Hearing dog Rose triumphs with help from Beaphar
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Money raised through Beaphar's annual Worm Awareness Week has helped Rose, a dark blue roan Cocker Spaniel, to undergo extensive training to become a hearing dog.
As part of her Hearing Dogs for Deaf People programme, Rose had daily socialising and training sessions with her socialiser Malcolm. In addition, she has had fortnightly formal training sessions with three other puppies of similar age, plus home visits and continuous assessments by Malcolm's trainers Elin and Aimee in towns and parks.
Towards the end of March she had her eight-month assessment which determines which role she might play in the future. Rose demonstrated impeccable skills and characteristics, so much so that she was shortlisted as a potential breeding scheme dog – a great honour as only a few can qualify.
Her ongoing training and further assessments continue with some of the physical checks e.g. eye sight, DNA and joint x-rays which are more extensive than what most humans go through. Rose was recently chosen to perform in front of Princess Anne at the HD headquarters in Saunderton, Buckinghamshire on the event of a tea party to mark the approval of a new Hearing Dogs visitor centre.
She is currently working towards her 4-Star which is the highest level in Hearing Dogs for Deaf People star awards. Her socialiser has started teaching her some ground work and is currently learning how to nudge with her nose and alert her socialiser to sounds.
“The work Hearing Dogs for Deaf People do is wonderful, and we are proud to have been able to sponsor Rose through our Worm Awareness Week. We raised over £5,300 which was fantastic and everyone really got behind the campaign. The training these dogs undergo is very specialist so every little help they can get towards funding is crucial to ensure they are able to keep on enhancing the lives of those who have hearing difficulties," commented Sue Huggett, Business Manager at Beaphar.
In the next few months, Rose will find out the results of her final tests which will determine if she will become the best friend and ‘ears’ of a profoundly deaf person or, as is looking likely at the moment, will become the latest in a long line of HD ‘mums’ which will help ensure that Hearing Dogs for Deaf People has many clever little pups for years to come.
For more information on Hearing Dogs for Deaf people, visit www.hearingdogs.org.uk.
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