Watch: 8-year-old Girl Sells Artwork In Order To Get A Diabetic Alert Dog
THERE ARE NO MORE RECOMMENDATIONS EMBED More Videos Lucy Yang has the story of a little girl who raised enough money for a specially trained diabetes alert dog. Disney account It took a lot of brush strokes, but Emma Brussell is finally getting a buddy. The 8-year-old from Long Island, New York, who has Type 1 diabetes, asked for a diabetic alert dog for Christmas, according to ABC 7, which reported the story. Unfortunately, Santa couldn’t deliver, considering the specially trained pups cost $15,000 to buy. So Brussell decided to make her own magic happen. “I decided, ‘Hey, I’m good at art, why don’t I sell my paintings?’ ” she said. “I think of a painting, and then I paint.” She sold some of her pieces and then, over the weekend, an anonymous donor gave Brussell the rest of the money she needed to buy the dog. “I couldn’t believe it,” Brussell’s mother Kelly told ABC 7. “I couldn’t believe that someone was just wanting help my daughter like that.” Any additional money raised from the sale of Brussell’s paintings will be used to fund the dog’s vet care. To contact Emma about her works, email [email protected] Continue reading >>
Tattle Tail Scent Dogs - Scent Imprinted Puppies - About
Tattle Tails got its name from one of the first litters I imprinted with diabetic scent. There was a pup in that litter I nicknamed Snitch because of how good he was at finding the scent that was set out. He was a pretty sickly pup. Honestly, I should have let him go early on but it is extremely hard for me to give up on dogs. I spent thousands of dollars trying to find out what was wrong with him to no avail. I sought out the best vets I could find, and they could tell me little more than there was something wrong with his immune system. The day I made the decision to put him down, I had taken him in to the vet because he had a temperature of nearly 104 degrees. He was sick and lethargic and it just made my heart hurt. We discussed all the options but it was clear he didn’t have many left. A 9-week-old puppy… it was too soon! I made the decision to put him down, and as soon as I did of course all the emotions hit me at once. Being a Type 1 Diabetic, getting upset means my blood glucose drops like a rock. At just 9 weeks old, and with as sick as he was, Snitch managed to jump off of the exam table and began alerting me to my low blood glucose! He then started to alert the techs to my low as well. Seeing this, one of them exclaimed “I think he is tattling on you!” My little Tattle Tail crossed the rainbow bridge, but not without first strengthening my resolve to Diabetic Alert Dogs and Diabetics all over. My name is KC Owens and I am the human behind Tattle Tail Scent Dogs. I am someone who prefers to live and think outside the box. I have never been a status quo kind of person. I believe in trying to do the right thing simply because it is the right thing to do. I do things simply because I can or simply because I want to learn more. I dislike people being taken Continue reading >>
Diabetes Alert Dogs
DADs, or Diabetes Alert Dogs (Diabetic Alert Dogs) are specially trained dogs for people with type one diabetes. Diabetes Alert Dogs can alert their handlers to diabetic lows (and highs, if needed) before an emergency occurs. DADs alert to low glucose by a nudge, paw, or tug action. These dogs are service dogs that can accompany their handlers in their daily activities to help diabetics stay safe, especially at times when assistance from other people may not be available such as when sleeping at night, or when living or travelling alone. DADs are particularly important to our family, as we have a type one diabetic son who uses a DAD. We understand the struggles and worries of diabetic families, and how DADs can add a safety net to your regular routine. All of our DAD dogs live in our home, with a type one diabetic while they train to ensure that they have the experience of alerting to live diabetic lows as they happen. We feel that living in this type of a home environment is paramount to training a DAD that works well in your home, too. DADs are available as fully trained dogs, or puppies are available to trainers from litters bred to excel at this work. Workshops to learn to train your own DAD are taught periodically, and private coaching is also available. Contact us to discuss whether a DAD is right for your situation, and how we can help you get or train a DAD. Becky Causey has trained multiple working DADs, is a professional member of the International Association of Canine Professionals, and is currently the President of the Diabetes Alert Dog Alliance, the premier organization for Diabetes Alert Dog trainers, breeders, and research. The Diabetes Alert Dog Alliance has created the first Diabetes Alert Dog Service Dog certification program for Diabetes Alert Dogs, Continue reading >>
Already Trained Dogs
