Frequently asked questions

These are just some of the questions asked. Either click on the question below to take you directly to the answer or simply scroll through all the questions and answers.

• Are you the only organisation that trains hearing dogs?
• Where do you get the dogs from?
• What breeds do you use?
• Are dogs better than bitches?
• How do you train the dogs to stop barking?
• What happens if the phone and the doorbell ring at the same time?
• What percentage of dogs actually go through into training?
• What happens to dogs which don’t make the grade?
• How old are dogs when they retire?
• What happens to retired dogs?
• Do you have to de-train dogs when they retire?

Are you the only organisation that trains hearing dogs?

We are the only charity registered to train hearing dogs in the UK and are considered to be the leaders in our field internationally.  Students from Italy, Japan and New Zealand have studied with us and taken a foundation course.

Where do you get the dogs from?

Our dogs come from three sources; rescue centres, donations and our breeding scheme. The rescue centres we have regular contact with include; Dogs Trust, RSPCA, Battersea Dogs Home, Blue Cross, and we take many, many rescue dogs from the Republic of Ireland.  We also have dogs donated to us by breeders and members of the public who can no longer keep their pets. We also run our own small breeding scheme. For more information on dogs from any of these sources please click the links below

Rescue dogs - Donated dogs - Breeding scheme

What breeds do you use?

We have trained dogs ranging from chihuahuas to labradors! Many of the ‘toy’ and ‘utility’ breeds make good hearing dogs; papillons, lhasa apsos, bichon frises, tibetan spaniels, yorkshire terriers, chihuahuas and schipperkes to name just a few. Terrier types like the border terrier or the Jack Russell terrier also make good hearing dogs. Of the slightly larger breeds, gun dog types like the working cocker or springer spaniel have proved to be very successful all rounders.  Other more unusual successes include the Norwegian buhund, whippet and smooth collie. There are also a wide variety of mongrels and cross breeds too. There are few breeds we would not consider, however. As a rule the guarding breeds and border collies are not chosen.

Are dogs better than bitches?

There is no difference as all dogs and bitches are neutered.

How do you train the dogs to stop barking?

We don’t actively stop the dogs from barking, instead we do nothing to encourage barking.  In the training centre the dogs' desire to bark in response to a sound is very low as they have no possessive feeling about a building which is used by so many different dogs.

What happens if the phone and the doorbell ring at the same time?

The dog will choose the sound he enjoys most or the one which is nearest.  Once that has been responded to, then he responds to the other sound.

What percentage of dogs actually go through into training?

At present around 50% of the dogs we select move on from socialising into the advanced soundwork training. Although this may seem quite a low figure it is because whenever possible, the dogs are selected from rescue centres, thus they come to us with no history or background.

What happens to dogs which don’t make the grade?

Dogs that don’t quite make the grade to be a hearing dog are found suitable homes through our rehoming scheme. We have a waiting list of people offering to rehome a retired or rejected dog. For more information on rehoming a dog from Hearing Dogs please click here.

How old are dogs when they retire?

There is no set retirement age for a hearing dog because they are all so different. We visit all our working hearing dogs at least once a year and this is one way of keeping a check on their work and health. At these annual assessments we will observe the dog's work and talk to the recipient. The decision to retire a hearing dog is discussed with the recipient once a dog is working less than 50% of the time.  On average this is working out to be at around 10 -11 years of age for the larger dogs (for example Labrador crosses) to about 13 years of age for the smaller dogs (such as Jack Russell terriers).

What happens to retired dogs? 

When a hearing dog is retired there are a number of choices open to the recipient depending on whether they:
A - want another hearing dog as soon as possible
B - would prefer to wait
C - do not want another hearing dog. 

The training centre offers a full support service to recipients making these decisions and we can if necessary find a suitable retirement family for a retired dog. For example the original puppy socialising family may have expressed an interest in caring for one of ‘their’ retired dogs.

Do you have to de-train dogs when they retire?

No.