By Carolyn Menteith

Intro to series

For some people, however, their canine partnership is far more than one of love and companionship. Their dog gives them the greatest gift of all - the gift of sight to those who cannot see, hearing to those who cannot hear, and the gift of independence to those who have always had to be dependent on others.

These very special dogs are the nation's assistance dogs.

In the UK, there are five charities that operate under the Assistance Dogs UK banner. Guide Dogs for the Blind, Hearing Dogs for Deaf People, Canine Partners, Dogs for the Disabled and Support Dogs. Over the next few months we will be looking at each of these charities in depth, discovering how they find and produce these wonderful dogs - and just how life changing they are to their recipients.

Hearing Dogs for Deaf People

First of all there is the isolation. You can't hear the doorbell or the telephone. You can't hear people talking to you in shops, out on the street or in social situations. Then there are the day-to-day difficulties. You can't hear the timer on the cooker - so burnt meals become commonplace. You can't listen to music, birds singing or any of the comforting sounds we take for granted - imagine the fear of that late at night when you are on your own. Then there are the very real dangers. You can't hear cars coming or vehicle horns. You can't hear fire or smoke alarms. If you are a parent, you can't hear your child cry or shout.

The isolation felt by those who are cut off from the world by a wall of silence can never be underestimated - and yet deafness is one of the least understood of all the major disabilities. Perhaps this is because deafness is the invisible disability - there are no outward signs and so it is too often ignored.

Launched officially at Crufts in 1982, Hearing Dogs for Deaf People (HDDP) trains dogs to be the ears of their recipients and to alert them to sounds they would otherwise be unaware of. This can include the doorbell, the telephone, the alarm clock, the cooker timer, the or a baby crying - in fact any sound that is likely to occur in that person.s environment. On hearing the sound, the dog will go to their recipient and alert them that there is a noise. The recipient will then ask the dog "what is it?" and the dog will lead them to the source of the sound. In the case of the smoke detector, carbon monoxide alarm, burglar alarm or a fire alarm however, leading the person to the sound may not be safe, and so the dog will alert his recipient to these danger or emergency sounds by touching with his paw, and then lying down in a special 'alert signal'. The recipient instantly knows that there is danger and can take the necessary action to ensure their own safety and that of their dog.

The benefits these dogs give their recipients goes much further than just being their ears. They provide a huge increase in independence, security at home and the ability to face the outside world as their dog not only is a great conversation starter and social catalyst but having a Hearing Dog in their distinctive maroon coat is an outward sign of their deafness.

Perhaps one of the great things about this charity is that it doesn't only transform the lives of the recipients. The majority of the dogs are taken from rescue centres and are given the most amazing of second chances. When an HDDP assessor visits a centre, they are looking for a dog who is instantly friendly, willing to please, people-orientated and inquisitive. They are also looking to make sure there is no sign of any fear behaviours or any guarding behaviours around the kennel, food bowl or toys. Many people are surprised when they see a Hearing Dog sporting his maroon coat as it is as likely to be a Poodle or a tiny terrier than the Labrador that is thought of as the stereotypical assistance dog. A Hearing Dog does not need to be physically large to keep an ever-open ear for a sound and tell his owner but he does need to be alert and full of enthusiasm. Many recipients actually prefer smaller dogs - especially if they live in flats, in towns, are unused to dogs or would find it difficult to control a larger dog. The only differences in the way small dogs and larger dogs work is in the way they alert their recipient - a toy or small dog will jump up or put both paws on them - a larger dog is taught to sit and put one paw on them (rather than knock their recipient flat on the floor every time the phone rings!).

The other source of dogs is donations from the public. These may be unplanned litters, puppies that the breeder is having trouble homing, or older dogs who are unwanted or cannot be kept for some reason. Sometimes the puppies that arrive at Hearing Dogs can be a little more unexpected however! On the return from a recent trip to rescue centres in Ireland, one of the dogs the charity had selected and brought to their southern centre (The Grange at Saunderton, Buckinghamshire) began to put on weight - and the staff began to get a little suspicious. Their suspicions were proved correct, and the HDDP has now got six dogs instead of one! The puppies, now four weeks old (and called Pepsi, Cola, Fanta, Sprite and Lilt) will be assessed as potential Hearing Dogs when they are a little older, and if suitable will enter the programme. Chris Allen, Puppy Socialisation Manager, is certainly having no problems getting these pups socialised as everyone who visits is drawn to them like a magnet!

As soon as a dog or puppy is selected for training, Chris and his team organise for them to go out to be socialised by one of HDDP's volunteers who will introduce the dog to as many different experiences both in the home and outside as possible. During this time, the socialisers will regularly visit the HDDP centre for training classes and continued assessment.

