Chelsea: The Story of a Signal Dog [Hardcover]

Paul Ogden (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 23, 1992

Paul Ogden, a deaf college professor, and his wife Anne, who is hard of hearing, discovered their "ears" in Chelsea, a beautiful, gentle Belgian sheepdog. Instead of herding sheep, like her ancestors, Chelsea works as a signal dog, helping the Ogdens live as normally as possible. She "tells" them if someone is at the door or on the phone, and wakes them when the alarm has gone off. She even reacts to the sound of strange voices and unusual noises. "A warm and witty book . . . Chelsea's tale is a delightful read. . . . That feeling of love and devotion -- the Ogdens for Chelsea and she for them -- comes through on every page of Paul Ogden's book." -- The Baltimore Sun

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

YA-- A detailed, entertaining, and educational look at the training of man and beast to form the working partnership that enables a qualified dog to provide the independence sought by the disabled. While the emphasis is on a single dog, Chelsea, and her work with her deaf master, other humans with different physical handicaps and their experiences are also related. Ogden makes it clear that these are working animals, always on duty. He relates both the problems that Chelsea helped him to overcome and some of her funnier bad habits. Although the chapters are long, Chelsea is a readable and enjoyable account.
- Claudia Moore, W.T. Woodson High School, Fairfax, VA-
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Kirkus Reviews

In this lively memoir, Ogden (Communicative Disorders/California State Univ. at Fresno; co-author, The Silent Garden, 1982) eloquently explains what it's like for a deaf person to function in a hearing world--and how Chelsea, a well-trained ``signal dog,'' adds dimension to his life. When Ogden and his wife, Anne, who is also deaf, lose their first dog, Lox, they lost not just a companion, but a connection to the hearing world. (They had taught Lox, among other things, to indicate when someone was at the door or on the telephone.) So they set about adopting a signal dog from Canine Companions for Independence, a group that matches dogs with deaf and handicapped individuals and puts both humans and canines through a very rigorous training program. The dogs have been previously taught to respond to over 80 signals, and when their new owners arrive, it is they who need the training. Ogden spends half of a two-week training period literally leashed to his new dog, a Belgian sheepdog named Chelsea, so they can bond together and learn to read each other's signals (no wonder human graduates refer to the training as boot camp). Throughout, Ogden conveys what it's like to be deaf--even the little things, such as how a hearing-impaired person worships in church or manages to lip-read someone with a mustache. ``Deafness,'' he contends, is ``not a handicap but a serious inconvenience.'' Candid and appealing--both as a treatise on deafness and signal dogs, and for its human-animal sentiments. (Twenty b&w photographs--not seen.) -- Copyright ©1991, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 184 pages
• Publisher: Little, Brown and Company; 1st edition (January 23, 1992)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0316633755
• ISBN-13: 978-0316633758
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.8 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #647,461 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Touching, warm, educational, January 23, 2004

By A Customer

This review is from: Chelsea: The Story of a Signal Dog (Hardcover)

If you love dogs and the help they give humans, you will love this book. It speaks of independence gained living with a trained canine, the dedication of the trainers of these dogs and humans, and has some humor. It speaks of the importance of recognizing these dogs as working dogs and not pets, and of allowing them the access they are legally entitled to. I couldn't put it down and wanted more.

2 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Wonderful Story, April 12, 2006

By 

furkidz (Iowa USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Chelsea: The Story of a Signal Dog (Hardcover)

This is a warm, wonderful story about a very special dog and the family who owns her. It depicts the temperament of a well-bred Belgian Sheepdog completely; Chelsea's devotion to her family and her job is 100%. A great read for dog lovers and those seeking a better understanding of the deaf community. As a bonus, the ending is a happy one!