HEARING DOG HELPS WOMAN MAKE WAY IN QUIET WORLD.

Byline: R.A. Hutchinson Daily News Staff Writer

When Helen Spies wakes up in the morning, it's not to the blaring sound of an alarm but to the soft thud of Barbie, her hearing dog, landing on the bed.

"When the alarm goes off, that's when she jumps on the bed," Spies said. "Then she paws at me until she wakes me up or gets my attention."

Spies, who has more than a 50 percent hearing loss in each ear, said hearing aids help during the day. But at home in Sherman Oaks, she depends on Barbie to keep her aware of any sounds in the house.

"It's made all the difference in the world. She answers the telephone; she answers the door. When she hears something, she runs to the source and then comes to me and nudges me. I have to follow her," Spies said.

Barbie, a 3-year-old black-and-white spaniel mix, lay quietly under the speaker's table Thursday morning, listening as her mistress explained the role of a hearing dog to members of the Thousand Oaks chapter of Self Help for Hard of Hearing. A neon-orange dog jacket lets people know of Barbie's job.

"She's a certified service dog. She can go anywhere I go," Spies said.

That means Barbie has similar credentials as a dog for a blind person, allowing her into restaurants, on airplanes and anywhere else her master or mistress goes. Spies carries identification for Barbie and herself, as well as a copy of guidelines from the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Spies became interested in hearing dogs after attending a workshop at an SHHH seminar. Spies, who is the brother of SHHH founder Rocky Stone, is herself a co-founder of the SHHH chapter in the San Fernando Valley and an active member of the self-help group.

After obtaining the name of International Hearing Dog Inc., a nonprofit organization based in Colorado, Spies sent an application outlining her lifestyle, her job in an accounting office, and how a hearing dog would help her. Six months later, Barbie arrived.

"I fell in love with her," she said.

Spies and the dog then spent a week getting acquainted and learning to interact with each other. Spies cautioned potential new owners to ignore her bad example, saying she has spoiled Barbie by treating her as a pet.

"The manual says not to do that. It'd be better if she weren't so spoiled," Spies said.

Barbie also has shown initiative by adding the whistle of the tea kettle to her vocabulary.

"She decided that was something I should know about," Spies said.

Although being approved for a hearing dog from International Hearing Dog is free, the group does solicit donations to offset the $3,000 training cost.

The dogs are all pound animals that showed intelligence and the ability to be trained.

For more information about International Hearing Dog, one of several agencies nationwide, call [phone].

CAPTION(S):

PHOTO

Photo (Color) Marjie Alger, left, and her husband, Bob, meet Barbie, a specially trained hearing dog who assists Helen Spies. Michael Owen Baker/Daily News