The Dog Blog

Every wondered why we train Golden Retrievers? Learn about some of their main characteristics and why this makes them a great potential hearing dog.

Very special thanks to Jane Johnston, a hearing dog recipient, who bravely volunteered to have her head shaved to raise money for Hearing Dogs for Deaf People.

On Sunday 22 April 2012, Hearing Dogs photographer Paul Wilkinson took part in the Virgin London Marathon to raise money to help us train more life-changing hearing dogs. But not content with merely running 26.2 miles, he also took some amazing photos en route.

This week Chance has started to learn the fire siren and fire bell, seen to the vet, and has been to visit a primary school.

This year the annual Hearing Dogs Summer Show will take place on Sunday 17 June 2012 at the Charity’s Buckinghamshire headquarters, The Grange.

On Sunday 22 April, 44 amazing runners took part in the Virgin London Marathon to raise money for Hearing Dogs for Deaf People. Our runners, dressed in their dog vests and ears – and others in full dog costume – really stood out and raised a fantastic amount of money.

This week Chance has been to a deaf club and unfortunately been feeling a little under the weather.

Paris one weekend, London the next! Marathon runner Malcolm Holmes, who works for Chiltern Railways, is not one to shy away from a challenge and we managed to catch up with him when his feet were finally firmly on the ground to find out how it went.

This week Chance has had his Foundation Assessment (FA) and has been working around other animals.

We want to wish all of our runners the best of luck in this famous 26 mile run and thank each and every person for supporting Hearing Dogs for Deaf People.

Our Volunteer Puppy Socialisers meet up fortnightly in small groups for puppy classes, but the annual Puppy Socialisers’ Conference is the opportunity for everyone to get together en masse to exchange stories, hear more about the Charity and generally have a nice day out with their puppies!

This week Chance has been ‘de-flead’, met a baby and has been learning danger sounds.

Our 30th year celebrations are now in full-swing and as we head into the summer months, our birthday festivities will continue at a pace including a special event at Beverley Minster in Yorkshire.

Having established ourselves as a world-leader in creating partnerships between deaf adults and hearing dogs, we began a pioneering new project in 2008 to offer this service to deaf children.

This week Chance and I have been to London, and I have been checking Chance out in a variety of different scenarios so I can see if he is suitable for the deaf applicants I am thinking of matching him with.

Every wondered why we train Cocker Spaniels? Learn about some of their main characteristics and why this makes them a great potential hearing dog.

This week Chance and I have been to Oxford city centre, he has been progressing with his soundwork training to the phone and his weekend socialisers have been continuing his obedience training with him.

Here are some more photos from Chance's week 6 haircut.

Ailsa is a Dog Trainer at Hearing Dogs for Deaf People, based at The Beatrice Wright Centre in East Yorkshire. She is heavily involved in training hearing dogs for deaf children. Learn a little about Aisla and what her role entails.

Father and daughter, John and Laura Young, were two of the runners from our team at the Silverstone Half Marathon on Sunday 11 March. We caught up with John to find out how the run went and why they chose to support Hearing Dogs for Deaf People.

This week Chance has had his week six assessment, had his coat clipped and I’ve started looking at potential deaf recipients to match him with.

Things are a little different for Chance this week as his usual trainer Tom is on holiday, so while he is away Chance is being trained by Tom’s colleague Claire Fisher who gives us this week’s update:

Crufts 2012 is now in full swing and we have been on the tip of everyone's lips at the world-famous Kennel Club event.

Chance has been progressing well with his training this week. He has started to be trained to wear his Hearing Dogs for Deaf People uniform, met some children, been to a busier town and he has been on a bus and a train too.

March sees Mother’s Day take place – a chance for people everywhere to say a big thank you to their mum. Mum’s very much the word here too as we gives thanks to dogs like Bramble who make our Kennel Club-assured breeding scheme such success.

In week 3 of his training to become a hearing dog Chance has been on a trip into town and started to learn his first sound, the alarm clock.

