my daughter is becoming slight of hearing, and she is starting to get frustrated as she can't hear properly, she has just started to become interested in the breed ring with her new puppy, she has done agility and loves this but she can do this on her own does not have to listen to instructions just bombs around the course with her dog,we have been attending ringcraft and two nights this week i have caught her crying at home, as she has not understood what the trainer has asked her to do and she says she can't hear properly with all the noise in the halls,has anybody over come this problem and any advice on how to help her gain her confidence in the breed ring.she is only 10 years old.
carol

I know that it's hard for a 10 year old to ask, but maybe if you advised her to tell the person that she can't hear clearly and for them to repeat it. 

As I say I know that even the above is hard for someone of your daughters age to do, but usually it is a bit quieter at shows than at ringcraft amazingly, as not everyone is talking around you etc.

hello....i have a freind whose daughter is deaf, before the classbegins she makes sure the steward passes on the information to the judge, she has never once had a problem, it is done very quietly and to my knowledge no one has ever realised she is deaf.
regards
Pauline

My daughter has bi lateral severe hearing loss.She wears 2 hearing aids and shows all 3 of my elkhounds given half a chance.She does well at JH and competes against the experienced handlers at open and champ show level in breed classes often coming out on top.She showed my 3 yr old elkhound to 2nd in post grad at Crufts this year and then they had a run off for the RCC.
Tell your daughter that if she doesn't hear then to ask the judge if she could repeat her instructions. I also would advise that in breed classes she doesn't go 1st if possible as she can then see what the judge is asking the other exhibits to  do
Archer

Ditto what the others have said She should ask the steward to tell the judge & tell her not to be shy or embarrassed I've got a very slight hearing problem(due to advanced age ;)) & if I don't think I've heard right I ask

There's an amazing chap in obedience who is deaf & he & his bitch have won themselves out all the classes & are only in the top class, to prove it is no fluke he has a young bitch & she is doing well at shows as well He memorises the rounds & is quite incredible

Is that the girl who came first in the semi's of junior handling at Richmond Pauline?  She seems to cope amazingly well.

Karen

I used to compete against a deaf handler when I was younger alot and she always did well and told the judge she was deaf and they said it again with her looking.  Another successul handler at the moment is deaf.  Lack of hearing won't stop her showing as long as she has the confidence to say so and ask for things to be repeated.  If nessersery you could also explain to the stewward before the class starts :)

Have you tried contacting the national childrens deaf soc. ? They have some really nice trained staff who can help with loads of questions yourself & daughter may have.
Dont know how your daughter would feel but sometimes telling/asking someone something takes a lot of confidence & if she is feeling low about this anyway she may not have lots at the moment, how about ( see how your daughter feels obviosly ) just typing/writing out a paragraph saying she has hearing problems on a piece of paper & lamintating it so she could show the trainer/steward/judge without feeling any pressure & not overly drawing attention to it, as it can be discrete & just poped back into her pocket.
I hope this has made sense :-)
Aw bless her its not fun for any child :-(

I often find it hard to hear instructions and I am supposedly not hard of hearing - it must be very hard for her. I agree with the advice to make sure the steward tells the judge, and if she isn't sure what the judge says, it is always better to ask again than to guess wrong! Good luck to her! :-)

I have problems with my auditory processing. I too find it rearly hard to hear what the trainer is asking me to do especially if I have to concentrate on my dog or if there is any noise in the background. I often find it helpful if I can go last in a group so I can watch what other people do. If I have to listen to a long list of instructions (such as remembering the order of obsticals in an aglility course) I repeat it back to the person to make sure I have heard everything. Most people seem to be very accomadating if I ask them to do something that helps me. I know how frustrating it is for her, i've just started ringcraft for the first time and am finding it hard.

Hi, what an interesting post, i have deaf family and my cousin was on Robot Wars, he had a signer with him to help with the communication, If he has other things where he needs a communicator i go with him as i a can sign, i know not all deaf people can sign and obviously i dont know if the people mentioned on this post can sign but if they can and also if they want to , do you think it would be a good idea to take somebody in the ring with them that can sign and help with the communication? Im sure no judge or steward would object. Just a thought ..... :-) :-)