An ALMOST Alert

Y'all, tonight was our first partial alert.  I let him sniff the baggie with the low scent inside and he partially lifted his leg as if to alert, but then put it back down before finishing the alert.  But, this is PROGRESS!!  It makes me want to train him 50 more times tonight just to see if he'll complete an alert.
But, sadly, I don't want to OVERDO him.  I'll stick with my 5-10 times a day regimen.  It seems to be working nicely.

I have made a few more low samples.  We have a total of 6 now with a wide range of lows.  From as high as 63 to as low as 43.  I try never to use the same low twice in a row because I don't want him to think there is any set one of them that he should alert to most.

I'm so proud of him, and I can't wait until we get our first REAL alert.  You better believe it will be posted here!!

Forcing a Low to make samples!!

I have tried to wait for a "natural" low to occur so that I could create some Low Samples, but my sugar would not go low when I had the opportunity to make the Samples.  So, rather than continue waiting and wasting time, I forced a low today and was able to create 2 Low Samples.

Now, let me tell you something about this...it is GROSS.  I thought I had myself prepared but as soon as I stuck the piece of gauze (about an inch squared) in my mouth it dried everything up and I gagged.  The second one was a "little" easier, but even though I had planned to make more than 2 samples, 2 were all I was able to do.

I think it would be better to train with several different degrees of low samples anyway.  I was at 43 when I made these, and I don't want him to think that the ONLY time he should alert is if I'm at 43.  So...periodically, I'll make some at different levels.

What I did, that I suggest anyone using my Blog as a guide to training their own DAD, was using a Sharpie, I wrote my Sugar Level at the time on the ZipLock Baggie.  That way I will be able to alternate between levels once I have more.

Sadly I fear I may have to force more lows.  I tend to only go low at work, and I do not think they will allow me to make samples on the job, especially in my line of work.  But, I am not afraid of lows when I know they are coming.  It's the ones I don't know about and many times don't know are happening that scare me.  Hopefully Aiden will be able to help with that soon.

And, now that I have the samples, tonight starts Aiden's training OFFICIALLY!!

Rethinking "Normal Glucose Training"

I've been thinking over the past few days that "training" on Normal sugars is not really needed or training ANYTHING, because while I am showing him how I smell when my sugars are normal, he is STILL around me when my sugar is low and high as well.
With this, I feel I have wasted time trying to train him on how I smell when my sugars are normal.  Therefore, I will be moving on to Low Sugar Training.  I have been doing some extra research into this and most trainers use the same method, so that is what I will go with.  Here is a run down:

Gathering Supplies:

• I will get some gauze and zip lock bags
• I will put a piece of gauze in my mouth when my sugar is low and get it all (gross) slobbery
• I will put the gauze into zip lock bags and freeze
• I will do multiple bags at once
• I will have one bag out for training that day (stored in the fridge while not used)

 Training:

• Several times a day EVERY DAY, I will open the baggie from the fridge and hide it somewhere on me
• I will go to Aiden, have someone bring him to me, or let him come to me (I do not want the approach method to be the same each time because I don't want him to think I have to come to him before he alerts)
• I will then prompt him to use his Alert Signal.  It can be any Signal of your choice.  For Aiden, I will be placing one of his paws on me.
• After placing his paw on me, I will praise him and then go and at least make it LOOK like I am treating a low.  Being that at this point in time my sugar will likely NOT be low, I do not want to cause a high.
• I will then praise Aiden again after I have treated.  I want him to know that his task is not done until he has seen me treat.

After he has become proficient at Alerting, I will then move on to him not getting an immediate response from me.  I will completely ignore his Alert and then after 10-15 seconds I will have him Alert again.  However I will go into this in more detail after he has gotten the hang of his initial alerts.  It will be a separate post.

Thank you all for your time!!

Teaching Aiden my Normal Scent

I believe I have determined the best way to teach Aiden my scent at different levels.  I will start out teaching my normal blood sugar range.

Here are my plans which I will carry out for roughly 4-6 weeks depending on how Aiden does:

1. I will test my blood sugar multiple times a day, more than I already do now, and when ever I am at a normal range, I will let Aiden get a good sniff at my hands as well as my breath.  
2. While doing this I will remain as calm as I can and I will NOT give him any praise at all.  Which means I will not be doing this during any other activities with him where he will be in a learning environment for a puppy, such as bath time, potty time etc.
3. The ONLY purpose for this is for him to learn my normal scent.

