Tyson and Sarah continue to live a lovely life together

Journey’s end...

Tyson has come such a long way along his training journey. We’re thrilled to tell you that he’s now looking after Sarah, who was his Volunteer Puppy Trainer!

The right dog for the right person

When we match a hearing dog to their deaf partner, we spend a lot of time, thought and care over the decision. It has to be right, both for the person, and for the dog.

In Tyson’s case, we noticed that he just didn’t like being around cars. Nicci, a team member who was involved in deciding Tyson’s role and oversees matching of dogs to applicants, explains: “Tyson was very sensitive to traffic. We really tried to help him be happy in all situations, but it became clear he would be much more suited to a life of providing love and companionship while alerting to sounds in the home, but not necessarily alerting to sounds while out and about.

“However, Tyson is incredibly affectionate, and had formed a very strong bond with Sarah, particularly during lockdowns and social distancing. Sarah is partially deaf, and a nurse. She had been struggling to lip-read because of masks, which many deaf people found hard.”

A perfect match

Sarah tells us: “I developed hearing loss in my left ear as a young adult, and noticed that I was unable to hear things such as the radio or alarms. The cause is unknown.

“I find it worrying not knowing what’s going on around me. At home, I would miss the doorbell, or the cooker timer – resulting in missed visitors, or burned dinners. At night I fretted about not hearing the smoke alarm. Tyson can alert me to all these sounds.

“Also, when out, I could be easily startled by different things. Tyson gives me a huge amount of confidence to go out and about on my own with him. It is very positive to my mental health to be outside in the fresh air walking him several times a day.”

Raising awareness

Tyson’s companionship, and volunteering for Hearing Dogs, have both made Sarah much more positive about her deafness. “In my work as a District Nurse, many of my patients have hearing impairments. I often mention my deafness and discuss hearing aids with them. It helps them to feel less isolated and more understood.

“It is really beneficial to be open about the subject, and I find colleagues are interested and very supportive.”

A great outcome

At Hearing Dogs, we really do put the well-being of our dogs front and centre, which is why we made this decision for Tyson.

We are thrilled that Tyson and Sarah continue to live a lovely life together, and build on the bond they formed during his training.

This has come about because of your kindness. As Sarah says: “We are so grateful for Tyson, who is a wonderful advocate for Hearing Dogs. Thank you so much for all you have done for this very special and precious dog.”

This is where Tyson’s training journey ends. It would be wonderful if you could consider sponsoring another puppy. However you decide, from all of us at Hearing Dogs for Deaf People… thank you.