I found her at an animal shelter at 5 months old, a little bundle of energy. She became my constant companion. Little did I know, how much a companion she would become. We went to obedience classes together. She was the perfect little dog. When she was about 8 months, I had an accident and lost a portion of my hearing. It left me feeling lost and alone. It was suggested I get a hearing dog but the wait list was too long and too expensive for me. I struggled with my hearing loss and how to start living life again. I decided to train my dog myself, to touch and target, then we added sounds. She found it a fun game and was eager to please. I had nothing to loose, and everything to gain. She was able to alert me to sounds like a phone ringing, someone knocking at the door. We added signing for sit, stay, and come. She seemed to know after a time, what noises I needed to be alerted to. We face many challenges but we face it all together. Nine years later, I can't imagine life without her. Shelter dogs can be more then just companions, they can be taught to be amazing dogs with important jobs.