I am not sure that there will be much to discuss during this "training" time because he is not expected to respond, however I will not leave any who subscribe to my blog out.  I will still update you with other classes, such as obedience, that Aiden attends, how he is progressing with his housebreaking and anything else that comes up.  And of course LOTS and LOTS of pictures so y'all can watch as he grows into the BEAUTIFUL Cocker Spaniel he was born to become!!

Searching for Supplies

I've been looking through Amazon as well as a few other sites looking for reasonably priced Service Dog vests and I believe I have found the one Aiden will be wearing.  This is the one I looked at, it comes in a multitude of colors and sizes.  http://www.amazon.com/Service-Harness-SERVICE-Industrial-Puppy/dp/B00N3ZLMWO/ref=sr_1_9?ie=UTF8&qid=1461948520&sr=8-9&keywords=service+dog+vest  I hope to have it ordered sometime this coming week so Aiden can start getting used to wearing it.  He's still not yet a fan of his pesky collar.

A little info I was informed of from a friend of mine who recently helped train her own Service Dog, and also noticed in my search.  There are MANY sites who will attempt to sell you a Registration for your Dog to become a Service Dog.  This is a scam.  If you are looking into getting or training a dog as a Service Dog, you do not need to register him/her as such.  You only need your Doctor to recommend that you need a Service Dog.

As to Aiden's adjusting to life with us, well, it's been bumpy as anyone getting a new puppy would expect.  He misses his Mom and Brother, but here he has a new "brother" which is my oldest daughters kitten Gandalf, who is about the same age as Aiden.  Those two love to chase each other.  It's been very rainy here in Central Arkansas the past few days which has made house training Aiden QUITE difficult, but we are getting there.  Just this morning I noticed a HUGE improvement.  Aiden walked over to our front door and spun in a circle before walking back to the middle of the living room and going potty on the floor (thank goodness for hardwood).  But, we have been taking him to the door and showing him to scratch at the door before we take him out to do his business, so I believe he went to the door as he has been being taught, he just missed the step that I would have recognized as a need to go out, which would have been the scratching of the front door.  *Don't worry, it's metal*  So, I do not think it will be long before he has the entire process down and there will be less and less messes to wipe/mop up.

Aiden's First Day

Yesterday (April 28, 2016) we brought home a beautiful 10 week old Cocker Spaniel, we named Aiden, with the intention of training him at home to become a Diabetic Service Dog.  I did research before choosing the Cocker breed looking for a small dog (around 25 lbs or less) with a very strong sense of smell.  The Cocker met both requirements, and we were fortunate to find a breeder not far from us.

We do not plan to start any major training with him until he has become comfortable with his new home, however we are still going to take advantage of any lows/highs that come up while he is getting used to his new home.  Last night was a little rough, and little sleep was obtained.  Only one of the many hurdles to come in the future, but hurdles are meant to be jumped.

About me:  My name is Lori, I have been a Type 1 Diabetic since 1991, I was 15 at Diagnosis.  At age 22, when I was pregnant with my oldest daughter, I began losing my ability to sense when my sugars were dropping.  As the years have passed I have lost about 90% of my ability to detect lows and just shy of 100% of my ability to detect highs.  Both of which are very dangerous for a Diabetic.  I have had so many near death experiences due to lows, I once dropped as low as 18 mg/dl.  While high sugars are not as immediately dangerous, they can lead to very serious complications later on.  So my not recognizing when my sugar is high is JUST as dangerous as when I am low, even if it is not immediately evident.
I started checking into getting a Diabetic Alert Dog (or DAD) in 2008, however I could not find any either locally or that I could afford.  I mean, $25,000 for a dog is a little much for a regular person.  So, I put the idea on the back burner.  However over the years my ability to detect highs/lows only deteriorated and now, in 2016 I am at a point where something MUST be done.
I run a Type 1 Diabetes group on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/groups/T1Diabetics) and I just decided to ask the members about their dogs that seemed to alert with no training at all to get an idea of what my chances would be of getting a dog that already had some skill.  I was quite impressed with everyone's success stories.  One person even suggested I check out a site that could help me train my dog via online courses.  It is called www.http://servicedogacademy.com/wp/ and I plan to use their techniques and tips to help Aiden along his journey to becoming my first DAD.

I hope anyone looking into training their own DAD will follow my and Aiden's story.