How To Train A Dog For Diabetic Alert

How To Train A Dog For Diabetic Alert

Introduction

If you have diabetes, your dog can become a very valuable tool in helping you to manage the disease. Did you know that your dog can be trained to smell the changes in your blood sugar levels? Dogs are smart and can be trained how to alert their owners if their blood sugar is falling too low or getting too high. This early notification can help prevent serious complications from occurring. I want to share some tips on training your dog for diabetic alert so you can get started today!

How can you help your dog to become a diabetic alert dog?

If you are thinking about getting a dog to help with a person with diabetes, there are some things to consider. First and foremost, you will need to decide whether or not your dog is suited for this job.

If they are not suitable your veterinarian can recommend different types of dogs that could be trained as diabetic alert dogs.

Your veterinarian will also have suggestions on how best to prepare them for training if they are suitable. They will also be able to advise what type of work would suit your dog best and how long it should take before the dog is ready for the next stage in their training (pre-training).

Find an organization.

If you’re thinking of getting a dog trained as a diabetic alert animal, you’ll want to start by finding an organization that specializes in such training. Look at the website of your local chapter. Does it have a mission statement? What kind of credentials does the organization have? Is its training method effective and safe? How much money does it raise for its cause annually?

When looking for an organization to train your dog, make sure it fits all your needs. Then, contact them for more information on how you can get started!

Find a puppy.

  • Find a puppy.

It’s best if your dog is still in training, so that you can get to know each other and the dog will be more likely to listen to you when he grows up. It’s also important that the pup has not yet fully developed its personality because it will change as they grow older, in both good and bad ways. You want a dog that is happy, friendly, social and intelligent; one who is healthy and not afraid of loud noises or strange people.

Train your pup.

Diabetic alert dogs are trained to recognize the smell of the chemical changes that occur in the blood of diabetics. This can be done through a variety of methods, but you should always start with a basic training session.

  • Train your dog to recognize your blood glucose levels by having them smell vials containing various concentrations of glucose, ranging from normal to high and low levels.
  • Have someone else test their own blood sugar while you hold your breath or pretend to do so, then have them breathe into a glass vial or jar with cotton balls.
  • Give these vials/jars to your dog and ask them if they can smell something different about it (the scent of your breath). If they respond positively, reward them with treats!

Train your pup well so it can help you more.

Training your dog to be a diabetic alert dog is a long process. It can take anywhere from six months to two years, but the end result is worth it: your pup will be able to help you in ways that no other human could. You can train your pup when it’s young or even when it’s older, but either way, training should be fun for both you and your dog.

Training should not be all about you though; remember that this isn’t just about training the dog so that they can help you but also training yourself so that you know how to work with them properly and understand what they are saying through their body language. If at any point during this process something happens where either one of them becomes stressed out then stop immediately and take some time away from each other until they’ve calmed down again before continuing the lesson plan again later on in the day/weekend etc., depending on how bad things got during those moments of stressfulness!

Conclusion

Dogs are incredible creatures, and there are some things that humans simply cannot do. So if you have a dog or are considering getting one, it is definitely worth looking into how they can help alert you to impending diabetic emergencies like hypoglycemia. And while the process of training them can be difficult at times, it is also incredibly rewarding when your pup finally learns what he needs to do in order to help save your life!

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