Once the dog is old enough . around 11 months (or in the case of an adult dog, has settled down) he comes back in to be assessed. If he passes the assessment, he goes on to his advanced soundwork training. All dogs who don.t make the grade (around 50%) are passed onto the rehoming department who will make sure they get the perfect home.

For the first two weeks of this 18-week intensive training programme, the dog is still being assessed, partly to make sure they are going to make good Hearing Dogs, but also to begin to get an idea of which recipient the dog would suit. By the time the dog goes into the advanced training, it will ideally have been matched to its recipient and so the soundwork can be tailor-made to that person's individual needs.

Lisa Coles the Training Manager at The Grange, explained the methods HDDP uses to train their dogs. "In the first week, we tune the dogs into the clicker - which we use a lot. We teach a lot of targeting as this is really important in the dogs' work. All the training is highly motivational and depends on rewarding the dog with what motivates that individual - food, toys, praise etc."

Lisa went on to explain how the basics of soundwork are taught. "The first thing we teach is the alarm clock - as all we need to do to start with is reward the dog for coming and making contact with you when the alarm sounds. Once they can do that, we can be a little more particular - for example waiting until the dog is more persistent before he gets the reward." Lisa then explained that other sounds are more complex and may be taught by luring or with the clicker. First a good alert is taught (whether a jump up or a touch with one paw). Then the dog can then be taught to go to the source of the sound using methods such as the targeting skills he has been taught in the first week. Then of course the emergency alert is taught using the same motivational methods. For all Hearing Dogs training has to be fun as their recipient needs to be able to rely on them to alert them to sounds without any prompting.

The last week of the dog's training will be with their new recipient living in one of the five purpose-built flats on site. During this time they learn how to work together as a partnership. Once the week is over, they will go home together to start their new life. With continued help from the charity and home assessments, the dog will qualify as a hearing dog and will have earned the right to wear his coat.

So the next time you see a hearing dog while you are out, think of just how much work (HDDP has more than 120 staff and over 600 volunteers), money (training a Hearing Dog costs around £10,000) and love (well that goes without saying) has gone into the amazing partnership you are watching.

If you want any more information on HDDP, visit their website on www.hearing-dogs.co.uk or call 01844 348100.

Kim Nowak's story

Kim Nowak and Eva, are one of the great HDDP partnerships. Looking like they were born to be together, Kim's pride in Eva bursts out of every pore - and quite rightly so. Eva has just won Hearing Dogs for Deaf People's Rescue Dog of the Year award having overcome a horrific start in life to be a happy confident dog who not only is Kim's 'ears' but has won the hearts of all those who meet her as she wags her way through the busy streets of Notting Hill.

Eva was only twelve weeks old when she was found by a young couple walking their dogs in a park in Selby, North Yorkshire. She was surrounded by a group of young children who were teasing, kicking and tormenting her as she lay frightened, cowering and whimpering.

The young couple took her home with them and looked after her for a few weeks before taking her to the HDDP training centre in Selby. After her socialisation and assessment, she was transferred to the southern training centre as the staff thought it might be too traumatic for her to train in the park where she was abused and so she began her life as a Hearing Dog there.

In the meantime, Kim, who had just lost her hearing dog Charlie aged 15 years, was desperate for another dog. Without Charlie, Kim was feeling vulnerable and was missing both the practical side of having a hearing dog, and the companionship.

Kim first met Eva in September 2003 when she was eleven months old. "I remember waiting for her to be brought in to meet me, and thinking how thin she was," said Kim. "There was something very special about her, something very unique. She evoked a real free spirit about her." From their first meeting there was an instant attraction and Eva went home with Kim.

Since then, Kim and Eva's bond has grown. Eva has fitted into life in Notting Hill as if born to it - with no hint of her dreadful start in life and Kim can't imagine life without her. "By nature I am a very reserved person," said Kim "but with Eva I can go out and be myself without worrying what people are thinking. She has given me the confidence to deal with it all. For example on the London Underground it is impossible for me to hear announcements over the tannoy, but with Eva by my side I have no embarrassment at asking someone - and they feel comfortable answering. If I ask for something in a shop and the assistant has he back to me, I feel that I can say "I'm sorry I can't hear you" and they will see Eva and know it is not because I am thick! At home Eva tells me about the doorbell, the telephone and the smoke alarm as they are the main sounds I need to know about."

When asked what is the greatest thing that Eva does for Kim she just simply says "Eva just provides all the answers."

Now you can't say more than that.