Hearing Dogs for Deaf People

What Hearing Dogs for Deaf People Do
We train clever dogs to alert deaf people to important sounds they would otherwise miss – which has life-changing results.

Training a hearing dog starts when a puppy is just a few weeks old. And although it’s hard to believe adorable little puppies are capable of changing lives – with a bit of help (and a lot of praise and cuddles) – they really do make a monumental difference for deaf people.



Where a hearing dog puppy’s journey starts
Are you wondering where we get these adorable future hearing dogs from? We have our very own breeding scheme that produces puppies with all the right qualities to become a fantastic hearing dog. They stay with brood bitch holder volunteers who look after the pups until they are around eight weeks old, and start their training with a few easy steps – like waiting for food and toileting outside.

A hearing dog puppy’s training
Once a puppy leaves their mum and siblings, they meet their puppy socialising volunteer who teaches them all their obedience training and helps them to get used to towns, public transport and other every day environments. A hearing dog puppy stays with them until they are about 16 months old, and then they come to Hearing Dogs HQ to learn their sound work.



Our expert dog trainers will spend about four months teaching our hearing dog pups their important soundwork. This is specialised training that focuses on alerting them to sounds that their deaf recipient will miss, like the doorbell and fire alarm.

Interested in learning more? You can follow a hearing dog puppy’s training progress step-by-step, and receive regular updates on how your puppy is doing in their training by sponsoring a hearing dog puppy of your choice from just £3 a month.



How a hearing dog transforms a deaf person’s life
Our clever hearing dogs don’t just alert their recipients to crucial sounds. They give deaf people a newfound sense of independence and confidence to go out and try new things. And hearing dog recipients have a loyal companion and a true friend by their side with what can be a very isolating disability.

How you can help
We wouldn’t be able to achieve all of this without our amazing supporters who give money, time and effort to help us create incredible hearing dogs.