My Dog Ears My Life

You ready?

I'm Joe. I love basketball, superheroes and dogs.

I want to tell you some stuff about myself, and if you can't hear me,

what I'm saying properly,

it's because I am deaf and I couldn't...able to speak

until I was five, so I might have a problem speaking right.

I've been waiting for years to get a dog, but not just any dog.

It needs to be a very special super dog that will transform my life.

A dog that will become my best friend and my ears.

-It's all happening, Joe. A bit nervous?

-I'm all right.

But it isn't going to be easy.

There are only 30 kids in the UK

with one of these dogs and I know they can make a big difference.

It's, like, changing my life.

But first, I've got to get better and stronger, so I can walk again

and there's months of training ahead.

So, palm facing upwards and we're going to bring it towards us

and that's to get the dogs to sit.

I just hope I've got what it takes to get my hearing dog.

DOG BARKS

Hi, I'm Joe and this is my home.

-This is my dad.

-Hi, Joe.

-How are you doing?

-This is my mum here. Alison.

Hi, Joe.

-How are you?

-Good.

Forgive me for walking a bit slow,

I run out of breath when I walk a bit much.

I was really ill when I was a baby.

The cancer I had resulted in me becoming deaf.

When I was ten, the cancer returned

and I had to have the bone in my leg replaced with metal.

So, getting around as well as hearing was a big problem.

A special dog that can hear for me could change my life.

A hearing dog, he will alert me

if it's someone at the door because sometimes I can't hear stuff,

so he will just nudge me, saying there's something going on.

So, I'm actually wanting a dog since I was a little boy.

Even at school, Joe can't really hear much.

Like, socially, you can't hear that well, can't you?

So, if he's talking to his friends,

sometimes if he can't listen, he will say that,

but they just don't want to say it again.

They feel a bit funny around him.

But I don't think that's very nice

because if someone's got a problem, you should help them.

I can only hear a very small amount when I'm wearing my hearing aid,

so my world sounds a little bit like this...

SILENCE

..which makes life really tricky.

The things that Joe probably wouldn't be able to hear most

is when Mum and Dad shout at him from a different room.

Probably when it's time to go bed or when to wake up.

He's got quite a trouble trying to wake up in the morning.

Waking up is hard, but getting to sleep is even harder.

Joe wasn't born deaf, so therefore he does find it very isolating.

He gets very anxious and he really struggles to sleep at night.

And that's why we thought the hearing dog would be ideal for Joe,

so it would help him and give him company,

so he wouldn't feel so anxious.

Hey, guys, I want to show you what it's like to have nightmares,

so I've got this night vision camera and as I wake up in the night,

don't worry, it's just that I have nightmares all the time.

So, here we go!

Hi!

There you go.

I feel most anxious in the night-time

because I take out my hearing aid to sleep,

but then I am in total silence and that can be really scary.

When I have a nightmare,

it makes my heart race and I keep getting hot a lot after

and I can't sleep afterwards.

But when I actually do, I start to go into a dream

but then it goes back into a nightmare.

I really hope a hearing dog can help me with my anxiety.

This is the Hearing Dogs For Deaf People Centre

where the dogs are trained to work with people just like me.

And there's good news.

The centre has two dogs that might be suitable.

Travis, the golden retriever,

or Watkin, the cocker spaniel.

I love the sound of them both,

but the trainers have to be sure

that my dog is perfect for me, and until the decision is made,

I'm not allowed to meet either of them.

Tom is the trainer who will make the final call on which dog it will be.

There?

For a deaf child without their hearing aids in,

they can't hear the alarm clock.

So, we're going to teach our dogs to help them get up in the morning

and to do that, we're going to use the duvet.

We're going to teach the dog to pull it.

Good boy!

Don't worry, this isn't the dogs being naughty.

It's them training to help me get out of bed.

Dogs love this. It's find the timer.

So, we're going to hide this in the house and when it goes off,

he's simply just got to go and find it, but he's got to use his ears

and that's the really important part.

If a fire alarm goes off, deaf children can't hear it,

so it is the hearing dog's job to let us know.

Travis and Watkin are both working hard with the trainers.

I just hope one of them will become my best friend.

