Miniature poodle Pinja is a hearing dog with equal access to the coffee shop or the hairdresser’s salon. More volunteers are needed as independent assistance persons for the owners of hearing and aid dogs.

When Helsinki resident Anni Kauppinen’s mobile phone buzzes in the corridor of the local adult education centre, Pinja taps her mistress’ foot with her paw.

“Where is the sound?” Kauppinen asks.

Then the black paw taps the woman’s coat pocket – where the phone is. A glance shows that this is payday.

“The hearing dog indicates the different sounds in the environment. Pinja tells me when the doorbell rings, the fire alarm sounds or the alarm clock beeps,” Kauppinen says, offering a treat to her helper.

Pinja enjoys terraces

The six-year-old poodle only needs a behaviour test to be a qualified hearing dog. Thanks to Pinja’s work, Anni Kauppinen’s everyday life runs smoothly, even though she has a verified hearing loss. Pinja tells her when it is time to get up or when the washing machine has finished spinning.

And best of all, in the same package comes a jolly companion, who expands her owner’s environment.

“In the summertime Pinja enjoyed being on terraces.”

Anni Kauppinen shows a document that allows her four-legged helper to enter the coffee shop, health centre and library – almost anywhere at all where Finnish law would normally keep dogs out.

There has been hearing dog activity in Finland since the early 1990s. When the association was started, it was the first one in the Nordic countries, but now similar associations are also operating in Sweden, Denmark and Norway.

A support person helps train the dog

Pinja has a dozen colleagues all over the country. Dogs are helpers to people who suffer from hearing problems and chronic illnesses such as epilepsy or diabetics. However, many more are needed.

That’s why Pinja, in her orange working vest, shows herself off at Finland’s hearing and aid dog association’s public events. Today, she is encouraging Helsinki residents at a volunteer work fair to become assistants for dog owners.

The hearing and aid dog association’s only paid employee is the trainer, who drives all over the country. Volunteers lighten the load by helping owners train their dogs.

“The aim is to find 10 – 15 volunteers. Relatives and close friends are not necessarily the best assistants, a little distance is better,” says the association’s chairman Tuulia Sundgren.

External financing of 125,000 euros has been obtained for the search. It covers the trainer’s salary and makes establishing a volunteer network possible. The assistants receive appropriate training for their duties. Thus in the beginning, an eagerness to learn something new and a willingness to give one’s own time to the volunteer network are sufficient.

Even for dogs, it's never too late to learn

Anni Kauppinen knows from experience that training a puppy to be a hearing dog is a demanding task. The hearing and aid dog association’s trainer looks for a breeder who will choose from the litter a puppy suitable for the task. The dog is made to practise one sound at a time, and finally the candidate is tested. All this takes years.

“Pinja learns easily and is relaxed, eager and independent,” Kauppinen says while acting as the association’s vice chairman. She is describing the characteristics of a good hearing dog.

Well, it’s true that Pinja is actually a bit family-dependent and shows some separation anxiety; she concedes development targets to the people who insist.

The years have led to a perfect cooperation between the dog and mistress. Pinja doesn’t grumble, even though her work stretches over the whole day. Even the values are perfect in the viewpoint of lifelong learning.

“Pinja continually wants to learn something new, so I vary my telephone ringtones. The current ringtone is the fifth,” Kauppinen boasts about her partner.