In week 2 of his training to become a hearing dog Chance has been learning to recognise the clicker, starting to learn his ‘alert’ and he’s been on his first off-site walk with his trainer Tom.

Jon is a Dog Welfare Officer at Hearing Dogs for Deaf People. Learn a little more about Jon and what his role entails.

Every wondered why we train Miniature Poodles? Learn about some of their main characteristics and why this makes them a great potential hearing dog.

Today sees the start of a new series on The Dog Blog. We'll be following Chance and his trainer Tom for the next few months so you can see how our puppies learn the sound work skills they need to become hearing dogs of the future.

Our puppies, dogs, staff and volunteers have been working on regardless of the snow that’s hit the country this week. Here are some photos of us all enjoying the wintery weather.

What can you do to help your dog during the current cold snap? Marc the Vet provides some tips (first published in Favour 44).

Time is ticking ahead of what is going to be a huge year of celebrations for Hearing Dogs for Deaf People when we celebrate 30 years of excellence.

To coincide with our 30th year celebrations, Charity trustee and author Janet Menzies will launch her book Hero Dogs: Remarkable Stories of Courage and Devotion at Crufts next month.

Take on a challenge in 2012 and join our Buddie Running Team. We have charity places available at some of the most prestigious races in the country including a few Gold Bond places at the London Marathon.

We are delighted to announce that Andy Harris is the winner of our Christmas Photography Competition with this brilliant picture.

Every wondered why we train Labradors? Learn about some of their main characteristics and why this makes them a great potential hearing dog.

Gemma is a Supply and Applications Evaluator at Hearing Dogs for Deaf People. Learn a little about Gemma and what her role entails.

As this year draws to a close and we welcome 2012, we'd like to say a massive thank you to all our dedicated, hard working volunteers for their generous support throughout 2011.

We have recently converted our Facebook page from a ‘friend’ profile into a ‘fan’ page. To mark this change, we are launching a Christmas photography competition. We would like to see photos of your puppy or dog opening their Christmas gifts.

David and Jilly Hay are currently socialising two hearing dog puppies – Eden and Sunny. If you recognise them, it's probably because they are two of the puppies from our Puppy Sponsorship scheme. Here is a heart-warming story of a day in the life of a puppy socialiser following David, Jilly, Sunny and Eden in early December 2012.

We are always on the lookout for new puppy socialisers to help train a puppy and change a life. Currently we are recruiting for puppy socialisers in Buckinghamshire, Berkshire, Cambridgeshire, Devon, Hampshire, Hertfordshire, Oxfordshire and Yorkshire.

Today is International Volunteer Day. As a non-Government funded charity – Hearing Dogs for People rely on the dedication of its volunteer force.

Hearing Dogs for Deaf People claimed a runners-up accolade at this year’s Signature Awards held in Central London on 18 November.

Today sees the start of a new series on The Dog Blog where we'll be introducing you to some of the staff who work at Hearing Dogs for Deaf People. We start with Janet Knight, our Trading Company Supervisor.

Are you looking to learn BSL Level 2? If you are, Hearing Dogs for Deaf People might be able to help.

Get into the festive spirit at the home of Hearing Dogs for Deaf People on Saturday 19 November 2011. You can enjoy a wide selection of Christmas stalls and entertainment, and meet some life-changing hearing dogs.

One of the Charity’s runners from last year’s Virgin London Marathon, Claire Eaton, tells us all about the event and why she supports Hearing Dogs for Deaf People. Claire (pictured - left) is a puppy socialising trainer at the Charity.

Re-live highlights from the Hearing Dogs Awards 2011 held in London last week (October 25). Watch emotional interviews with this year’s winners and catch up with the Charity’s celebrity supporters who took time out from their busy schedules to attend the event sponsored by Specsavers Hearing Centres and Royal Canin.

Some dogs can be terrified of fireworks. No matter how much you try to reassure and comfort them it doesn’t calm them down. Learn what you can do to help.

