Ask a war dog handler about the bond with their dog. Their dog saves soldiers’ lives by alerting them to bombs like IEDs. Training, living together and surviving in the real world leads to a strong bond.
Ask a police dog handler about the bond with his working dog. Their dog catches bad guys, finds lost children, and will take a bullet for their special person if necessary. Their bond is true.
Ask a guide dog user about how their guide dog has changed their life. The freedom, independence and safety that come from placing your life in your dog’s hands lead to a unique bond.
Ask someone with a diabetic alert dog or a PTSD dog about their dog. You will discover another changed life and a secure working bond.
What is the bond?
Animal lovers understand the relationship we call the human/animal bond. It means joy and contentment. Even petting your dog lowers your blood pressure as well as your dogs. Oxytocin (the “bonding hormone”), dopamine (the “reward hormone”) and serotonin (the “happiness hormone”) levels all rise. Yes, the bond is emotional, physiological and real.
An increasingly stronger bond develops during the training of a working dog. Praise and petting make a dog work harder and enjoy training more. True “willingness to please” increases during training. A positive bond, fun and teamwork move a working dog’s performance to higher levels. A dog who loves his “work” and loves his person performs in the “real world” above and beyond his actual training.
Two Special Hearing Dogs
Pursuing our mission of “improving independence and quality of life through highly trained Hearing Dogs,” The Hearing Dog Program has placed over 800 teams. Hearing Dogs alert people to sounds like the doorbell, someone calling their name or the telephone. Some of our dogs have saved lives by alerting people to dangers like fires and approaching cars, but they all have improved and changed the lives of the people who have them.
Lucy’s Story
Hearing Dog, Lucy was an exceptional working dog who transformed Dorothy Diehl’s life for nine years.
When Dorothy suddenly lost her hearing, life seemed to have lost its zest. She began to withdraw socially and isolate herself. However, that all began to change in June of 2004 when a Hearing Dog named Lucy came into Dorothy’s life. “She was my Golden Girl,” says Dorothy.
Lucy alerted Dorothy to important sounds, and she also became her new best friend. The pair met new neighbors on their daily walks and even began to compete together in agility competition. “I was once again around people, being active and enjoying both human and animal companionship. My life changed,” says Dorothy.
Ultimately, Lucy would achieve all the top agility titles in both United States Dog Agility Association (USDAA) and American Kennel Club competitions. She even received the USDAA Lifetime Achievement Award and was inducted into their Hall of Fame.
As much as Dorothy and Lucy enjoyed agility together, there was more to their relationship than competition. “Lucy was much more than agility to me…she had a calm, wise soul that brought me so much comfort,” says Dorothy. “She was big enough in stature to make me feel secure and so dependable that I could trust her in any situation…She was effortless to be with. Lucy seemed half canine and half human.”
When Hearing Dog, agility dog, and loving companion Lucy passed away after a battle with cancer, Dorothy’s sense of loss was immediate and profound.
One year later, reflecting on Lucy, Dorothy says, “She was an angel in a fur coat…always happy and up for whatever I wanted to do. I miss her so much.” Their loving bond will never be forgotten.
Daisy’s Story
Dawn and Vince Cerrito had traveled to Las Vegas to celebrate the arrival of Dawn’s new Hearing Dog, Daisy. Dawn had convinced her husband that she and Daisy could safely cross the busy boulevard to the restaurant where they were going to eat dinner. Vince proudly watched from their hotel balcony.
As the light turned green, Daisy and Dawn in her wheelchair left the curb and entered the street – their view blocked by a truck in the turn lane. Suddenly Vince saw it. A patrol car with lights flashing and siren blaring was heading straight for them. Even his loudest yell couldn’t warn Dawn in time.
Daisy suddenly stopped and refused to move and because Dawn believed in her caution, they started to roll back to the curb. Right then the police car whizzed through the exact spot they were heading for moments before. “I started to cry,” recalls Dawn. “If she hadn’t alerted me to danger, we would have both been hit.”
After a long life of love and service, Hearing Dog Daisy died peacefully in the arms of Dawn Cerrito on Easter Sunday, April 20, 2014. She was almost 17 years old.
Dawn wrote to us upon Daisy’s passing:
“My beloved Daisy passed away on Easter Day in my loving arms at home…I have lost my best friend, companion, and link to the world around me…Daisy saved my life many times and stood by my side until she got sick… She had been battling heart failure, valve failure and CHF. …Up till the end tried hard to remain my Hearing Dog. In the end I stood with her, held her, and helped her pass over for all she had done for me…With much sadness I send a final “woofie” from Daisy and my greatest appreciation for picking her to be in my life. It was an honor to have her.”
Yes, Hearing Dogs save lives – sometimes in ways like Daisy’s daring rescue or by alerting people to fires or other dangers. They enrich lives every day by increasing a person’s awareness of the world around them. They provide (and receive) love and companionship. They are true working dogs who change lives forever.
D. Glenn Martyn is Executive Director of The Hearing Dog Program of San Francisco. Through his own business, Martyn Canine Behavior, he also trains suitable pet dogs to become Service Dogs. You can find more writing by Martyn on: www.martyncaninebehavior.com and more information about his program at: www.hearingdogprogram.org.
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