So, thinking about Joe, there's quite a few extra things

that we've got to consider when we're picking a dog

that's right for him, and also, there's quite a lot more training

we've got to finish off as well.

Before I can start my training with the dogs,

I need to be steadier on my feet.

Most of my leg is titanium.

From the hip, femur, kneecap,

a little bit in my bottom leg.

-Then all of that's bone, isn't it?

-Yeah.

Replacement bones are made out of a metal called titanium,

which is really strong and really expensive.

My leg costs more than my house!

The problem is I'm getting taller but my titanium bone can't grow.

So, every few months, I need an operation to make my legs match.

So, I'm feeling a bit nervous about the operation

but I'm also happy to get my legs lengthened.

I can keep walking on them.

This is Birmingham Orthopaedic Hospital

where I have been coming for the last three years.

Oh, we have spent many a year here!

It's like a second home.

Joe's having an operation to extend his titanium bone in his leg.

So, they cut his leg open.

-I think it's around there, isn't it?

-Yes.

They cut it open and they get this, it's kind of like a key,

like a screwdriver and they turn it round to make Joe's leg

one centimetre longer.

It's the night before the operation

and it's really nice that Dad gets to sleep over with me.

What a nice bed!

Hi, it's Joe again.

Now it's five past 12 and that means I can't eat any more

until my operation, so I have to wait that long.

So, this is goodnight from me.

Right. See ya.

All right, Joe? Hey? Nearly done.

A long wait.

Hello, young man.

-How you doing?

-Hi.

-How are you doing?

-Good.

-Good, you ready?

-Yeah.

Excellent. Sorry I kept you waiting.

Have you got your notes here?

Yes, we've got them over here.

You're going to go to sleep in a minute.

-Go to sleep now, Joe.

-Give us a kiss.

-We'll see you in a minute.

-And Daddy.

-Love you.

Love you.

It is worrying because you don't know if it's going to work

or it's not going to work, but I'm happy that it's helping Joe,

but it's just like you're nervous about...

I know it is not me going in, but I'm worried about Joe going into it.

Love you, buddy.

I love you, don't worry, everything's good.

-Don't worry, we're all good.

-Everything's good.

When he's in recovery, we'll ring you straight away, OK?

Take care, OK? Thank you.

-Thanks ever so much.

-Thank you!

-Thanks again, nice meeting you.

I've had hundreds of operations, so I'm really used to doing this.

My surgeon needs to turn the key 100 times

for my metal leg to grow one centimetre

and make my legs the same length.

You can now see that was where we started.

And that is how long that is now.

The surgery went really well but I need rest time

before I can start training with my hearing dog.

Recovering can be a bit boring,

so I fill my time bringing my very own superhero to life.

Titanium Man!

I created Titanium Man because I was bored in bed while I was in hospital

while I was in treatment.

I couldn't move, I wasn't able to go anywhere on my own or anything.

And he's based on me and he helped me through my treatment.

Titanium Man is my alter-ego.

He has a titanium leg, like me.

He's lightweight but incredibly strong.

And best of all, his ultimate superpower is that he can hear.

Hi, I've just woken up,

so I'm just basically,

I'm going to get ready after this,

so we're going to go to see the hearing dogs.

Basically, the hearing dogs are all, like,

it's either Watkin or Travis, so I can't wait to see them.

So, I'm going to get on the shower and get ready, so bye.

There's two dogs that we're going to meet today.

Two very different dogs.

One is very calm, very patient,

and then there's another dog that's only just under two

and I think he's a little bit more full-on,

a little bit more energetic.

The whole idea, it is Joe's dog, not ours.

We're just there to kind of help Joe on the journey

but Joe has to learn to be responsible for his own dog.

We're nearly there now, so now we're not that far,

so we're here for the journey, for the adventure of our dog.

-You excited?

-Pardon?

-Excited?

-Yeah.

-What about you, Charlotte?

-Really excited, yeah, Joe.

I've been waiting three years for this moment.

I'm finally about to meet the dog I'm going to share my life with.

And I still don't know which one it's going to be.

Is it Travis?

Or is it Watkin?

Put your hands down and just look forward, Joe.

Just wait for them to come.

Peeping over the hedge.

-Aw!

-There he is.

It's Travis!

-Hi!

-Hello.

-He's pretty fast.