After the success of a trial diabetic alert dog puppy board and train session during Christmas of 2011 the Service Dog Academy is launching a new program to provide already trained diabetic alert dogs similar to the Wildrose Diabetic Alert Dog training program. If you would rather receive a pre trained diabetic alert dog instead of spending the next year going through our train your own diabetic alert dog classes, please fill out the information below and we will get you on our list to be contacted when the program starts. Dogs should be available as soon as January of 2013 and will be for Type 1 and Type 2 diabetics over the age of 8. Mrs Maggie, our first Already Trained Diabetic Alert Dog Candidate! The puppies will live and be trained from 8 weeks of age in the hands of a graduate of Bergin University, the ONLY University level degree program for assistance dog trainers. From 8 weeks of age these dogs will be taken out in public every day, be obedience trained and worked with diabetic alert scent EVERY SINGLE DAY. Dogs will be delivered from anywhere between 8 to 10 months of age depending on the maturity level of the dog so that they can go through their first fear period in the hands of certified trainer to ensure they are enjoying their jobs and are suitable for service work in public. We are not using the typical “puppy raiser” training philosophy due to the fact that our success rate is exponentially higher if a service dog candidate lives and trains 24 hours a day 7 days a week with a certified service dog trainer from puppyhood. Since this is such an intense training process, we will only be able to provide anywhere between 4 and 6 dogs per year. Please be aware that purchasing a dog does not mean you will never have to train your dog ever again. You will Continue reading >>
Scent Imprint For Dogs
Service dogs Our service dogs are especially trained to assist our clients. We are dedicated to providing quality one-on-one time throughout the training and development of our dogs. By doing so, we have found that our puppies not only learn faster, but also get to enjoy a higher quality of life. The skills below are just a few of what our dogs are trained to detect. Autism Diabetic alert dog Emotional support Epilepsy Mobility Assistance Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) Autism Training We understand there is a wide variety of needs for those with autism, and therefore we train our dogs for each specific need. We train our service dogs with the client and family members to help care for the person with autism as to create that special bond they need to have with each other. We take our time to get to know client to make sure we train exactly for their needs. For our autistic clients we understand a service dog may be their first best friend, and we take that seriously into consideration. Diabetic Alert Training Our diabetic alert dogs are trained with the owner’s saliva, for high and low so they have a complete understanding of their owner’s scent. We use positive reinforcement to make the scent training fun and something they want to do. From children to adults we understand how life threatening this disease is. Therefore we ensure our dogs are trained correctly so they can alert every time our client is high or low. Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) Training Scent imprint for dogs USA does not blanket train. Every client with PTSD is different. Because of this, we take our time and get to know our clients by building a relationship with them. This helps us train our dogs to meet every need. The training is done in a series of stages so that the dog is not Continue reading >>
There Are 5 Core Foundations Of The Diabetic Alert Dog 101tm Program
1. Stably temperamented dogs. Dogs need to be free from all signs of aggression and anxiety. 2. Affordable training. It shouldnt cost you $25,000 to train your own dog for diabetic alert. There has to be a better way. Thats where the Diabetic Alert Dog 101TM program comes in handy. 3. Ensuring that our dogs are happy and are allowed to be dogs. Some service dog organizations have a 75% drop out rate. Some of these dogs are dropped from the program for being unable to shut down everything that is dog about a dog. We think dogs should be allowed to play with other dogs, that dogs should be allowed to play with a ball or engage in a little telephone pole sniffing every once and a while. What is so wrong with that? We think there has to be a middle ground between robot dogs and ill behaved dogs. 4. Training using strict positive reinforcement methodologies. Dominance methodology creates a confrontational relationship with your dog. Do you really want to train a dog that is supposed to be saving your life in a confrontational manner? No way! If you wouldnt do it to your two year old, why would you do it to your dog? What the Diabetic Alert Dog 101TM training methodology creates is a dog that who thinks you are the sun, moon and the stars, a dog that thinks you are the granter of all good things in their life, a dog that not only enjoys his job but is obsessed over it 5. Creation of a THINKING dog Have you ever had a low blood sugar before? What does it feel like? It seems like the first thing to go is critical thinking skills. What type of dog would you rather have? A dog that you have to tell what to do when you are in a state of brain dysfunction or a dog who assesses the situation a responds to it again and again and again trying to get your attention in many different wa Continue reading >>
