How to Make My Dog a Service Alert Dog

There are a variety of ways specially trained dogs can help their owners with daily life tasks; guide dogs for the blind are just one example. Scientists have discovered that some dogs can be trained to detect a significant drop in their diabetic owner's blood sugar or an impending seizure and immediately alert their owner or the family. These dogs are called service alert dogs. If your dog is showing signs that she can detect changes in your blood glucose level or that you are about to have a seizure, you may be able to train her to be your own service alert dog.

Things You'll Need

  • Obedience Classes
  • Treats
  • Service Animal Trainer
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Instructions

    • 1

      Assess his compatibility for the task. For all service dogs, the younger the dog, the better chance he has of becoming a service dog. Younger dogs tend to have less bad habits, phobias, and other problems. The best service alert dogs are working or herding dogs -- border collies, labrador or golden retrievers, Australian shepherds. These breeds have a strong work ethic and are less likely to be distracted when they're "on the job."

    • 2

      Provide basic training. Because she will be in public spaces like stores and restaurants far more often than a family pet, it is vital your future service alert dog obey your commands no matter where she is or what distractions may be around her. Enroll your dog in increasingly advanced obedience classes and work with her in as big a variety of settings as possible. A positive, reward-based training method is best for this task, one that employs treats and praise in exchange for the required behavior.

    • 3

      Arrange for service alert training. Your obedience teacher should be able to put you in touch with the nearest service alert trainer. That trainer will need to assess your dog and make sure he is willing and able to do what you need him to do -- alert you of an impending seizure (or provide aftercare if you have a seizure) or indicate a radical change in blood glucose level. Specialized training will be needed even if your pet dog is a good candidate for the job.

    • 4

      Make a lifelong commitment. All service dogs require more care than family pets. Once the initial service alert training period is over and your dog is certified, you will still need to practice the basics of that training every single day for the rest of the dog's working career. You will also need to find a veterinarian who is aware of specific health problems a service dog can have (including foot or joint issues).