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