Dog owners know how much of an impact their canine companions can have on their lives. This is especially true for the pups over at Hearing Dogs for Deaf People! The organisation does an amazing job, providing assistance dogs for deaf people and helping to change their lives for the better. The dogs are trained to react to important sounds like doorbells, telephones and smoke alarms. They can also provide a huge amount of emotional support, helping to combat isolation and loneliness.
We’ve provided donations to Hearing Dogs totalling £9,000 in the last 12 months. Part of this included sponsorship for Kai and Otis – two dogs going through their hearing dog training. Last time we checked in on the pair, they were young pups more interested in playing! We’ve visited them six months down the line to see how they’re getting on!
Otis
Now around 11 months old, Cocker Spaniel Otis has grown considerably since we last saw him! He’s fairly long-bodied for his breed with large, soft feet. The happy, bubbly puppy has a lovely personality and is obeying instructions well! He had the “sit” and “down” commands down to a tee! His socialiser, Rachel, rewarded him with treats for responding correctly. The family recently found out how food-motivated Otis was, when they left a pizza out on the worktop. Before they knew it, he’d grabbed a corner in his mouth and eaten the whole pizza, leaving just a few crumbs behind!
Kai
We were shocked by how much Kai had grown in six months! The little furry Labrador has grown into a large, strong dog, with a great temperament. His freshly groomed coat was looking shiny and healthy, and you could tell that the pup meant the world to his socialisers, Sharon and Peter. Earlier this year he was proving to be a very boisterous puppy! Despite his boisterousness, he still responded well to commands. The young pup clearly loved his socialisers, and followed them around watching their every move!
Family life
Both dogs have slightly different paths to follow going forward. Rachel takes Otis to a Hearing Dogs training centre once a week for training. She also takes the pup to a variety of public settings, helping him get used to different locations for later in life. Rachel’s family had taken on Otis almost a year ago to see if having a dog would suit the family. Her children now want a dog even more! The family are planning to get their own furry friend once Otis graduates to the next phase of his training.
Saying goodbye
Kai is soon due to be move on to the next stage of training with Hearing Dogs. Sharon and Peter were welling up when speaking about the handover date – it’s clear that there’s a lot of love between the couple and their canine! It’s not the end for the couple’s relationship with the charity though, as they’re planning to take on another Hearing Dogs puppy. Sharon and Peter are aiming to build the new dog’s confidence and basic skills like they did with Kai in the early stages of his life!
Taking a tour
Before we left the facility, we were lucky enough to have a tour of the 24-acre site. The whole place looked immaculate and is clearly a community hub. We saw plenty of young parents and older people, both with and without dogs, in the café. In the morning there were even around 40 people enjoying a business breakfast from the local RAF station! When we toured the offices, we were introduced to some of the “demo dogs” that the charity show to visitors.
We loved catching up with Kai and Otis, and were staggered to see how much they’d changed in just six months! Hearing Dogs do a great job helping people to regain their independence. We’re delighted to support such an amazing charity who help so many people! If you’ve got your own canine companion, you might want to think about taking out insurance. At The Insurance Emporium, our Dog Insurance provides cover for Vet’s Fees up to £8,000.* You could even receive a discount up to 30%!^ Grab your lead and walk on down to The Insurance Emporium to find out more.
* Cover up to £8,000 available on lunar and calendar monthly Lifetime Gold policies.
^ The 30% discount is made up of 20% Introductory Discount plus 10% Multi-pet Discount (if appropriate). The Introductory Discount is available for the first 12 premium payments on lunar and calendar monthly policies or one premium payment on annual policies.
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