Hearing Dogs for Deaf People volunteers

Round & About

Puppy trainers needed to support charity in Farnham & Woking

Could you give a life-changing gift to someone you don’t know? 

Volunteer puppy trainer Karen Hardcastle does just this and says it is an “amazing feeling”. She explains: “Becoming a volunteer trainer with Hearing Dogs has changed my life. It’s just been the best thing I’ve ever done – to have a dog, to learn a skill, meet lots of people, get out and about, and make a difference to someone else’s life. 

“When I speak to prospective volunteers, the first thing they say is ‘I’d love to do it, but I couldn’t give the puppy up at the end’. Of course you miss the dog you’ve been training, but a lot of the emotion isn’t sadness, it’s happiness.” 

Could you do this? The charity has expanded it’s training programme into Farnham and Woking. 

Dogs are trained to alert deaf people to important and life-saving sounds such as smoke alarms, doorbells, and even baby monitors and when fully trained, hearing dogs not only provide practical assistance to deaf people, but also offer lots of love and emotional support and help reduce isolation and loneliness, which many deaf people experience. 

As a puppy trainer you’ll take a puppy into your home for 6 to 18 months and get it started on its training journey – from teaching basic cues to going out and about to experience different sights, sounds, smells and environments. All trainers are fully supported and all costs are covered by the charity – food, toys, bedding and vet costs.