Golden Ears is dedicated to training hearing dogs for the deaf and hard of hearing and works to educate the public about the purpose of the hearing dog. A hearing dog is specially trained to alert a person to sounds important for daily and home life. The dogs are trained in obedience, social etiquette and are taught to alert their partner to vital everyday sounds. The smoke alarm, oven timer, alarm clock, doorbell, door knock and telephone ring are some of the more common sounds selected for the dog's training. The dogs work alongside qualified deaf/hard of hearing individuals. Golden Ears operates an owner-train a team with the dog in order to face the challenges and joys of this unique relationship. Their human partners learn to work together with the dog as a team. The owner training program is unique and funding is needed for the program continue.