Gwyn and Hearing Assist Dog Anton Share Lessons in Empathy and Independence

By Jorae DuPont - 

Gwyn, an elementary school teacher, began losing her hearing in her 30s. Though hearing aids help her a great deal, they can’t stop her hearing loss, which continues to deteriorate. That’s why, when she returned to her classroom this fall, Gwyn had a new helper, Hearing Assist Dog Anton.

Anton could not have been a more welcome addition. He walks around the room, nose sniffing, tail swishing, and often leaves the kids giggling—and their teacher feeling grateful.

“Having Anton in class with me is a blessing,” Gwyn says. “He’s helped me to be open and honest with the kids about my hearing loss. I tell my students ‘Everybody struggles with something, and we need to help each other. Anton is my helper. Who can you help today?’ It’s a gift to learn about and understand people with different abilities, and Anton makes it easy to talk about empathy and encourage it in my classroom.

Those lessons extend well beyond Gwyn’s classroom. Before the school year began, her school produced a video to introduce Anton to Gwyn’s colleagues, students, and their families. Having a Can Do Canines hero in the halls was a new experience at school, and the video helped everyone welcome Anton and learn how to adjust to (and try to ignore) their new furry classmate.

By all measures, Anton is a hit. “The kids adore him. My walls are lined with pictures and letters that say ‘We love you, Miss Gwyn and Mr. Anton!’ And families are so thankful that their kids get to experience Anton,” Gwyn says.  

Gwyn was paired with Anton in July, though her introduction to Can Do Canines began a few years earlier. It all started at a spin class. Gwyn was fascinated by a puppy in training, whose Can Do Canines volunteer raiser regularly brought the pup to the gym Gwyn attended. “I was so impressed,” Gwyn says. “The dog sat so quietly and attentively, among all the music and noise and cycling activity.” Not long after, Gwyn and her husband, Greg, visited a Can Do Canines open house intending to become volunteers. Instead, in a big plot twist, Gwyn walked out with an application for an assistance dog of her own.

“I wanted to be independent with and without my hearing aids,” Gwyn says. “But wearing hearing aids all day can be exhausting. When I get home, I just want to take them off and relax.” Yet without her hearing aids, Gwyn’s sense of safety and security suffered. She may not hear weather sirens, smoke detectors, or the doorbell. She may be unaware of someone entering her home. Without her hearing aids, Gwyn often relied on her family to hear things for her. “I didn’t realize what a burden it was for them and how much they worried about my safety,” she says.

“I had no idea I could be a candidate to receive a dog,” Gwyn says. “But when Greg and I talked about it on the way home, he said, ‘I think you need to fill out the application.’” One year later, Gwyn met Anton, and now her whole family can breathe easier.

“Anton gives me confidence because he hears all the things I don’t. When I drop something, he tells me. If a colleague or student calls my name, Anton gives me a nudge. When the microwave or oven beeps, he lets me know. If the doorbell rings or someone comes in the house, Anton is there to alert me. Before, when Greg traveled for work or left the house early, he worried that I may not hear my alarm clock. Greg doesn’t worry anymore. Now Anton wakes me up. And not with a gentle nudge, but with a big, sloppy tongue: there’s no way I can sleep through his morning kisses! With Anton, I feel independent. Even when I’m home alone, I feel safe. He gives us all security.”

This will be Gwyn’s last year as a teacher. Even with Anton as her able assistant, with her hearing loss, teaching has become too difficult physically and mentally. Although she is leaving her classroom, Gwyn is by no means stepping away from education—and that’s good news for Can Do Canines. As a skilled public speaker with years of experience in education and professional development, Gwyn intends to let the world know how much Can Do Canines can help people who live with disabilities. She is committed to giving back to the organization that’s given her Anton, and so much more.

 

Thank you to all those who made this partnership possible:

Whelping Home — Lindsay Merkel
Raisers — Deb Nelson, Christine Palmer, Elizabeth Seely
Special Thanks — Jackson Correctional Institution, Stanley Correctional Institution, University of Wisconsin-River Falls FETCH Program (Audrey Mayer, Emily Robinson)