Service Dog In Training: Ruby's Lifesaving Diabetic Alert Dog On A 24/7 Mission
Ruby accompanies Cook, 59, on shopping trips and goes to the movies with her. The sounds blarring from the theater's speakers sometimes startle Ruby, who enjoys lapping up lost pieces of buttery popcorn lying on the floor. Ruby will step on an airplane for the first time next month when Cook travels to Seattle. Ruby's mission 24 hours a day, 7 days a week is to tell Cook when her blood sugar plummets. Type I diabetics like Cook suffer frequent episodes of hypoglycemia, a reaction to low blood sugar that when left untreated can lead to a seizure, unconsciousness and even death. Cook was diagnosed with Type I diabetes at age 25, although she said she had symptoms of the disease as early as age 11. About six years ago Cook developed insensitivity to hypoglycemia, meaning she can no longer tell when her blood sugar is low. Dizziness, weakness, sweating, shaking, hunger and confusion are signs of abnormally low blood sugar. Cook's blood sugar dropped so low that she passed out a couple of times. "He had five Dalmatians before and thought they were the most brilliant animals alive. He claims that they are the one dog that has independent thought," she said as Ruby hurriedly paced around the living room, carrying a rubber ball in her mouth. The ball gave off a high-pitched squeak as Ruby sank her teeth into it. "When they train them at the diabetic alert institutes or training facilities they use a combination of things. Some of them use saliva and some of them use sweat," Cook said. "They say that these diabetic alert dogs can smell the smell that triggers their alert. One drop of that smell in a swimming pool they would smell." Continue reading >>
A New York 8-year-old Girl Sells Artwork To Buy Herself A Diabetic Alert Dog
NEW YORK -- It is a dream come true for a young girl in Farmingdale, New York. Thanks to social media and her hard work, she's raised enough money to buy a diabetic alert dog. Eight-year-old Emma Brussels has type 1 diabetes. She wears two high tech devices but they're not perfect. For Christmas, the 3rd grader wished for a diabetic alert dog, but the highly trained canine came with a $15,000 price tag, and was not under the tree. SEE ALSO: Cy-Fair 12-year-old starts salsa business The adorable artist is not a quitter. She turned her passion for painting into a dream come true. Emma started selling her precious works online to pay for the dog. Over the weekend, a generous donor, who does not want to be identified, gave her $15,000. She gave him her sand castle and an endless ocean of gratitude The money already raised will go toward veterinary bills. Emma plans to keep painting and raising funds for future medical needs. If anyone is still interested in buying a painting, here are two ways to contact family. If you would like to buy a painting you can contact Emma here: [email protected] or at: P.O. Box 460 Farmingdale,NY 11735 Continue reading >>
Diabetes Alert Dogs: Everything You Need To Know
Note: This article has been reviewed by Dr. Dana Hardin MD, and Dr. Jennifer Cattet Ph.D. Many individuals with type 1 diabetes spend their days worrying about the possibility of having a low blood sugar level (hypoglycemia). Aside from frequent testing of blood glucose levels (self monitoring of blood glucose, SMBG), they may experience uncomfortable signs of hypoglycemia such as sweating, shaking, or confusion. These early symptoms of hypoglycemia are helpful, even though uncomfortable, because they help the person with diabetes know it is time to check their glucose level. Once the person checks and learns they are hypoglycemic, they are taught what food or drink to take to raise their blood sugar. If the low blood sugar is not treated in time, persistent hypoglycemia can lead to seizures, blackouts, or even coma. Unfortunately, over time (generally after 5 or so years) a person with 1 diabetes no longer feels symptoms when his/her blood glucose is low. This condition is known as Hypoglycemia Unawareness. When hypoglycemia unawareness develops, the person is at much greater risk for the development of persistent hyperglycemia and all of the dangerous problems listed above. Patients have reported feeling ok and not knowing they had low blood sugar until they wake up on the floor, or they have had a seizure. Some don’t realize what happened until they are taken to the hospital. If you are one of these individuals, you probably worry about your next hypoglycemia episode on a daily basis. You would likely feel much better if you were aware of something or someone which could help you monitor and alert your oncoming low blood sugar drop. Well, good news! A diabetes alert dog (DAD) can help you become aware of hypoglycemia even if you don’t feel any different. To give Continue reading >>
Insurance Should Cover Diabetic Alert Dogs
