Making Teddy’s Mission Possible...

Little crossbreed Teddy is desperate to become a hearing dog!  So much so that he is prepared to break into Hearing Dogs for Deaf People’s headquarters in south Buckinghamshire.

Having successfully made it onto the Hearing Dogs’ site at The Grange, he finds a handy rope to scale the high walls of the kennel block – and once inside he meets some new dogs in training.

Inspired to learn that even stray, abandoned and unwanted dogs can make it as hearing dogs, Teddy is keener than ever to become a hearing dog! In his enthusiasm, he bumps into ‘Agent P’ - a wise rescue dog who didn’t quite make the hearing dog grade, but who helps out with various missions due to her vast experience and intelligence.

Agent P takes Teddy on a tour, showing him how hearing dogs are trained and Teddy has a close encounter with ‘Agent S’ who is on a training exercise. Teddy begins to realise that canine recruits in all shapes, sorts and sizes can make it as hearing dogs. Maybe his mission will be possible after all?...

Sadly, not without your help. Hearing Dogs receives no Government funding and relies on the generosity of people like you to keep helping deaf people and unwanted dogs. Your support could help make Teddy’s mission possible – and turn a dream into reality for many more deaf people and unwanted dogs. Please click here if you can help.

Teddy’s biog

Viewers of ‘This Morning’ may already be familiar with Teddy. Toy-type mongrel Teddy was donated to Hearing Dogs aged four months. His tri-colour markings, fluffy fur and big round eyes have won him many hearts and fans during the seven months he has been with the Charity. The kind person who gifted him to Hearing Dogs has donated five other dogs for training over the last two-and-a-half years.

Teddy actually began his life at Hearing Dogs named ‘Boromir’, a ‘Lord of the Rings’ themed name to match his sibling ‘Legolas’. However, neither name was ideal from a training aspect, so Legolas was shortened to ‘Lego’ – and Teddy briefly became ‘the pup with no name’…

Until, that is, viewers of ‘This Morning’ stepped in to put this right when they voted for a new name during Teddy’s television debut. Three names, selected by viewers, were placed under three bowls of dog food, and demonstration hearing dog Teal picked ‘Teddy’ (rather than Philip or Oliver) – because that was the bowl he went to first when his trainer gave him permission!

Since that first public appearance, Teddy’s socialiser Marie-Claire found that she was stopped wherever she went by people asking if that was the dog from TV. Teddy was in his element with all the fuss he received!

Pippa’s biog

Pretty mongrel Pippa started life in Wales. Her first few months are a mystery as she ended up in stray kennels where she was spotted by Hearing Dogs. 

At the age of four months she lost her accent and began her career as an assistance dog. Pippa almost completed her training, though was not confident enough to make it through as a full hearing dog. Luckily for both of us – we’d fallen in love with each other and so Pippa took her bowl and tennis ball and moved in to start a new life as a pampered pet, with a penchant for fine food and filming. 

 

 

Pippa’s hobbies include mountain walking, canoeing and anything where a tennis ball is involved - especially in water. She has competed in agility and obedience and has her eye on a trophy at Crufts; failing that a career in film and modelling beckons… now where is that number for Disney?

Scout’s biog

Jack Russell terrier Scout was born in December 2002 with two brothers and three sisters. I had seen Scout’s grandmother and liked her (she belongs to a colleague at Hearing Dogs).

Scout came home to live with me when he was seven weeks old. He settled in straight away with my other dog, an aging Border Terrier called Tweed.

Scout is an active dog who is always on the go and as such has many hobbies including agility and being part of the hearing dog demonstration team which has taken us both to Crufts, Discover Dogs, schools, game fairs and even on TV.

When he is not doing his hearing dog work he is helping me with my training for the Great North Run and running by my side around the Wiltshire countryside, barking at me when we are going too slowly for his liking!

His other love is doing what terriers do naturally and keeping the local rats and rabbits in check.

Through his hobbies he has won trophies in both agility and gundog work as well as becoming a model on the front cover of various magazines.


He has just got a new brother to teach; Tyke is a young Border Terrier and scout is the very protective older brother showing him the do’s and don’ts like don’t chase the ferrets and do sit nicely when your dinner is coming.