Hi

Good to see this new thread!!!!

Hearing Dog puppies, or those older ones in the socialising scheme, also have a leadslip that identifies them and the socialiser is given a letter and ID card that explains they are a Hearing Dog Puppy, so you can take them to lots of places.

In my experience, a lot of socialisers are sad when a dog comes in for training, but it is the same for trainers too, you always know that dog is going on to somewhere else, so you sort of accept the situation.

I know at Hearing Dogs, we would try and give the socilaiser a new puppy asap, unless they wanted a break a for a while to recover!! There is nothing like taking your mind of losing one dog, to getting another puppy to take home.

The trainers also keep in touch with the socialiser receiving updates about their puppies and when they 'pass' as a full working dog, the new owner of the dog is also given the socliasers details, so very often good relationships and friendships are formed between the recipient of the dog and socialiser.

I think fostering/socialising one of the puppies is a great thing to do, everything is provided, from crate to food, leads, toys etc., you get to go to training classes (you also get visits at home) and then the thrill of knowing a young dog you have cared for is going on to help someone who so desperately needs it, is wonderful.

Most charities could not function without them.

As for having two working dogs, Hearing Dogs can have an existing dog (retired) in the home. Usually the older dog has stopped working for some reason, whether deaf now itself, or just lost interest and a young new dog can be placed without too many problems. Obviously if the owner cannot manage two dogs they can either keep their older one until it dies, and will be priority on the list when it does for a new one, or pass it onto a family member, or back to Hearing Dogs, who usually re-home elderly dogs with trainers parents!!!!, or maybe someone older, who would love a dog, but can't take on a young one. There is always a waiting list.

I know that both training centres, Oxford and Yorkshire, hold information days for people who are intersted in becoming socialisers, so they can find out more and speak to people who are already doing it.

Hope this helps.

Kate

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