Service dogs transform the lives of their charges. From assisting the blind and deaf to helping returning veterans cope with PTSD, the positive impact of their help upon their owners cannot be denied. People with diabetes can also benefit from being paired with a service dog. With the proper training, dogs can use their superior sense of smell to alert their owners to fluctuating blood sugar. This is especially important among Type 1 diabetics who suffer from a condition known as Hypoglycemic Unawareness. This condition prevents a person from feeling when his or her blood sugar is rapidly falling or is dangerously low. Other symptoms, such as stomach cramps, nausea, dizziness, or even seizures, are the only hints sufferers receive without testing their blood sugar. If left untreated, hypoglycemia can even result in unconsciousness, coma, or death in as few as twenty minutes. For those with Hypoglycemic Unawareness, an alert dog might mean the difference between life and death. Diabetic alert dogs are trained to recognize symptoms of fluctuating blood sugar, sometimes both highs and lows, and alert their charge to their condition, even waking a sleeping person should the need arise. There's no denying a diabetic alert dog could save countless lives and improve the quality of life for their owners. So why don't more people have them? Their cost. According to Dogs4Diabetics, a diabetes alert dog typically costs around $20,000, but other sources cite the price tag as high as $50,000. For the average person, this enormous price tag can prevent people with diabetes from acquiring the service dog assistance they require. People with diabetes shouldn't be asked to shoulder this financial burden on their own when they pay insurance premiums! Tell the U.S.'s top five Insurance pr Continue reading >>
Diabetes Alert Dogs: What You Should Know
Cynthia Hatch, a mother in Brookfield, Wisconsin, is convinced that her family’s diabetes alert dog Sunny, a golden retriever/Irish setter mix, has saved her son Nathan’s life multiple times. Nathan has all the latest diabetes gear: a CGM tied into a pump that automatically shuts off when his glucose goes below a certain level. But he also has a rare combination of type 1 diabetes and Addison’s disease, another autoimmune condition where hormonal imbalances can cause severe and precipitous drops in blood sugar. Sunny is an additional tool in Nathan’s arsenal, and is one of a growing number of dogs in the U.S. being used to alert their owners of oncoming lows or highs in blood sugar. Many different organizations now train dogs for this purpose; some are for profit and may charge tens of thousands of dollars for a dog trained from birth until over two years old. Others, like Dogs for Diabetics, are non-profits that charge people no more than a small application fee, but are very selective in terms of the clients they will take on. Dogs for Diabetics’ founder, Mark Ruefenacht—a forensic scientist with type 1 diabetes—is considered a pioneer in the field, the person who first set out to test this ability in dogs in a systematic way. Back in the 1990s, he was traveling for work, accompanied by a seeing eye dog that he was helping to train. (On his mother’s side, several people suffer from advanced macular degeneration; on his father’s a relative has vision impairment from diabetes, so Ruefenacht thought that a seeing eye dog might be a part of his own future some day.) Alone at his hotel, Ruefenacht had a severe episode of hypoglycemia, and his dog worked to rouse him until he could treat himself. That chance event got Ruefenacht thinking that maybe identif Continue reading >>
Diabetic Alert Dogs
Tecla’s K-9 Academy has developed one of the premier Diabetic Alert Dog training programs in the United States. Program developer Tecla Walton has been was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes over 30 years ago and has taken her personal experience with the disease and blended it with her expertise in training dogs to produce a DAD training program unlike any other. Tecla has been joined by DAD Trainer Keith Hupka who came to TK9 as a client seeking a Diabetic Alert Dog. He was so impressed with the quality of the dog he received from TK9 and inspired by Tecla’s approach to dog training in general that he decided to become part of the TK9 team. What Makes Us Different? Two on staff trainers that are both have Type 1 Diabetes We help each client pick a breed of puppy that will suit their lifestyle as well as have the qualities necessary to succeed as a DAD We provide one year of follow up training and have a unique system of teaching DAD handlers how to maintain their dogs’ skills What Makes Us Better? Our unique understanding of the disease We train specific alerts for low and high blood sugars We have a defined test each dog’s detection skills and public access skills Our follow up program is so thorough that there is no backslide in each dogs’ skills once they go home Our emphasis is equally focused on training a high level detection dog and on handler education Dear TK9 Family, I am writing to you on behalf the Meacham family. Thank you for the wonderful job you have done in training our Diabetic Alert Dog Rocky. After the long anticipated wait and many training visits, I must say it has only been a few short weeks and Rocky had dramatically helped our son. On the first week home Rocky caught two severe lows which allowed us to treat our son’s blood sugar quick Continue reading >>
Meet Murphy, The Dog Who Can Sniff Out Diabetic Alerts
