A few nice deaf dog training images I found:
NEADS: Dogs for Deaf and Disabled Americans/Canines for Combat Veterans
Image by Heartlover1717
Created with fd’s Flickr Toys
NEADS representatives made an appearance at the LIONS Club International District 33A 52nd Annual Mid-Winter Conference. The BLUE vests are "Puppies in Training". The ORANGE vests are dogs about to graduate – both will likely function as Hearing Dogs.
From the organization’s website:
The NEADS mission is to provide independence to people who are deaf or have a disability through the use of canine assistance. NEADS (National Education for Assistance Dog Services) (also known as Dogs for Deaf and Disabled Americans), is a non-profit organization that was established in 1976 to provide canine assistance for people who are deaf or have a disability. These assistance dogs become an extension of their handlers and bring freedom, physical autonomy and relief from social isolation to their human partners.
Which breed of dog does NEADS train most often?
Nearly 100% of the hearing dogs NEADS trains are rescued from animal shelters throughout New England. There isn’t one particular breed that makes a better hearing dog so NEADS often selects mixed breeds from the shelters. They tend to be under 50 lbs. and have high energy. Our trainers select hearing dogs based on the dog’s innate initiative and receptiveness to sound.
Most of the service dogs we train are donated or sold to NEADS by breeders. Much of the work of a service dog involves retrieving or a retrieving-related skill, so we most often work with golden and Labrador retrievers. We also train standard poodles. In contrast to hearing dogs, successful service dogs wait until they receive a command before they perform a skill. Service dogs are laid back and eager to please.
Agility Training – Chloe – Closeup
Image by sombraala
An amazing dog, is deaf but still doing agility – as a great dane, no less. She gets hand signals to tell her what the obstacle is.
Technorati Tags: Americans/Canines, Combat, Deaf, Disabled, Dogs, NEADS, Veterans
