Who came up with the ideal use dogs for deaf?

The idea of using dogs to assist deaf people has a long and fascinating history, and it's difficult to pinpoint a single person as the "inventor" of this practice.

Here's what we know:

* Ancient History: Historical records suggest that dogs were used by deaf people for tasks like alerting them to dangers and fetching items as far back as ancient Greece and Rome.

* 18th and 19th Centuries: Early accounts of deaf individuals using dogs for assistance became more prominent during this period. Notably, in 1819, a deaf man named John Harpur was said to have used a dog to guide him and alert him to dangers in London.

* 20th Century: The concept of hearing dogs as a formal assistance animal began to take shape in the early 20th century, with organizations like the Royal National Institute for the Deaf (RNID) in the UK starting to train dogs for this purpose.

* Modern Era: Today, many organizations and charities specialize in training and providing hearing dogs to deaf and hard-of-hearing individuals.

Therefore, instead of attributing the idea to a single person, it's more accurate to say that the use of dogs for deaf people has evolved gradually over centuries through the combined efforts of many individuals and organizations.