"Straight away, the relief of knowing she would tell me if the fire alarm went off, was huge"

Posted by Matt Sadler

Karin works for Guide Dogs at the charity’s Leamington Spa breeding centre. She was partnered with chocolate Cockapoo, Harper, in January 2021. Harper is the centre’s first working hearing dog.

Karin and chocolate cockapoo hearing dog Harper are sitting down in front of the Blackpool Tower

Karin was born with perfect hearing, but began to have problems when she hit her 20’s. She got her first hearing aid at 22.

“For a while after, my hearing was relatively stable,” shared Karin. “Then the hearing I had in my left ear also deteriorated dramatically, leaving me with virtually no hearing at all.

“It became easier to just avoid social situations. There are only so many times you can ask someone to repeat themselves before you just smile and nod and hope they leave you alone. My mum is also deaf but while I lived with my parents, I knew I could rely on my dad to wake me up in the morning, or let me know if the smoke alarm went off.

“I was living with just my golden boy Parker, a retired Guide Dog stud, when I was fitted with a cochlear implant in February 2019. Five weeks later, it was switched on. Those five weeks, having no hearing whatsoever, terrified me. I was well aware there would come a time when I would be in the house on my own. That’s when I decided to apply for a hearing dog.

“I had to say goodbye to Parker in 2020 and living by myself was horrible. We were in lockdown, and I couldn’t even visit my parents. I tried to go out for a walk every day, but just didn’t have the confidence to do it by myself.

“We were still in lockdown when I got Harper. When she jumped out of the car, I fell in love with her instantly - her petite 11.5kg frame a little daintier than the 30kg+ guide dogs I was used to!

“Straight away, the relief of knowing she would tell me if the fire alarm went off, was huge. The smoke alarm did go off once in McDonalds, and she told me instantly by nudging me and dropping to the floor to indicate danger. Also, I’m so confident that she will let me know when my alarm clock goes off, I’ve thrown away the vibrating pad I used to keep under my pillow.

Karin and chocolate cockapoo hearing dog Harper are sitting on the floor of a Morrisons supermarket during a fundraising event for Hearing Dogs

“The companionship she gives me is equally important as her soundwork. My dad passed away suddenly last year and I don’t think I could’ve got through the last 12 months without her. She’s been my rock.

“I’m now my mum’s carer after work and on my days off, and Harper’s taken this change of routine in her stride. She walks perfectly next to my mum’s wheelchair, and they adore each other.

“I suffer from tinnitus and sometimes feel as though I’ve heard a noise when there isn’t one, so now I look at Harper and if she doesn’t react I know it’s either in my head or it’s nothing to worry about.

 “At work, Harper shares an office with Marty, a yellow Labrador. Harper’s definitely the boss! She can often be seen wandering around the site with her favourite unicorn in her mouth. Unicorn even has to go out to the toilet with us!

Karin and Harper are both outside on the grass. Karin is kneeling to the side of Harper, who is sitting down. Karin is holding Harper.

“She has a cheeky character and makes me smile every day. For instance, I’ll throw a ball for her, but if it’s not the ‘right’ ball, she’ll go back to the toy box and get a different one!

“Thanks to Harper, I have a true understanding now of exactly what an assistance dog means to their partner. It isn’t just about helping them get from A to B or listening for sounds, it’s everything in between – the confidence, the companionship, making you smile every day, getting you out of the house when it’s the last thing you want to do.”

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About the author

blog hearing dogs

Hi everyone, I'm Matt and I look after the Charity's social media, blog and e-newsletter.

I spend a lot of my day talking about our hearing dog superstars - it's a hard life!

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