Discussion of various types of diabetic alert dog training is welcome on this forum. However, some topics seem to touch off disagreements. Please follow these simple rules of debate when posting: <ul> <li>If someone posts something you disagree with, address the issue, not the individual.</li> <li>Answer the original question, not necessarily the reply you disagreed with.</li> <li>Unless a suggestion is potentially dangerous, concentrate on your own positive solution rather than trying to refute someone.</li> <li>If you must directly refute someone, concentrate first on your commonalities and then present your dissenting arguments.</li> <li>If you and someone else cannot firmly disagree, then agree to disagree and let it go. Arguing tiny points until someone "gives" doesn't make either of you right.</li> <li>Do not post anything negative about specific individuals, especially other trainers.</li> <li>Finally, make a point one time. Don't repeat the same point again and again in different posts. Those who were receptive got it the first time. Those who aren't won't get it no matter how many times you repeat it.</li> http://www.diabeticalertdog.com/forum/index.php Sat, 19 May 2012 01:04:22 -0500 Phorum 5.2.16 http://www.diabeticalertdog.com/forum/read.php?8,8334,8334#msg-8334 http://www.diabeticalertdog.com/forum/read.php?8,8334,8334#msg-8334 nobodybutjustme HEALTHY DOG Thu, 17 May 2012 01:30:47 -0500 http://www.diabeticalertdog.com/forum/read.php?23,8332,8332#msg-8332 http://www.diabeticalertdog.com/forum/read.php?23,8332,8332#msg-8332 Oh, and bruise isn't fading at all yet. Probably will when I switch out pods.]]> equineacres DIABETIC CHAT Thu, 17 May 2012 21:27:34 -0500 http://www.diabeticalertdog.com/forum/read.php?22,8323,8323#msg-8323 http://www.diabeticalertdog.com/forum/read.php?22,8323,8323#msg-8323 Kyra has alerted a few times on her own for lows, but is not very consistent at home. She is very consistent in her scent training class. Now she is being trained in different public settings, like grocery stores, book stores etc and her scent training teacher is going to start working with Brandon and Kyra at home too. I am excited about all her training.
Kyra earned her first vest for Public training about 6 weeks ago. She has been going to high school with Brandon and the school has been very supportive. Kyra has done very well for the most part. There are times she gets anxious and starts talking during class. The other kids really like her too and they are very respectful. We found out Kyra is afraid of people wearing hats if she does not know them. If she knows them she is okay with them. She was also afraid of a girl at Brandon's school who is Muslim and keeps herself mostly covered. Brandon did very well with introducing the girl and Kyra so now Kyra no longer fears her. Kyra does very well at the grocery store and restaurants too. Her first restaurant was Arby's and she went up to the counter with her paws like she was going to order too. I was embarrassed then, but laugh at it now.
The last time Kyra was at the grocery store, some other person had her dog in there, no vest and no apparent training. Not sure what her purpose of having her dog with her was. It was interesting to see the difference between how that dog behaved and how Kyra behaved. I was apparent Kyra has a lot more training around other dogs and a lot more obedience commands to help deal with different encounters. Brandon went right into action of taking care of Kyra, distracting her, getting her in a stay position and rewarding her for paying attention to him and not the other dog. The other dog was a struggle for the other person and she kept telling her dog NO and took a longer time getting her dog under control. Even when we met again down other aisles, Kyra paid more attention to Brandon while the other dog was more interested in Kyra. Kyra did want to meet the other dog too, but was not nearly as anxious. It was interesting to see the difference.
Weill, I hope others are doing well with their dogs too. I have some reading to do on the other threads. I should be checking in more often now that things are slowing down again.]]> angel-dancer UPDATES FROM TEAMS Tue, 15 May 2012 08:43:22 -0500 http://www.diabeticalertdog.com/forum/read.php?14,8321,8321#msg-8321 http://www.diabeticalertdog.com/forum/read.php?14,8321,8321#msg-8321
[www.sue-eh.ca]

"Zen", as we use the word in dog training, is so important as to be virtually the foundation of civilization. It means "self-control". An untrained dog is a dog with no self-control. She wants food; she eats food, whether that food is on the floor, on the counter, or in a toddler's hand. She wants to greet someone, she greets them, whether she has to pull her handler over to them with a tight leash or not, whether that person wants to be greeted or not, whether that person is on the other side of a busy street or not. An untrained handler tries to control the dog - to keep her off the counter and away from the toddler, to hold her back with the leash, to hold her down off people, and to physically keep her out of the street.

