EVERYONE has heard of Guide Dogs for the Blind. Not so many have heard of Hearing Dogs for Deaf People. Yet these wonderful dogs do just as vital a job for their owners as their more famous counterparts.

Hearing Dogs for Deaf People was established 21 years ago and since then, more than 1,000 dogs have been placed with people with hearing difficulties.

Tim Sutton-Woodhouse of Lifton first became involved with the charity ten years ago, when he started ?socialising? dogs ? in much the same way that volunteers ?puppy-walk? guide dogs.

?You have them for a few weeks, or a few months, depending on the age of the dog,? said Tim.

?It?s not formal training, it?s more the basic fundamentals like good manners, that every owner should teach their dog.?

The charity generally prefers the smaller breeds of dog ? but some are definitely not used, such as guard dog types or working collies.

Tim said: ?What we want is a dog that?s reasonably bright and very sociable, they need to want to please. What you don?t want is one that?s too intelligent, because they tend to do things their own way. We need a dog that will lie down quietly but if something happened, they would respond.

?We did try greyhounds, they?re lovely dogs, but once they?re lying down, they?re virtually comatose!?

Once the dogs have been socialised, they go for their formal training, which takes place at the charity?s HQ at Saunderton in Buckinghamshire. The training lasts several months, during which time the dogs will be ?matched? with the person who will eventually become their new owner.

Then the dog will be individually trained, according to the new owners needs and circumstances.

?The training is reward based ? and the dogs absolutely love it! It?s their natural instinct to respond to sounds, so we are really just making use of that instinct,? said Tim.

A hearing dog will alert itd owner to a wide variety of sounds ? the doorbell, telephone, microwave oven and, of course, the life-saving sound of a smoke alarm. They will seek out their owner and take him or her to the sound source. The only exception is the smoke alarm ? in this case, the dog alerts the owner by using its paw and then lies down.

Tim said he has even known of one case in which a hearing dog saved the life of an elderly couple living nearby, because the dog could hear the smoke alarm in their house.

He said owning a hearing dog could be a life-changing experience for some people. Deafness or loss of hearing often resulted in a deep sense of isolation, loneliness and lack of self confidence, whatever the age of the person concerned, said Tim. With their distinctive burgundy-coloured ?Hearing Dogs? jackets, the dogs become a permanent companion ? and a real ?ice-breaker? in many situations.

Tim said: ?Most of the demand for our dogs is from people in their 50s to 70s, but there are a lot of young people beginning to apply and many youngsters can be very reserved about their disability.

?You can really see the difference it makes for them. They are proud of their dog and proud they can go out and communicate ? it?s absolutely inestimable what it does for them.?

There are 8.7 million people in the UK who suffer from hearing difficulties and nearly 1 million of those are profoundly deaf. There is now a two-year waiting list for a hearing dog. Applicants have to be over the age of 18 and must be in a position to be able to care for their dog properly.

With such obvious demand, Tim is currently setting up a branch of Hearing Dogs for Deaf People in the West Devon/North East Cornwall area. It costs a bare minimum of £5,000 to train a hearing dog, so heightening the profile of the charity is a top priority.

?We are also desperate for more dogs, preferably small,? said Tim. ?Nearly 80% of our dogs are rescued dogs, the rest are donated. We are providing fantastic homes for unwanted dogs ? and providing something which changes people?s lives as well, which is very rewarding.?

Tim is holding an awareness evening on Saturday February 21 at the Central Methodist Church in Launceston, when there will be slides, literature and hopefully some of the stars themselves, the hearing dogs. The evening begins at 7.30pm.

Tim and the regional co-ordinator for Hearing Dogs, Steve Charman, are also available to give presentations to schools and groups in the area. Anyone who would like further information about Hearing Dogs for Deaf People should call Tim Sutton-Woodhouse on 01566 784212 or Steve Charman on 01392 681860.