-Yeah, he is, isn't he just?

We've picked the dog which we think is going to be the best one for Joe

and that's Travis and that's because he is generally calmer,

he's a very loving dog.

So, today, we have got Joe here

and we're going to be working with Travis to see how they get on.

So, palm facing outwards and we're going to bring it towards us

and that's to get the dogs to sit

and then opposite way round, down to the floor,

and that will get the dogs to lie down.

-Yeah.

-And then as soon as he's done it, you can give him a treat.

-Good boy.

-There we go. And give him the treat.

-Well done.

-Wow, I'm really wet!

-All right?

-Yeah. Sorry, Mum.

-That's all right!

That's it.

I've never had a dog before,

so I've got to learn about the everyday stuff

like how to groom him, what can he eat and how to walk with him.

I'm really hoping that Travis will become my ears and my best friend.

That's it. So, have you enjoyed today?

-Yeah.

-Yeah. Have you enjoyed working with Travis?

-Yeah.

-I think you've both done really, really well.

He's worked really, really nicely for you.

You've done an amazing job.

Well, I think, because you worked so well with each other,

I think we can carry on training him.

-Would you like that?

-Yeah.

-Excellent.

Travis can't come home with me just yet,

there's a lot more training I have to complete.

But I do have time to show him off to the rest of my family.

This is the dog we're training!

He feels so soft!

I love his little tail! It's different than a Labrador.

He's going to make Joe so much more mobile,

Joe's going to want to walk

instead of just relying on his wheelchair so much, so, yeah,

it'll be good to get him out of his chair

and wanting to get up and get about.

And I think that's going to help him a lot,

and it's also going to help him at night-time when he's in his bedroom,

because Travis will go in his room and sleep in there,

give him some company at night-time,

get him to go off to sleep bit better.

I'm going to need some good tips on how to live with a hearing dog.

And I think I've found just the person.

Now going to Jack's house, the little boy who's nine.

He also has a hearing dog named Echo,

and now we're going to go in the house and meet him and Echo

and ask him about how it's like to live with a hearing dog.

-Hello, how are you?

-OK!

Would you like to meet Echo or call Echo over?

Yeah. Come on, Echo!

Hello.

And then you get a treat from the pot.

And then you hold it out like that and then Echo will get the treat.

-Yes? And sometimes, you have to wash your hands.

-Yeah.

Whoa!

Before I got Echo, I was very scared at night.

I had night terrors,

I thought monsters are in my bedroom,

or I got bad dreams.

After you got Echo, what was bedtime like for you?

Easy, because Echo's making me safe at bedtime,

and he can guard if there's any monsters in the room.

It was different.

And my bedroom isn't very scary any more.

It's, like, changing my life.

Jack and Echo are really good friends,

and I hope it will be the same for me and Travis.

I've only met him once and we still have a lot more training to do

before I'm allowed to keep him,

but if he can help me with my night terrors,

it'll all be worth it.

Just a couple of days from meeting Travis, and I really can't wait.

He's a golden retriever,

he's one of the dogs I really wanted since I was a little kid.

I really can't wait, it's really, really close,

it's so exciting for me.

-How was your morning at school, JJ?

-All right.

Today is going to be really special.

I've been allowed to leave school early because Travis

is coming to visit me at home for the first time.

It gave me the feeling that he's definitely going to be my dog.

He just made me so happy.

-There he is.

-Where are you, Travis?!

Travis had already done his training,

so now I've got to continue mine

and prove that I'm responsible enough to take care of him.

There are thousands of deaf children in the UK,

and I'm one of the lucky few to get a hearing dog.

It's a big commitment and I've got to get it right.

-You remember how this goes?

-Put this on him.

-On his head?

-Yeah, so that goes over his head.

-All the way down.

-Good boy. Right.

Sorry. Sit.

-Travis, sit.

-Well done, perfect.

-Treat.

-That's all right. You can just keep it there.

So, another important thing that you need to do,

when you come back from a walk, as he's been in the nice boggy water,

got himself a little bit dirty, you can give him a bit of a clean

-and dry him all off.

-Yeah.

-Shall we do the other paw?

He'll lift it up for you. I can hold it for you.

There you go.