A trained dog understands that the way to get what she wants is to control herself, and a trained handler knows that true control of an animal must come from the animal herself, not from the handler.

The trained dog sees a person with food, and sits, because polite dogs get treats. She greets people with all four feet on the floor because standing dogs never get petted. She makes sure the leash stays loose because tight leashes NEVER go in the direction a dog wants them to go. She comes when she's called because what the handler has for her is always better than what she could find by herself.

]]> scott.smith TRAINING Tue, 15 May 2012 08:41:19 -0500 http://www.diabeticalertdog.com/forum/read.php?26,8311,8311#msg-8311 http://www.diabeticalertdog.com/forum/read.php?26,8311,8311#msg-8311 Just FYI. Knowledge is power. I find that with the horses, the more info I glean from other sources, the better I can tailor the training to the specific horse. I am sure that applies to dogs as well. Take what you want, ignore the rest.]]> equineacres BOOK CLUB Mon, 14 May 2012 16:48:41 -0500 http://www.diabeticalertdog.com/forum/read.php?3,8309,8309#msg-8309 http://www.diabeticalertdog.com/forum/read.php?3,8309,8309#msg-8309 He has been going to other staff at school in the same room (usually in the library) if he alerts and I don't test right away (like if I want to finish a conversation). But this is the first time actively went looking for someone to wake me.
YAY! Good Boy Lucas!!!]]> equineacres GREAT ALERTS Tue, 15 May 2012 14:23:36 -0500 http://www.diabeticalertdog.com/forum/read.php?24,8305,8305#msg-8305 http://www.diabeticalertdog.com/forum/read.php?24,8305,8305#msg-8305 Chilbrook ASK A TRAINER Wed, 16 May 2012 06:40:36 -0500 http://www.diabeticalertdog.com/forum/read.php?16,8295,8295#msg-8295 http://www.diabeticalertdog.com/forum/read.php?16,8295,8295#msg-8295
Anyway, cool that there is another one here in town!]]> Melissa S. CHATTING Sun, 13 May 2012 21:17:17 -0500 http://www.diabeticalertdog.com/forum/read.php?23,8290,8290#msg-8290 http://www.diabeticalertdog.com/forum/read.php?23,8290,8290#msg-8290
I switched to a new pod by 10:00 that morning, and used a new bottle of insulin to fill it. No change whatsoever. Over the course of the day it took 30 units of correction boluses to finally bring it down again. The total insulin that I use in a 24 hour period is less than that on a regular day, so 30 units just to correct (oh, and I did a 10% basal increase as well) -- unbelievable. By that night it had come down, and stayed there. I have NO idea what on earth caused this. It wasn't pod error, otherwise things would not have returned to normal and stayed there.

There was absolutely no change in diet, exercise, activity, etc. the day before. And then the trouble started around 7:00am, again with no difference in schedule. I am baffled as to what happened. My old doctor understood things like this, that sometimes you just can't explain it and all you can do is work on dealing with it, since he is a diabetic also. I hope the new endo I see in a couple of weeks understands. I am frustrated with doctors that think it is possible to have totally stable blood sugar, and fault the patient when that isn't what happens. At least I've got all the dexcom data, the meter results (which the dexcom was very close to all day), and a record of all of the insulin I used. No one in their right mind could think I don't take this seriously. If the doctor wants to find fault though, or assumes I could have totally stable glucose if I just tried harder-- well, I will keep looking for a doctor. Or start driving back to Las Cruces to see my old one.]]> Melissa S. DIABETIC CHAT Sun, 13 May 2012 21:33:41 -0500 http://www.diabeticalertdog.com/forum/read.php?7,8280,8280#msg-8280 http://www.diabeticalertdog.com/forum/read.php?7,8280,8280#msg-8280 scott.smith PUBLIC ACCESS Sat, 12 May 2012 22:39:17 -0500 http://www.diabeticalertdog.com/forum/read.php?8,8276,8276#msg-8276 http://www.diabeticalertdog.com/forum/read.php?8,8276,8276#msg-8276
[www.dogfoodadvisor.com]]]> L's Mom HEALTHY DOG Thu, 10 May 2012 11:30:08 -0500 http://www.diabeticalertdog.com/forum/read.php?24,8271,8271#msg-8271 http://www.diabeticalertdog.com/forum/read.php?24,8271,8271#msg-8271
I would like to get a Corgi - they are sporting/herding bread and very intelligent.

Has anyone heard of or had any luck with this bread as a DAD?

