Hearing dogs are changing deaf children's lives

Kurt has given James much-needed confidence and a love of dogs 

Dogs are commonly known as man's best friend, but it turns out they may also be a child's - particularly if those children are one of the 45,000 deaf children in the UK.

"Hearing dogs", as they are known, could transform many young lives by offering companionship, confidence and independence.

Not only that, but these specially trained dogs could improve behaviour at school and lead to better academic performance, a recent study has found.

James Cheung is 11 years old and the owner of Kurt, a golden labrador retriever.

Kurt is specially trained to respond to household sounds that a deaf child cannot hear, like a door bell ringing, a telephone sounding and any alarms going off in the home.

But Kurt has proved to be much more than just a dog who hears.

James is now mad keen on dogs, even his teachers have noticed”

End Quote Louise Cheung

"He is a wonderful accompaniment to our household," say James's mother Louise, from Derbyshire.

"I can't remember life without him."

To read the complete article
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-17233426