Nothing but a sound dog

The pooch was delivered to Sharlene last month and will help her with sounds about town and in the home.

Gino has been trained to react to normal household sounds such as telephones ringing, smoke alarms, knocking at a door, mobile phone messages and even babies crying.

He will go to the sound source and return to Sharlene, making physical contact until she follows him to the sound source.

Trainer Mary Knight gave a talk at a morning tea hosted by Greenfields Lions Club in Mandurah on March 15.

Nearly all the hearing dogs come from the RSPCA Dog Pound or the Animal Welfare Shelter.

Gino has the same rights to all public places as guide dogs. Sharlene must carry an ID card and Gino must be on a leash. He can be identified by his bright orange collar and lead.