Alright, it's Friday! Time for the next Leo update. This week we started working on sound alerts. 🚨 The goal is pretty simple: 👉 When there’s an important environmental sound, like a bell, alarm, something I should notice, Leo should come to me and poke my hand until I pay attention. So this is basically a two-step process. 1️⃣ Step one was teaching the actual behavior. Coming to me and pushing his nose into my hand repeatedly. For this, I used a small treat in my closed fist. At the beginning, he was just sniffing and trying to figure out how to get it. I only rewarded him when he actually touched or pushed my hand with his nose, multiple times in a row. So instead of one quick touch, he had to poke again… and again… and stay persistent. The idea was to build that behavior of: 👉 don’t give up, keep nudging until I respond After a few sessions, it clicked. 👍🐶 2️⃣ The second step is where it gets interesting. Now he needs to do that… because of a sound. 🚨 And this is not going that great so far. 😄 I’m using a remote bell that I placed near the door, so I can trigger it from anywhere. The idea is that when the bell rings, he comes to me and does the alert behavior. But here’s the problem: He’s smart enough to know when the sound actually means something. If someone is at the door, he already reacts on his own, barking, running to the door, showing me something is happening. That part is natural for him. But when I ring the bell remotely… He hears it, but he also knows there’s no one there. So from his point of view, it’s basically: “Okay… I hear it… but why should I care?” 🐶 Another funny part is that he’s already learned the first step too well. If he sees my hand move even a little bit, he assumes I have a treat and immediately comes to poke my hand. So now he’s reacting to my hand, not to the sound. What I’ve started doing now is hiding from him. 🏃‍➡️ I’ll go somewhere in the house where he can’t see me, ring the bell, and let him figure out that he needs to find me and do the alert.

For me, it wasn’t just the noise. It was communication. Back when I was working as a software product manager, my entire day was meetings, conversations, decisions. And suddenly… - I was missing details - Struggling to follow conversations - Losing track when multiple people were talking It honestly felt like I couldn’t do my job the way I used to... That was probably the hardest part for me. But at the same time… That struggle is also what pushed me to: - Understand what was actually happening - Change how I responded to it - And eventually start helping others And somehow, that led to this community. 💙 I wouldn’t call tinnitus a gift. Not by any stretch. But I’ve seen this over and over: 👉 The way we respond to it can either keep us stuck… 👉 or slowly push us to adapt, grow, and regain control I'm curious about you: 👉 What has been the hardest part of tinnitus (or TTTS, hyperacusis, etc.) in your life? I'd really love to hear your experience. 🙏

When I first developed tinnitus, I went to see an ENT. I was basically told: “Just live with it. There’s nothing you can do.” That was it... 😯 No guidance, no plan, no real support. Of course, it made me feel worse. Some years later, I went back, this time because of TTTS. (middle-ear muscle spasms that can be extremely distressing) Different doctor, same feeling. Again: “There’s nothing you can do.” And then this: “We could cut the (middle-ear) muscle… but we don’t know if it will help. It might make things worse.” Both experiences left me feeling: More anxious More confused And completely on my own Each time, it pushed me into a deep search for answers. Eventually, I figured things out… but not thanks to these visits. 🤷‍♂️ Now I’m really curious about you 👇 What was your experience the first time you saw a doctor for tinnitus, hyperacusis, TTTS, or something similar? What did they tell you? How did it make you feel? Did it help… or make things worse? Let’s share openly, please. I think this will help a lot of people here. 🙏💙

Your tinnitus is at 5/10. You enter a noisy room with music playing. After 5 minutes, your tinnitus feels like: A. 2/10 B. 5/10 C. 7/10 💭 Think carefully: why does your perception change? (Hint: Your brain prioritizes sound input over internal noise.)

Which one feels the most true for you at this moment? You can share a bit more in the comments, just keep it general, please. It helps me understand where you’re at and I’ll try to point you in the right direction. Or, message me directly with all the details you'd like to include. 👍