It's been so great to have Travis for a day,

and I really hope he'll feel at home here and become part of the family.

I was thinking about it all night because it's really exciting,

because I know it's going to help Joe but it's also nice

because we get to just play with him when he's off his

helping Joe, and that will be really fun.

I can't wait for all my classmates to meet Travis.

I really struggle at school because people find it tricky to understand

what I'm saying, or I find it hard to hear them.

Hi, we're on our way to school now for my presentation.

So, I've got here my brother and sister.

-Hi.

-And my mum here.

-Hello!

-And my dad.

Hello.

We're just really excited, isn't it, Mum?

Yeah. It's all happening, Joe.

-A bit nervous?

-I'm all right.

-Good.

In today's assembly, I want to tell everyone what it's like to be me.

This is what I want you to know about me.

That I'm funny, sporty, strong-willed,

I'm quite loud and bouncy outside but inside, I'm sensitive.

Things I don't like - vegetables, people who bully me,

and gymnastics.

Deafness, I'm severely deaf in both ears,

I wear strong hearing aids in all the time.

My dog Travis.

Travis is going to be my hearing dog.

Travis will help me sleep by calming me down after I have a nightmare.

He'll be my special friend and loyal companion

who I can talk to about my worries.

APPLAUSE

I've just watched Joe's assembly

and I think it's really nice to see what he's been through

and know more about him,

because I don't really know that much about him before.

I thought it was very good because it was very emotional

and I knew a lot more about him.

And it was also, like, I'm going to act better with him

because I didn't really know how much he's been through.

So, he's finally ours on Wednesday, isn't he?

Yeah, I can't wait for you guys to see him.

And how do you feel about it, Charlotte?

-Are you excited?

-I'm really excited, though,

because, basically, we literally have training with him

Monday and Tuesday and Wednesday,

and then he's literally ours from now on.

We just get to chill out with him and hug him

and just have fun with him.

Take him for walks.

And Joe, you're collecting the poo, then, aren't you?

Oh, yeah, here we go.

It's been six weeks since I last saw Travis.

I'm out of my wheelchair more and walking much better.

Now I'm back at the centre to finish my final few days of training.

You want to practise the duvet tug?

-OK, shall we go?

-Yes.

Come on, Travis. Here, boy!

ALARM RINGS

I take my hearing aids out at bedtime,

so I can't hear the alarm clock.

So, it will be Travis' job to wake me up every morning.

Good boy!

For our last part of training, we had to go out in public

to see how we cope with new people and places.

Travis had to wear a special harness,

so everyone knows he's working, a bit like a school uniform.

Joe and Travis have been working really hard this week,

getting to know each other more.

They've both done really, really well together

and they're both already forming a really nice friendship,

and Joe's ready to take his new hearing dog home.

This is the last journey from here to home.

Now we get the chance to take Travis home forever, and we can't wait.

We love him so much, we can't wait for him to meet our family again.

It'll be really exciting for us.

I can't believe Travis is coming home with me.

We're going to be best friends forever!

# Nothing but love!

# I got nothing but love

# Love, love! #

THEY CHATTER

After a long journey, we're finally home,

ready to start a new life together.

THEY LAUGH

Sit, sit. Sit here.

-Do it!

-Good boy!

-So, are you feeling better already?

-Yeah.

So, now training's over, he's ours, isn't he, now?

Yeah, he's ours.

It's been four weeks since Travis came home with us.

It's been absolutely great.

He helps me when I wake up,

he pulls the duvet off of my bed and he also makes me really happy

and more enjoyable in life so far.

And also, I don't have that much night terrors from now on

but when I do have a night terror, I wake up,

I look beside me at Travis there on his bed.

It makes me feel more happy and calm,

just makes me go back to sleep.

Travis is brilliant.

He's been working so hard and life is much easier with my dog ears.

We've only had Travis for a few weeks now and

we can already see the differences he's made.

He's much happier and he's got almost, like, a friend

to always be there with him.

He's definitely part of the family

and the whole family loves him

and it just makes me feel I can do anything now.

Remember Watkin, the cocker spaniel?

He finished all his training and now been matched to ten-year-old Ruby.

And of course, every superhero needs a sidekick!

# I won't fall I am titanium

# I am titanium

# I am titanium

# I am titanium... #