Task guide

Hearing service dogs,
assessed on the work.

A hearing service dog is trained to alert a deaf or hard-of-hearing handler to specific sounds and lead them to the source. This page explains the tasks, the training paths PawProof accepts, and how verification works.

What the work looks like

Sound-alert tasks a hearing dog performs

Hearing dogs work by noticing a trained sound, making physical contact with the handler (a nose nudge or paw touch), and then either leading the handler to the source or, for danger sounds like a smoke alarm, signaling and moving away with the handler. Typical trained sounds include:

01Doorbell and knockingThe dog makes deliberate physical contact, then leads the handler toward the door.

02Name callsThe dog alerts when someone calls the handler's name and orients toward the speaker.

03Alarms and timersSmoke alarms, alarm clocks, and kitchen timers each require a clear, repeatable alert behavior.

04Phones and notificationsThe dog signals ringing or vibrating devices the handler cannot hear.

05Environmental hazardsApproaching vehicles, sirens, or a dropped object behind the handler prompt an orientation alert.

What PawProof assesses

The Hearing Alert task standard

PawProof issues a subject-specific Task Training Certificate for hearing alert work. The assessment footage must show reliable alerts to the handler's chosen sound set, consistent physical contact, correct orientation or lead-to-source behavior, and recovery to a settled state. The full ID card additionally requires the Public Access Behavior and Relief & Sanitation subjects.

Every record links to retained assessment footage, the endorsing assessor's verifiable credential, and an online verification page. That is the difference between a checkable record and a card anyone can buy.

Training paths

Train the way that works for your team

PawProof is a verification platform only. We do not train dogs or sell training. A hearing dog may be owner-trained, trained with a private trainer, or come through a training organization. Whatever the path, issuance requires an endorsement from a credential-checked assessor (CPDT-KA, CPDT-KSA, IAABC, KPA-CTP, or AKC CGC Evaluator) and complete assessment footage.

The legal picture

What a record does and does not do

Under the ADA, no certification or registration is required for a service dog, and businesses may not demand documentation. A PawProof record attests only that the named dog passed the assessment subjects shown. It is voluntary evidence of training quality, not government recognition and not a grant of public-access rights.

Ready when your dog is

Start a trainer-verified assessment.

Submit an eligibility intake, connect with a credentialed assessor, and put the work on the record.

Start an assessment → Find an assessor