Thanks
Savannah]]> savannahmoon1227 ASK A TRAINER Mon, 14 May 2012 21:59:05 -0500 http://www.diabeticalertdog.com/forum/read.php?22,8264,8264#msg-8264 http://www.diabeticalertdog.com/forum/read.php?22,8264,8264#msg-8264 equineacres UPDATES FROM TEAMS Sat, 05 May 2012 12:06:20 -0500 http://www.diabeticalertdog.com/forum/read.php?7,8259,8259#msg-8259 http://www.diabeticalertdog.com/forum/read.php?7,8259,8259#msg-8259
Legit service dogs being refused access because they were not part of an Assistance Dog International program. Which means owner trained dogs are NOT welcome.

This WILL affect you one day if we dont make a stink about it.

[www.change.org]


Mary McNeight, CPDT-KA, CCS, BGS
Director of Training and Behavior

Service Dog Academy - www.servicedogacademy.com
Diabetic Alert Dog University - www.diabeticalertdoguniversity.com]]> ServiceDogAcademy PUBLIC ACCESS Tue, 01 May 2012 21:05:35 -0500 http://www.diabeticalertdog.com/forum/read.php?20,8258,8258#msg-8258 http://www.diabeticalertdog.com/forum/read.php?20,8258,8258#msg-8258
I have lots of questions about my relationship with my parnter's DAD. I love dogs, and I'm really looking forward to this addition to our family. I want to take the right approach as we and our DAD get to know each other. Should I stay out of the picture as much as I can, limiting my contact with the dog while she/he and my wife develop their relationship? How important is it that the DAD think of herself as attached to my wife? Once that attachment is developed, will the DAD become anxious if I take her for a long walk, leaving my wife at home?

Any comments about these matters from the experienced people on this terrific forum would be wonderful.]]> Lindgren CONSIDERING A DAD Fri, 11 May 2012 18:08:45 -0500 http://www.diabeticalertdog.com/forum/read.php?20,8256,8256#msg-8256 http://www.diabeticalertdog.com/forum/read.php?20,8256,8256#msg-8256 I would really like to get a dog but I'm kind of lost on where to start. I am extremely interested in training my own dog because I'm still in college and don't really have the funds to buy a dog that's worth a car lol. I would spend $1000 but not anything more then that. Plus I would love to be able to train my dogs for the rest of my life!! I am willing to put in a lot of time and effort in towards the dog but I really need a path to follow as I am clueless right now. Any help would be greatly appreciated, thanks. I live in Orlando Florida if that's worth anything.]]> T1Florida CONSIDERING A DAD Wed, 09 May 2012 13:42:40 -0500 http://www.diabeticalertdog.com/forum/read.php?24,8254,8254#msg-8254 http://www.diabeticalertdog.com/forum/read.php?24,8254,8254#msg-8254
What the best way to introduce stairs ?

We have stairs going to the yard and Jessy does those fine ..
But while we were visiting a friend for the weekend a wonderful 2 story Victorian home with the bed rooms upstairs.
Jessy just would not go up the or down them I ended up carrying my 36 lbs Standard Poodle up and down these stairs.
He just seem to be afraid of them .. I went up and called and as bad as he wanted to be with me he just wouldn't come up ..
and again i tried calling him down them but no luck.. Treats didn't work .. healing him around the house then just going up like it was no big deal still he plopped his but down and would not attempt it .

They were closed stairs on side and spindles on the other side.. painted white with black stair steps covers and a bit narrow.. Where the ones we have outside are wood and open with and open hand rail..

Thanks for your help in advance
Gayla and Jessie]]> gaylabell ASK A TRAINER Mon, 30 Apr 2012 19:06:59 -0500 http://www.diabeticalertdog.com/forum/read.php?24,8248,8248#msg-8248 http://www.diabeticalertdog.com/forum/read.php?24,8248,8248#msg-8248
I've just joined this forum, and am the mother of a fifteen-year-old daughter with Type 1 diabetes (diagnosed at 9). My daughter has been battling severe depression off and on for a long time. I recently brought home my father's English Mastiff when he passed away. My daughter and Felice the Mastiff have developed a deeply meaningful relationship that has swung my daughter's depression into a remission state. She's thinking positively about her future, and it shows in her diabetic care.

In spite of this, she's still forgetting to test and cover for her lunch while she's at school. This specific issue is what led me to wonder whether it will be worthwhile to formalize her relationship with the dog. As it is, the dog is already providing theraputic relief to my daughter, just in her innate personality and my daughter's positive feelings stemming from her responsibility for her care. Felice is a relatively trainable dog with basic obedience training and good manners, but is already 8 years old.

