Speaking of service dogs, I think a yorkie could be a hearing dog for the deaf. Hearing dogs warn of people approaching the outside of the house or car, babies crying, kettles whistling, unusual noises of any kind. Most deaf people have lights that flash for door bells, phones, alarm clocks, even babies crying, but many feel more secure with a dog because dogs can discriminate between normal and unusual sounds. Also dogs are useful for travel when deaf people visit relatives or stay in hotels, usually these places don't have as many (or sometimes any) assistive devices) as their own homes. So I can see how a tiny dog would be very useful for a deaf person. Howver, I'll have to admit I've never seen a hearing dog under 15 or 20 lbs or so and even at that size the deaf person is often stopped and asked to prove that their dog is a genuine service dog -- a difficult challenge considering the communication barrier. So I can see why they'd prefer bigger ones. |