First, how do you train it?
Of course, training any performance dog, be it an obedience dog or a narcotics detection dog, is an on going process.
Every situation is going to present a new challenge.
Spoke with a director of student disabilities at a local university today and mentioned that the dog was self trained and an ongoing project.
Last night presented some real challenges that have really made me rethink things today. Do I want to fight the battles…
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My A1C is the best it’s been in a while – 7.7
Last A1C was 9.4 and 8.9 before that, so I’m doing much better.
Some basic work I’ve done with Dulce:
First steps today
Trained K9 Police dogs and handlers for around a decade for various departments in the North Texas area. Established certification standards for said dogs and handlers and was a certifying official. While the founder of the group was of questionable integrity, the other members of the group were and have high standards of integrity.
Was trainer and handler for the number one obedience beagle in the country according to various ratings from approximately 1988-1996 (depending on the ratings organization). Number 1 according to the National Beagle Club in 1990.
Quoted in Karen Pryor’s “The New Art of Teaching and Training”, Don’t Shoot the Dog, Second Edition.
Taught obedience classes for the Dallas Obedience Club and the Dallas Community College District.
Diagnosed with diabetes in 2002 and have been on an insulin pump since 2004.
Have done some digging around on this site, and they look legimate:
http://www.diabeticalertdog.com/
Also:
http://www.diabetesmine.com/2012/07/talking-hypo-alert-caninesin-the-dogs-days-of-summer.html which references
By the way, run the other way if the outfit wants much more than $2000. Run really far if the amount is more than $5000. The ideal model is that the majority of expenses are paid for by donations, and the minority of expenses are paid by the recipient. Usually enough is required show that the recipient is seriously interested.
I don’t do it enough, and every time I do, something happens. Especially when I fly.
This time it started out with @TSA dumping all my items on the floor. Unfortunately nothing seems broken but I haven’t opened up the two spare insulin bottle boxes.
Once they broke three vials of insulin. Well, I dropped them and broke them because I was following their liquid rules. I don’t do that any more with insulin.
Also, when I got to the hotel, they gave me a wheelchair room. Which was very odd, as I had specifically asked for a corner king. I had paid for the extra space as I figured correctly that the room would be quieter.
It was fixed very quickly but with a few minutes of extra concern and inconvenience.
But I’m here in California, missing my dogs and my truck and my husband. Yeah, in that order, though maybe the truck more than the dogs. Have already run into two already friends, and one new one.
Scott Hanselman inadvertently advised me that @TSA are just people who didn’t get to be real cops, and since I used to train real cops, I really DO get them.
I have decided that I am going to train Dulce to be a diabetes alert dog.
I am a former drug dog handler and trainer. I had completely dismissed the idea for years because the people who were doing it were completely had no scruples. In fact, the Texas Attorney General was after too – and the man is in a wheel chair, so for god sakes, he has to be looking out for the medically disadvantaged, right?
In fact, I had stopped watching DLife, because they were giving one of those groups free advertising.
Anyway, it seems that we actually do excrete something that dogs actually can detect when we go low and when we go high. Or last least those of us who don’t produce insulin and I think I live in that boat.
There are a lot of logistics that need to be worked out. Where does she ride in the car, as I am absolutely against having any dog loose in the car, and how does she alert when we are in the car.
I’m in a plane right now, and where does she ride in the plane, there is no freaking room for her here. Not that I fly often.
The rest of its easy. I just have to go high a few times (not hard – and capture that – and go low a few time (harder, scares me to freaking death, who wants to help with that party?), and train her.
Peace of cake.
Besides, the child desperately needs a job.
I hate @TSA This time, they dumped all my belongings on the floor. A friend recently reminded me that if they were real cops, they would be listed in the Texas Penal code.
Fortunately nothing seems to be broken, but I haven’t checked the insulin. All three bottles are in their factory bottles.
I did positively reinforce the young man who recognized my insulin pump.
Not a word about battery or CPAP.
However, a US Airways representative stuck his mouth where it didn’t belong.
Tweeting about that.
Spent the full night in the new mask. Was a bit uncomfortable at first, but stuck it out. Should be fine now.
Now trying to find the best solution for my emergency battery. Hoping to find my repair person!
I had been doing physical therapy all spring so had cut down on my regular workouts. Just doing cardio on the days I wasn’t doing PT and occasionally arm workouts.
I am back to about 30 minutes on the recumbent bike, weights and working up to 30 minutes of walking in the pool which i have to be careful with, since i tend to go low there.
Especially since the gym is without vending machines. <snarl>
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