'My dog knew something was wrong and saved my life - now I have to say goodbye'

Daily Record

3 days ago

Jeannette Godsell will be forever grateful to the actions of 15-month-old cocker spaniel Watson that day
A volunteer dog trainer says her puppy saved her life during a heart attack - even though she has 'no idea how he knew' she was in danger. Jeannette Godsell, a volunteer with Hearing Dogs for Deaf People, was out with Watson, her 15-month-old cocker spaniel who is currently in training, when she began to feel "a bit funny' and 'tired."
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Back at her home in Marchwood, Southampton, where she lives with her partner Chris Blake, also 58, Jeannette attempted to lie down - but Watson would not let her. He blocked her path to the stairs and kept nudging her knee, before dashing to the front door.
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Sensing something was seriously wrong, Watson ran into the back garden and began barking loudly, catching the attention of Jeannette's neighbour, Sue. By chance, Sue was home due to a cancelled appointment and came over to check on her.
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Realising Jeannette was in distress, Sue called an ambulance and paramedics arrived quickly, confirming Jeannette was having a heart attack. She was rushed to hospital and underwent an emergency stent procedure.
Now recovering well with no lasting damage, Jeannette believes the outcome could have been very different if not for Watson's alert actions. She credits him with saving her life, even as she prepares to say goodbye when he is placed with a deaf person in the coming weeks.
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'I can't think about the hows and the whys, I don't know if all the planets aligned but it really hit me how this could have been a really different story,' Jeannette told PA Real Life.
'Had Watson not been here, had he not been barking, had Sue not been at home, I would have gone upstairs to have a lie down and my partner, Chris, wouldn't have been back for hours. Watson will always be in my heart and my heart is okay because of him.'
Jeannette became a volunteer dog trainer for Hearing Dogs for Deaf People, a UK charity which trains dogs to alert deaf people to a variety of sounds, such as the doorbell and the smoke alarm, after she saw an advert on Facebook.
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After applying, she was paired with trainee puppy Watson in July 2024. She explained how volunteer dog trainers act as 'dog socialisers', fostering them and bringing them up in their home environment.
They provide the dogs with early training, including toilet training, basic obedience and different levels of sound awareness. This prepares the dogs to alert their future owners to important sounds like doorbells, smoke alarms, and fire alarms.
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Once Watson finishes his training, he will be carefully matched with a deaf person to serve as their hearing dog. 'They come into your home and you love them like you would your own dog, you make sure they're happy, healthy and cared for,' Jeannette said.
She further explained the hearing dogs are trained to nudge their owner's knee if there is a problem before leading them to the source of the noise, such as the doorbell.
When the pair returned home, Jeannette remembered: "Watson was sat at my feet and he kept nudging my knee and going to the front door, trying to get me out I think, and he did this about half a dozen times,' she said.
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If there is a hazard, such as a fire, the dogs are trained to lie down instead. 'Watson hasn't done that bit of his training and I thought it wasn't like him.
'I thought 'I just need to have a lie down' so I stood up and I felt a bit wobbly. I went to go upstairs but Watson kept nudging and barking at me, and then he stood in front of the stairs.'
Recalling when the puppy alerted her neighbour, Jeannette said: 'Bizarrely, Sue would have normally been at work but her appointment got cancelled. She came in and Watson rushed up to her and was nudging her.'
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The paramedics conducted an electrocardiogram on Jeannette, where it was determined she was having a heart attack, and she was blue-lighted to University Hospital Southampton. There, she was given painkillers and she had a stent fitted into her heart through an incision in her arm.
Within an hour, Jeannette said she was in recovery having a cup of tea, where she was joined by her partner, Chris. 'I was told afterwards that there is a golden hour when you have a heart attack so the longer the damage is there, the more problems that can be caused,' Jeannette said.
'I'm eternally grateful to Sue. Watson alerted her but he didn't phone the ambulance, she knew I needed help. All of it came together, the ambulance was up the road, we arrived at the hospital in seven minutes, I can't get my head around it really.'
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Jeannette added she is still unsure how Watson knew there was something wrong with her, as it is not something he has been trained to do. 'We have a really good bond, he and I, he's like my little shadow. I have no idea how he knew - every time I think about it, it fries my head.'
Over the next few weeks, Watson will be matched with a deaf person to become their hearing dog – and Jeannette said she is 'gearing (herself) up' for his departure.
'Watson is a joyous dog, he'll forever be in our hearts but it will be a lot harder to say goodbye to him after this. He's a huge positive for the organisation, he gives such a great reassurance and confidence, and he's going to be amazing with whoever he is partnered with.'
Hearing Dogs for Deaf People are urgently looking for more volunteer puppy trainers across the UK. For more information, visit the website here.