Wayne.Roorda@f715.n273.z1.fidonet.org (Wayne Roorda) (06/28/90)
Index Number: 8898
[This is from the Silent Talk Conference]
This information comes from The Delta Society newsletter
"Alert", Spring 1990 issue.
Standards for Hearing Dog Centers
These are intended to be minimum standards for all Hearing Dog
Centers that want to be affiliated with Assistance Dogs
International. All centers are encouraged to strive to work
at levels above the minimums.
1. A minimum of three months/sixty hours training must take
place at the facility with the facility's trainer. During
this time, at least twenty hours of regularly scheduled
training must be devoted to city work, obedience, and
socialization training during the dog's entire training time.
2. Basic obedience skill the dogs must master with both voice
and hand signals are: sit, stay, come, down, heel, and
off-leash recall.
3. Social behavior skills the dogs must master are: no
aggression; no nuisance barking; no biting, snapping, or
growling; no jumping on strangers; no begging; and the
dog must keep its nose to itself.
4. Sound awareness skills -- Upon hearing a sound, the
dog must make physical contact with the recipient and
then specifically indicate or lead the person to the
source of the sound. All dogs must be trained to at
least three sounds.
5. The placement of the Hearing Dog must last at least
four days. By the end of the placement, the recipient
will be able to correctly praise and discipline the dog,
care for the dog, practice sound work with the dog, control
the dog, and enforce obedience skills. During the placement,
the trainer will go with the recipient and the dog to the city
training and go to stores and a restaurant. Also during the
placement, the recipient and dog will practice sound work
and obedience work every day.
6. The training facility must require the recipient to
complete a follow-up/progress report once a month for the
first six months following the placement. A personal
contact will be done by a staff member or qualified
volunteer within 12-18 months after the placement and
annually thereafter.
7. Identification of the Hearing Dog and recipient will be
accomplished by a laminated ID card with a picture of the
dog and names of both the recipient and dog. The dog
must wear its blaze orange collar and leash, approved by
ADI, with Hearing Dog printed/stitched on it and/or
backpack whenever in public.
8. The training center must demonstrate knowledge of
deafness and hearing impairment. Staff members must know
basic sign language and must read at least two of the
following books:
Deaf Like Me -- Thomas and James Spradley
Silent Victory -- Carmen McBride
Outsiders in a Hearing World -- Paul Higgins
A Deaf Adult Speaks Out -- Leo M. Jacobs
Never the Twain Shall Meet - Richard Winefield
A Loss for Words -- Lou Ann Walker
9. The recipient must agree to abide by the following
responsibilities: practice sound training regularly; practice
obedience training regularly; maintain the dog's proper
behavior in public and at home; carry proper identification;
keep the dog well groomed and well cared for; practice
preventative health care for the dog, including annual health
checks and vaccinations; keep the dog at its proper weight;
abide by all leash and license laws; establish proper
toileting habits for the dog and clean up after the dog; and
the follow the training facility's requirements for progress
reports and medical reports.
10. At the onset of training, every dog will be spayed or
neutered and will have a thorough medical evaluation to
determine that the dog does not have any physical problems
that would cause difficulty for a working dog.
--
Uucp: ..!{decvax,oliveb}!bunker!hcap!hnews!273!715!Wayne.Roorda
Internet: Wayne.Roorda@f715.n273.z1.fidonet.org