Kai - supermodel and superstar

While Kai continues to live with his volunteers during lockdown, we thought you might like to see some new photos of him still loving life, as well as some insights into his training that we took before social distancing.

First up, here's his 'signature smile' as his Dog Training Instructor Darcy calls it!

Apparently his sister does it too. It really isn't a grimace or a growl - you can tell from the ears, they're all eager and attentive. Oh, and the tail, of course. He's such a friendly boy, such great company to be around. This will all help to change a deaf person's life - the companionship of a sweet soul like Kai.

Now, how about some insight into another aspect of Kai's life - that is, being a bit of a supermodel?

We thought you might like to see how we actually take Kai's photoshoots. A lot goes into them! As you can see, liberal use of treats helps Kai to focus. He's such a photogenic dog. All Labradors are handsome, but Kai is a really lovely looking subject!

It's not all glamour though.

Below, you can se see some of Kai's soundwork training (taken before lockdown).

You can see two of his most important soundwork cues: the 'danger alert', and the nose nudge.

The danger alert is his response to a smoke or fire alarm - he immediately lies down. This tells a deaf person that there is danger, but he's not going to lead them to it. A lot of deaf people tell us that not being able to hear alarms and sirens are some of their worst fears.

Kai also demonstrates the nose nudge below. This is his way of getting his partner's attention: he hears a sound, nudges them to tell them about it, they ask 'What is it?' with their hands open, and Kai leads them to it. Notice how Kai gets lots of treats when he does the right thing! For an always-hungry Labrador, this is training heaven!

Let's conclude this Pupdate with a fab photo of Kai looking every inch the handsome chappy. Look at that fur! Those eyes! How could you resist...?

We've decided it's not even worth resisting. Just appreciate him for the wonderful dog he is.

When Kai is partnered with a deaf person, his good looks and charm will help them to reconnect with their community. A lot of the deaf people we help also tell us that their hearing dogs are fantastic conversation starters, which in many cases is exactly what they needed to help them feel part of the world around them.

As with your previous Pupdate, don't forget, you can see more of Kai in Hearing Dogs TV.

But for now... thank you so much once again for sponsoring our lovely Kai!