Jeannine Friedrich & Hearing Assist Dog Clyde
For Jeannine Friedrich of Perham, Minn. living an independent life is not an option—it’s a priority. Jeannine was born with hearing loss, but wasn’t diagnosed until age five because she was able to read lips so well. Doctors prescribed hearing aids, which helped some, but as she got older her hearing continued to deteriorate. Eventually, she moved on to a cochlear implant.
As Jeannine continued in her career at a nearby nursing home and as her husband Steve began working nights, she found there were sounds she was missing. Even with the implant, sounds such as knocks on the door, the phone ringing and the alarm clock began to go by unnoticed. At night, when her husband was working, Jeannine felt vulnerable because she sleeps with her implant off, which means she hears virtually nothing.
“Being home alone at night can be a little scary—you never know what’s going to happen,” Jeannine says.
One day a good friend from the Lions Club brought up the idea of a Can Do Canines assistance dog. Jeannine like the idea of feeling more secure knowing she could “count on someone else to be the ears when I cannot hear.” So she applied for a Hearing Assist Dog.
Jeannine waited a year for her match because there was one piece of specific criteria she had in mind for her future helper—she wanted a small dog. But even Jeannine was in disbelief when she finally met the two-year-old Pomeranian mix named Clyde.
“When I first saw him I was surprised because I was expecting a small lab” Jeannine says. “Then I said, ‘oh my gosh! That’s Clyde!’”
Jeannine’s pint-sized partner was well worth the wait. The two hit it off swimmingly and they spent their first week training six hours a day while staying at Can Do Canines facility. Jeannine found it comforting having Clyde staying in the room with her at Can Do Canines furnished apartment. When the team made their transition to training at Jeannine’s home the process started off a bit rocky, but they soon found their groove.
“At first when I was training him at home, I thought … hmmm … am I doing the right thing?” Jeannine says. “But luckily Can Do Canines trainer would come by, we’d work together and I was reassured that everything was on track.”
Clyde alerts Jeannine to all the sounds she was missing. From the phone ringing to the oven timer Clyde loves to work; he will run over to Jeannine, give her a nudge and lead her to the source of the sound. The most helpful sound Clyde alerts for, Jeannine says, is the door knock. Oftentimes, she’s in the basement and cannot hear the door so Clyde lets her know someone is there. Next up on Jeannine’s list of helpful sounds is the alarm clock. Clyde goes above and beyond the call of duty and not only alerts her, but helps her wake up with a good morning kiss.
“The alarm clock was a little bit of struggle in the beginning, but he finally got that. Now I get licked in the morning and that really wakes me up!” Jeannine says laughing.
Although Jeannine’s household is relatively quiet, Clyde can adapt to almost any situation. When Jeannine visits her daughter and grandchildren in Fargo, Clyde doesn’t let the bustling activity of a family distract him; he’s always on duty and ready to help.
“Wherever we go, Clyde knows he has to come and alert me,” Jeannine says. “Even when there’s lots of other people around he still knows and comes right to me with his alerts. I think that shows a lot.”
To all the people who helped provide Clyde at no charge and help her live a more independent life, Jeannine says, “Thank you. It’s such a wonderful gift. Keep on giving because there are people out there like me who need these dogs.”
Thank you to all those who made this partnership possible:
Puppy Raiser—Kelsie Lyall & Family
Special Thanks—The Inmate Handlers at the Minnesota Correctional Facility at Faribault
Dog Source—Nancy Jaecklein
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