Kai life is the high life

Kai is proving very adept at mixing business with pleasure!

First, the 'business' of training. He's a quick learner, but he always seems to enjoy himself.

As you can see below, he's more than happy to settle. This is what we call the way our dogs just sit down in a public place such as a café or library, keep themselves to themselves and behave beautifully.

Kai is happy to oblige! No fuss, no bothering, he knows that, if he does the 'right' thing, he'll get a fuss and a treat (especially tempting for a Labrador!). 

Next up, learning to be happy on public transport is very important for our dogs. Deaf people quite rightly want to live full lives, and this involves getting out and about with their furry friends accompanying them at all times. So, part of Kai's training involves getting used to public transport, as you can see below. Notice the constant encouragement and praise he gets. To Kai, it's all a game, one that he thoroughly enjoys playing!

Another amazing skill our clever dogs learn is how to control their impulses (called, appropriately enough, 'impulse control', which you can read all about here). We don't want our dogs to pester for food - or for anything really - and so they're taught that, if they wait patiently, they'll get an extra special treat. As you can see below, Kai is brilliant at this. And his volunteer trainer is equally as brilliant at giving him gentle, positive encouragement. It's all good!

It's not all work, work, work though. Kai makes plenty of time for rest and relaxation, so here he is just being a happy, healthy dog, doing what dogs do best - snuffling around finding interesting new sights and smells in gloriously exciting woodland!

Even in that clip, Kai is doing the right thing by always staying nearby and coming back when called. How clever!

By the way, you can see more of Kai in Hearing Dogs TV (yes, he's an HDVT superstar!). To see this, just hop over to the HDTV page and enjoy.

And finally, how happy does Kai look below?

We'd say... ten out of ten? Look at those sparkly eyes! And that smile! After all, what could make a dog happier than a ball, a dishwasher and a wonderful day to look forward to?

Kai life is definitely the high life, and we're so grateful to you for making it happen. So, thank you again for sponsoring Kai!