Is it possible to use and certify her as a service dog who "wears two hats"? Can some of her skills be diabetes related, and others relate to my daughter's depression?]]> Kelseysmom ASK A TRAINER Sun, 29 Apr 2012 17:37:55 -0500 http://www.diabeticalertdog.com/forum/read.php?19,8245,8245#msg-8245 http://www.diabeticalertdog.com/forum/read.php?19,8245,8245#msg-8245
He has officially hit the mark of having now helped over 525 dogs in the puget sound area utilize positive reinforcement training to become better dog citizens. And now with Service Dog Academy's youtube videos with free training advice for service dogs and diabetic alert dogs, he has helped an audience of literally thousands of disabled students across the globe.

More info can be found at [www.northkitsappaws.org]

Mary McNeight, CPDT-KA, CCS, BGS
Director of Training and Behavior

Service Dog Academy - www.servicedogacademy.com
Diabetic Alert Dog University - www.diabeticalertdoguniversity.com

We train Diabetic Alert Dogs. See our recent interview on New Day Northwest!
For free dog training advice, follow us on Facebook!]]> ServiceDogAcademy IN THE NEWS Sat, 28 Apr 2012 23:35:17 -0500 http://www.diabeticalertdog.com/forum/read.php?7,8238,8238#msg-8238 http://www.diabeticalertdog.com/forum/read.php?7,8238,8238#msg-8238 dreysalertdogs PUBLIC ACCESS Sun, 29 Apr 2012 19:43:22 -0500 http://www.diabeticalertdog.com/forum/read.php?24,8235,8235#msg-8235 http://www.diabeticalertdog.com/forum/read.php?24,8235,8235#msg-8235 A friend of mine need a driver.. Great a new place to take Jessy. He did well in the waiting area
laying down haft under the chair and at my feet.. leaving every one else waiting alone.
We talked back with my friend the hall way carpet but then it changed to a shinny floor.
Jessy just sat and refused to go on to the floor as it was. So I stopped gave him some reassurance
then he walked on to the floor but with caution. After a few steps we stopped again lots a praise.. and turned around and went back to the waiting area
where he laid ed down like a champ and waited with me.

Any clue to why he would react to the change in the floor ? We've been on shinny floors at other stores. Would there have been a better way
to handle this training opportunity ?

My other question for help is .. long stay away from me. Since Jessie is with me 24/7 We are having problems with stay and me to leave his site.
He will stay at the end of his leash until i return to him or he is called to me. and will stay with out leash as long as he can see me. but when i leave his site he brakes with in sec to find me. We just started introducing this so maybe I am being impatience.

I am also a bit concerned with his attachment to me not that i normally feel that is a bad thing but it does make it difficult when we are separated I am told he has whining fits while i am gone.

Thanks for the help and input
Gayla
and Jessie]]> gaylabell ASK A TRAINER Thu, 26 Apr 2012 10:26:51 -0500 http://www.diabeticalertdog.com/forum/read.php?5,8228,8228#msg-8228 http://www.diabeticalertdog.com/forum/read.php?5,8228,8228#msg-8228 Gabenzeke OBEDIENCE ISSUES Thu, 26 Apr 2012 22:03:29 -0500 http://www.diabeticalertdog.com/forum/read.php?10,8224,8224#msg-8224 http://www.diabeticalertdog.com/forum/read.php?10,8224,8224#msg-8224 equineacres UPCOMING EVENTS Sat, 21 Apr 2012 22:18:12 -0500 http://www.diabeticalertdog.com/forum/read.php?24,8223,8223#msg-8223 http://www.diabeticalertdog.com/forum/read.php?24,8223,8223#msg-8223 goochgirl ASK A TRAINER Sun, 22 Apr 2012 19:03:01 -0500 http://www.diabeticalertdog.com/forum/read.php?24,8219,8219#msg-8219 http://www.diabeticalertdog.com/forum/read.php?24,8219,8219#msg-8219
I have seen some DAD's alert by bringing a toy/stick to the parent. Is that better for a young child (5 year old) who might not notice or respond to a nudge or paw? If so, how do you begin training for the toy?

She is 8 weeks old. At what age is it safe for me to begin walking with her to the school and taking her out in public?

As she will grow so quickly, I was just going to make her a simple vest with patches to get used to the "outfit" and make her look more "official" so that it can be changed easily as she grows. Any recommendations?

I was going to have her begin sleeping with my son immediately, so she knows he is her person. I'm a bit worried... new house, new light carpets... thoughts on this? Should I crate her by his bed? Or have her in it?

