Epilepsy affects over 3 million people in the United States, with 150,000 new cases being diagnosed each year. Those affected by this neurological condition often find the quality of life affected not just by constant seizures, but also the fear of suffering a seizure in public. Service dogs trained specifically to help epilepsy sufferers have proven to be invaluable allies in the fight to manage epilepsy.
A well-trained seizure alert dog can be the key towards helping someone suffering from epileptic seizures to minimize the risk of injury or death. To find out what it takes to breed, raise and eventually train these dogs, don't hesitate to read on.
Which Dog Breeds Work Best?
Dog breeds commonly recruited for seizure alert dog training include Golden Retrievers, German Shepherds, certain Border Collie and Samoyed crosses, as well as Setter mixes. These dogs are popular thanks in large part to their traditional roles as service dogs for other conditions, plus these breeds are believed by some to be super-sensitive to bodily changes (such as a change in odor) that could occur prior to an epileptic seizure.
Dog breeds are not limited to those mentioned above. It's not out of the ordinary to see much smaller breeds including as Chihuahuas poodles working as seizure alert dogs. However, not every dog has the temperament needed to be trained into a good seizure alert dog. The ideal candidate for training must be friendly, non-aggressive, eager to work and able to sense emotional and behavioral changes in their owners. Candidates for training must also be able to understand and obey basic commands before being considered for extensive seizure alert dog training.
What Training Methods Are Used?
Seizure alert dogs typically receive training to not only sense when their owner is having a seizure, but also to get assistance when a seizure happens. This includes showcasing alerting behaviors that alert others to someone suffering an active seizure, including barking, pawing, pacing or licking. Seizure alert dogs may also be trained to fetch a phone, medication or alert devices during a seizure and even open doors or turn on lights in order to fetch help for seizure sufferers.
Different organizations that handle seizure alert dog training use different methods to train their candidates. For instance, Canine Partners for Life puts its dogs through two years of obedience training prior to training them for service. Once a seizure alert dog has been assigned to an owner, said dog may work and bond with the owner for several week before finally moving in.
How Long Does Training Take?
According to Care-Alive, a typical training program for seizure alert dogs may last for six months or more, depending on the intensity and pace of the program. Other programs may train their dogs for different periods in order to meet different standards. However, there are no uniform standards when it comes to training seizure alert dogs.
What Is Life Like with a Seizure Alert Dog?
The experience of living with a seizure alert dog is about the same as living with any other type of service dog. As long as you take good care of your dog and pay close attention to its nutritional needs and overall well-being, your seizure alert dog will happily provide you with years of faithful and helpful service. Regular vaccinations and checkups are also necessary for ensuring your service dog enjoys a healthy and fulfilling lifespan.
As with any other service animal, seizure alert dogs also need the occasional downtime to relax, unwind and take care of their hygiene and bodily needs. It's important for owners to give their seizure alert dogs regular breaks for playtime, for instance, lest your service dog become restless and irritable.
To learn more about the process or to receive further assistance, visit resources like Seizuredog.co.