Kevin and Dexter

I first realised I was losing my hearing about 20 years ago. A colleague brought a gadget into work that was meant to emit a high-pitched sound. He switched it on and I asked whether it was working. He looked puzzled and replied, “It’s on. Can’t you hear it?”  

I was fitted with hearing aids six years ago. Wearing them, and with no other noise around me, I could just about get by. In social settings such as pubs or restaurants though, the noise coming at me from every direction was overwhelming, and I couldn’t join in conversations unless I was sitting right next to the person speaking.  

My hearing loss also made life difficult at home. To hear the radio or television, I had to turn the volume up very high. This caused a problem for my wife, Marylyn, because she had tinnitus, which was aggravated by loud noise. At times, it could be quite challenging.  

We couldn’t call to each other from different rooms anymore. If Marylyn was in the kitchen or upstairs, she had to remember to come downstairs and face me when speaking.  

After we retired, we saw a Hearing Dogs advert in our local community magazine appealing for volunteer puppy trainers. Between us, Marylyn and I helped train three hearing dog puppies, all of whom are now supporting deaf people in their homes.  

Sadly, in 2023, Marylyn was diagnosed with cancer. She sometimes needed help during the night when she was feeling ill, and if I didn’t hear her get up, I would sleep right through. It upset me that I couldn’t be there for her. That was the first time I realised I needed extra support with my hearing.  

Sadly, I lost Marylyn quite suddenly just over a year ago. After she passed away, I realised just how much I had been relying on her to hear things for me. A friend encouraged me to apply for a hearing dog, and Dexter came to live with me in December 2025.  

I realised almost immediately that Dexter was going to make a positive difference to my life. As soon as I got him, I started sleeping soundly at night. I think it was the confidence he gave me that if anything happened, he would let me know. He’s become my ears at night.  

When my alarm goes off in the morning, Dexter jumps onto the bed and sticks his wet nose in my ear. It starts the day perfectly. We have a cuddle, then a play fight, and then it’s time for his breakfast. He’s a cheeky boy and likes nothing more than a game with his tennis ball on the lawn.  

We practise his sound alerts every day. When he hears the smoke alarm, doorbell, alarm clock or cooker timer, he nudges me with his nose. When I ask, “What is it?”, he takes me to the source of the sound - unless it’s a danger sound such as the smoke alarm, in which case he drops to the floor.  

I find that more people stop and talk to me when Dexter and I are out walking. He loves people. They come over to see him, and we end up chatting. In the time between losing Marylyn and getting Dexter, I could walk the length of the park without anyone speaking to me.