Ned looks great in his burgundy coat

It’s time for another Ned update!

As you can see below, he’s growing into a fine figure of a hearing dog. We think black Labs in burgundy coats are such a good combination. Ned is still wearing his ‘I’m learning to be a hearing dog’ jacket. When he graduates, he’ll wear the full ‘Hearing Dogs’ jacket.

He’s come such a long way since that little puppy you decided to sponsor. He’s already really great at his recall, sits and waits. You can see how well he does this below.

This is his ‘wait’…

… and this is his ‘sit’, with the hand signals ably demonstrated by Sylvia, his volunteer socialiser.

These are all important obedience skills that will help Ned happily accompany a deaf person wherever they want to go. All our hearing dogs are trained to be patient and well behaved. They like nothing more than being with their deaf recipients, helping them through the day by doing a job they really love.

Fortunately, with Ned being a Labrador, he’ll ‘turn himself inside out for food’ as Sylvia puts it, so food is a real incentive for him. So, the more he learns, the more treats he gets. It’s all good to a puppy.

Ned continues to make friends. His volunteer socialisers Sylvia and Peter have a daughter who lives on a farm, so his list of farm animal friends now includes two baby Pygmy goats and the farm cat! He’s also a tiny bit naughty. He still runs off with toilet rolls and kitchen rolls given the chance, then tearing them up into little pieces. You can see him looking slightly guilty below – it’s the fragments of tissue paper that give it away.

Ned puts himself to bed at about 9 pm and wakes Sylvia and Peter up at 6 am by laying his front paws across Peter then waiting for him to get up to feed him. At least it’s better than chewing their toes!

Finally, here’s a lovely picture of Sylvia with an attentive Ned. They’re getting along so well together, and Ned is doing brilliantly – all thanks to you, his sponsor.