This year’s Royal Canin Life-changing Hearing Dog of the Year goes to hearing dog Foggy and his recipient Simon Moore from Norwich.

The Specsavers Hearing Centres Team/Dual-purpose Hearing Dog of the Year has just been presented to team dog Sam and recipient Lauren Brooks from Lincolnshire.

This year’s Heroic Hearing Dog of the Year has just been presented to hearing dog Taz and recipient Mags Adams-Aston from Coventry.

This year’s Desmond Wilcox Volunteer of the Year award has just been presented to Brian Russell from Knaresborough in Yorkshire.

Hearing Dogs for Deaf People has announced the finalists for this year’s Hearing Dogs Awards which take place in London on 25 October.

The Hearing Dogs Awards take place in London on 25 October. You can follow the event live on The Dog Blog, Twitter and Facebook.

When Laura Kendal and her friends set off on a five-day trek across the Lake District, their good work didn't stop with their fundraising.

Thank you to all our amazing runners who took part in the BUPA Great North Run 2011. See them pictured after their runs with demonstration hearing dogs Fern and Bertie.

One of the Charity’s runners from last weekend’s Bupa Great North Run, Richard Trigg (27) from Witney in Oxfordshire, tells us all about the event and why he supports Hearing Dogs for Deaf People.

This Sunday sees this year’s BUPA Great North Run take place across the streets of Newcastle and Gateshead – and Hearing Dogs for Deaf People will be there!

The Dog Blog – Hearing Dogs for Deaf People needs your votes in the John Lewis Facebook Charity of the Month competition. Voting ends tomorrow!

The Dog Blog – find volunteering opportunities with animals at UK national charity Hearing Dogs for Deaf People, in Buckinghamshire and Yorkshire.

The Dog Blog – Read about Sylvia Newman's amazing 10,000ft charity jump out of an aeroplane to raise a fantastic £1,500 for Hearing Dogs for Deaf People.

The Dog Blog – Find out about Roger and son Dylan's epic canoe fundraising adventure on the River Severn, raising £500 for Hearing Dogs for Deaf People.

The Dog Blog – Take the Hearing Dogs for Deaf People weekly tour, meet our kennel team, experience a guide tour of our working site, and ask any questions!

The Dog Blog – Hearing Dogs for Deaf People supports the Remember A Charity Week campaign, which focuses on the importance of leaving charitable donations in your will.

The Dog Blog – Connect with Hearing Dogs for Deaf People on Facebook and Twitter, browse through cute puppy photos on Flickr or sit back and enjoy our latest YouTube videos.

The Dog Blog - Thank you to everyone who submitted nominations for the 2011 Hearing Dogs Awards, sponsored by Specsavers Hearing Centres and Royal Canin.

The Dog Blog - Hearing Dogs for Deaf People needs Puppy Socialising volunteers to help puppies on their journey to become fully-trained hearing dogs that will go out and change the lives of deaf people right across the UK.

Time is running out for you to nominate one of the Charity’s hearing dogs for this year’s Hearing Dogs Awards, to be held in London on 25 October 2011.

The Dog Blog - There are so many ways for you to become involved with the important work of Hearing Dogs for Deaf People, one of which is to remember the Charity by leaving a donation in your will.

The Dog Blog - Sign up now to receive your FREE copy of the Hearing Dogs for Deaf People magazine, Favour, published twice yearly - next issue September.

The Dog Blog - Would you like to help Hearing Dogs for Deaf People by taking part in the Virgin London Marathon? Book a date in your diary for Sunday 22nd April 2012.

The Dog Blog - Hearing Dogs for Deaf People are on the lookout for Breeding Scheme volunteers to care for female dogs during pregnancy and to care for them and their puppies after birth.

The Dog Blog - If you're looking for a great way to help raise funds for Hearing Dogs for Deaf People, and keep fit at the same time, then the 2011 adidas Women's 5k Challenge is your answer!

The Dog Blog - official blog of Hearing Dogs for Deaf People, giving you the inside track on what we do and how you can get involved. Updated regularly!