarm clock, smoke alarm, and baby cry. Each hearing dog is custom trained to a clients needs and lifestyle. From microwave dings to garbage disposal sounds, the hearing dogs ability to grow in the job is remarkable.