Would a dog help?

[Claireh2284]

My son needs gromits, his hearing has been bad for some time. He is 5 and has no road sense because he cant hear the traffic. Friends have told me gromits dont always work so I was wondering would a dog benefit my son? His hearing is very poor and I'd rather make the start with a dog during the holidays where he has the time to get used to it. I'm quite ignorant about this type of thing so forgive me if I sound stupid but I know nothing of it

Do you want a dog as a pet or a Hearing Dog? Dogs are fantastic companions and often seem to understand what fellow humans don't. There are a few dog magazines on the market. I think the main two are Your Dog and Dogs Today.

If it's a pet you're after, you need to consider your lifestyle and what you want from your dog. YOu may also benefit hugely from visiting some training classes in your area. The Association of Pet Dog Trainers (APDT) is a good place to start. Your local vet may have ideas too.

I don't know much about Hearing Dogs apart from they are fantastic! Your gp may be able to point you in the right direction, or other support you are getting.

Please dont rush into anything. You only need to look at the pets section on here to see how many people get a puppy and the puppy displays puppy behaviour and tbey then rush to rehome it.

I've had a dog before, im not looking for a puppy, just a companion for my son who could help with his hearing. I just want to gather as much information so if it is the right option I have 7 weeks to get both the dog and my son settled together.

I'm not sure how a dog would help a 5 year old? You're not going to let them both out together are you? So what would a dog do for your son that you can't?

Is your son booked in for grommets? My son had them when he was about 5. The consultant said that his level of hearing was the same as an adult would experience with their head under water. He had the operation as a day patient and when I tucked him up in bed that evening he asked me what the noise in his room was. It was the clock ticking - he'd never been able to hear it before. Grommets worked for him and he's never had problems since.

Perhaps you could contact dog aid for advice.

They train peoples' own pet dogs to help them with physical disabilities or impairments. They only train people over 18 at the moment, but they might be able to give you some advice about whether or not your idea is viable in the long-term should the grommets not prove to be a solution for your ds.

The other charity is Hearing Dogs for Deaf People, but again they only train people over the age of 18 and they only work with profoundly deaf people.

If you do decide to get a dog, you also need to look into the sort of things Plonketyplonk mentioned to ensure you choose the right type of dog for your family, bearing in mind your lifestyle, size of dog, level of exercise required, trainability etc. If you are thinking of rehoming a rescue dog perhaps you could call your nearest Dogs Trust shelter for advice.

we havent been given much information, we were considering a pet dog and didnt know if it could help with hearing. He isnt booked in at the moment but the next appoinment will book him in. We didnt get chance to ask any questions, I will make sure I get the opportunity at the next appointment. Sorry for sounding stupid but I didnt know how much grommits would help his hearing. Thanks.

You don't sound stupid, you came on here for research purposes and to ask advice from other mnetters before going ahead. Seems like a smart move to me.

You don't sound stupid at all. And the problem is you don't know if grommets will help. Sometimes they don't help, sometimes they fall out quickly, sometimes they solve the problem completely.