Florissant resident Terri Burke was nervous before meeting her puppy for the first time. She had waited seven months for this moment, and it would change her life. Murphy, a 4-month-old yellow Labrador retriever, stepped into Burke’s home Oct. 30, and Burke burst into tears. She let the puppy lick her face while she rubbed his ears. Murphy is not a pet. For Burke, the Diabetic Alert Dog may be a life-saver. Burke, now 40, has battled Type 1 diabetes for 30 years. In the past 10, her body has stopped showing the symptoms of low blood sugar, such as sweating, intense hunger and shakiness. Her blood sugar plummets frequently, sometimes right after dinner, and she becomes unconscious with no warning. Twice, Burke has awakened in the back of an ambulance because she passed out while driving her car and had minor accidents. “I’m afraid to be by myself,” she said. Now she doesn’t have to be. Murphy will stay by Burke’s side at all times and can tell from his sense of smell when her blood sugar goes out of range up to 45 minutes before it happens. He alerts her by pawing her and will be trained to bring her juice or a glucose meter. Eventually, Murphy will be able to press a button that dials 911 if she’s unresponsive and no one else is available. SERVICE DOGS In March, Burke discovered the Virginia nonprofit organization Service Dogs by Warren Retrievers and applied for the program. For training and delivery, each dog costs $25,000, and all of that money is supposed to be raised by recipients. She had raised about $2,000 when she was notified in August that a dog was matched to her and would be delivered at the end of October. Burke has now raised more than $10,000. Erin Gray, the service dog trainer who delivered Murphy, said participants often pay off the servi Continue reading >>
Service Dogs
How We Train Your Dog At Retrieving Freedom, we have a very specific training program to make sure the service dogs we train are as ready as possible to help our recipients. Our training program, however, is only one piece of the puzzle. The other pieces are formed with a natural bond between the dog and the recipient. We train service dogs to help veterans living with post-traumatic stress disorder and injuries sustained during their service, children with autism and individuals living with diabetes. The key to our success is matching the dog to the individual who can get the most benefit from that training. Service Dogs for Veterans Being disabled in a combat zone and forced to return to society as a civilian can be a difficult struggle for many veterans. The initial stages of rehabilitation stages are well planned and implemented, but can fall short when a disabled veteran comes home. Returning from a deployment in a combat zone should feel like a win, yet the limitations of a physical disability or post-traumatic stress can cause anything but a celebration. Our goal is to provide independence to the lives of these special veterans, and fight to reduce the 22 veteran suicides per day with the 24/7 support a service dog can deliver. The service dog will not only help veterans with daily tasks, but provide companionship to help them cope with any emotional overload they may be experiencing. Aiding with PTSD Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, or PTSD, is a common disorder that impacts hundreds of thousands of veterans, causing anxiety and fear which causes changes in the body. This anxiety triggers the body’s “fight-or-flight” response, even in situations where no danger is present. This leads to a host of difficulties, ranging from higher stress levels to troubles s Continue reading >>
Diabetic Alert Dog
There are many tools to use in dealing with diabetes, and the Diabetic Alert Dog is one more tool to add to the toolbox used to help families deal with their child who has diabetes. With the use of a Diabetic Alert Dog the child can gain the independence they need as they grow up and mature and the parents are not afraid to allow them to do so. Here at 4 Paws we place Diabetic Alert Dogs with children who have insulin-dependent Type 1 Diabetes. As with all medical alert dogs, Diabetic Alert Dogs are trained to smell the chemical body changes that occur as the insulin levels increase or drop. When a child is experiencing a high or low, their body is releasing chemicals that change their typical scent. A 4 Paws Dog with the right training in scent-based work is able to respond to those chemical changes, at the onset of the changes long before any adverse medical reactions occur, by alerting the parents or caregivers to the change at its onset. The parents and/or child are then able to check their blood sugar level and take appropriate action. Training Diabetic Alert Dogs for children means that we must train a dog that is unique in its ability to meet the needs of both the child with diabetes and the child’s family. Most agencies do not work with children, especially very young children. Here at 4 Paws we have no minimum age requirement and believe strongly in early intervention. In addition to the alert work, these dogs provide a measure of comfort for the child, increased self-esteem and confidence, a distraction during unpleasant medical procedures, and of course companionship. USA WEEKEND recently published an article on Megan Rittinger and her service dog, Pip. Full story . . . Continue reading >>
