# Exploring the Relationship between Persons with Hearing Loss/Deafness and Their Hearing Dogs

## TL;DR

This study explores the emotional and supportive relationship between Hearing Dogs and their owners, showing that these dogs provide more than just hearing assistance.

## Contribution

The study reveals the emotional depth and expectations in the relationship between Hearing Dogs and their owners, beyond functional assistance.

## Key findings

- Prospective owners expect Hearing Dogs to provide companionship and security, not just sound alerts.
- Current owners show strong emotional attachment, especially in the 'people substitution' category.
- High PEI and LAPS scores indicate strong expectations and attachment in Hearing Dog relationships.

## Abstract

Hearing Dogs are assistance animals who provide practical help to their owners with hearing loss/Deafness by alerting them to environmental sounds. While some studies have verified the contribution of Hearing Dogs to their owners’ quality of life, little is known about the relationship that is established between canine and owner. This survey study investigated the anticipated role of Hearing Dogs in 23 prospective owners, as well as emotional attachment in 58 Hearing Dog owners. Results revealed that prospective owners expected the dog to play a broad supportive role in their lives, beyond simple assistance with sounds. For owners, a strong emotional component was evident in their relationships with the Hearing Dogs, particularly in the “people substitution” category. This study suggests that the relationship expectations of potential Hearing Dog recipients should be achievable, as evidenced by the strong relationships reported by owners.

The reported positive outcomes of animal-assisted services have led to an emerging interest in many different aspects of human–animal interactions. The influence of an assistance animal is thought to encompass several psychosocial domains in the life of a person with a significant health impairment. However, little is known about the mechanisms underlying the relationship between Hearing Dogs and their owners. A prospective study design using a written questionnaire method was utilized to survey 58 current and 23 prospective Australian Lions Hearing Dogs owners. The Pet Expectations Inventory (PEI) was used to investigate the anticipated role of Hearing Dogs in waitlisted persons with hearing loss/Deafness, whereas the Lexington Attachment to Pets Scale (LAPS) was completed by current owners to assess emotional attachment. The results revealed a high mean PEI score (M = 73.1, SD = 10.9, Mdn = 73.0, range: 55–91), with prospective owners strongly expecting the role of Hearing Dogs to include companionship/love and security. Furthermore, strong attachment features were evident in the owners’ relationships with Hearing Dogs, as demonstrated by a high total LAPS score (M = 81.2, SD = 7.5, range: 63–91). Mean scores for statements within the “people substitution” category were highest (range = 3.6/4.00–3.9/4.00). In this demographically homogenous study cohort, it appeared that the high expectations of potential Hearing Dog owners for their animals to serve supportive roles beyond hearing assistance should be achievable, as evidenced by the strong attachment relationships displayed between Hearing Dogs and their owners.