The school principal is a dog person and really on board with this as long as he is capable of managing her at school. The school nurse, I can tell, does NOT like the idea of a DAD one bit. Anyone successfully won over a nurse?

Thank you very much for any tips, advice, support you can give to us. I know I have to train her correctly, even though I've never trained a dog to do anything more than be housebroken. This will be a real adventure. Especially since I can't train my kids to clean their rooms. Gooch]]> goochgirl ASK A TRAINER Fri, 20 Apr 2012 09:01:20 -0500 http://www.diabeticalertdog.com/forum/read.php?25,8218,8218#msg-8218 http://www.diabeticalertdog.com/forum/read.php?25,8218,8218#msg-8218 goochgirl NEW TO THE FORUM Thu, 19 Apr 2012 08:52:43 -0500 http://www.diabeticalertdog.com/forum/read.php?25,8203,8203#msg-8203 http://www.diabeticalertdog.com/forum/read.php?25,8203,8203#msg-8203
2 weeks ago, I decided to get a dog and begin training him/her for my diabetes, but also for my migraines. At some point, I'll need one for mobility too, as I have a degenerative joint disorder that's now affecting my spine. I know! I'm a lemon! By sheer luck and because I hit enter too soon, I found an ad for a free black lab on Craigslist. I thought, "Why not. Go check his energy level and temperament." I did and he's just wonderful. I named him Bellamy. "Belle Ami" means "beautiful friend" and he is indeed a beautiful friend. After being with me just 3 days, he alerted my husband to a low bgl while I was napping. He hadn't had any training, but he knew something was wrong. He's just 4 months old, so I'm thrilled he's so sensitive and attentive. He's going through puppy manners classes locally, but I'm doing the alert and mobility training myself.

Now, if I could just get our apartment complex to stop being difficult. I know they can request proof that I need the dog, but they're just being... belligerent. I was honest and told them about the long wait list for a dog, so I decided to train him myself. Now, they're demanding proof of training by a certified trainer. Can they do that? *sigh* I'm having an attorney check it out. I'm fine with giving them some proof of need, but wow. The pushback I'm receiving is at a crazy level already. Pets are allowed here, so I don't know what their issue is. Anyway, hello everyone!]]> MollyP NEW TO THE FORUM Sun, 15 Apr 2012 09:40:03 -0500 http://www.diabeticalertdog.com/forum/read.php?6,8196,8196#msg-8196 http://www.diabeticalertdog.com/forum/read.php?6,8196,8196#msg-8196 dreysalertdogs SCENT TRAINING Fri, 13 Apr 2012 09:32:34 -0500 http://www.diabeticalertdog.com/forum/read.php?23,8190,8190#msg-8190 http://www.diabeticalertdog.com/forum/read.php?23,8190,8190#msg-8190
So it arrived yesterday. Went through the manual, the dvd tutorial, charged the receiver, then inserted the sensor and transmitter, did the calibration.

During the night it was 100 points higher than the machine registered. I entered another finger stick reading, which improved it some. This morning, Indy alerted at 10:00 to a 112, 10:08 to 96, 10:33 to 98, 10:38 to 96, 10:46 to 95. I treated conservatively during that time, but in order to bring my blood sugar to 110, I eventually drank more than 3/4 of a can of Coke. From 10:00 to 10:46, the dexcom said my blood sugar ranged from the 140's to the high 130's. Later on, the dexcom alerted-- said I was 190. Several minutes later, Indy alerted to a 140. I entered another finger stick reading in to the dexcom, just trying to help this thing get itself straightened out if it is capable of that. And now, it is giving no readings at all. Only ??? for the last 30 minutes. The dog, however, is still on the job.

DAD-- priceless.
Dexcom-- worthless!

I will continue to give this thing a try for a while, because I'm documenting everything to show to my doctor. I don't see this improving though. I've heard that it works better than this for some people, if so, maybe I am just part of the % who doesn't benefit from it.]]> Melissa S. DIABETIC CHAT Sat, 14 Apr 2012 21:11:40 -0500 http://www.diabeticalertdog.com/forum/read.php?3,8184,8184#msg-8184 http://www.diabeticalertdog.com/forum/read.php?3,8184,8184#msg-8184
We just got home after several days of one on one training and we are still in awe over how well our Annie is doing with her obedience and her alert training at such a young age.

A Big Heartfelt thanks and kudos goes to Scott Smith!!]]> zakksmom GREAT ALERTS Mon, 14 May 2012 20:12:42 -0500