In the Market for a Seizure Alert dog! Where do I start?

Welcome to the Coping With Epilepsy Forums

Welcome to the Coping With Epilepsy forums - a peer support community for folks dealing (directly or indirectly) with seizure disorders. You can visit the forum page to see the list of forum nodes (categories/rooms) for topics.

Please have a look around and if you like what you see, please consider registering an account and joining the discussions. When you register an account and log in, you may enjoy additional benefits including no ads, access to members only (ie. private) forum nodes and more. Registering an account is free - you have nothing to lose!

Mr.21T

Mr.21T

New
Messages
147
Reaction score
0
Points
0
I've been adjusting to adult life with e and one of my options of managing e is getting a dog that can alert me to my seizures and potentially pull harmful objects away from me if i live alone.

http://www.canines4hope.com/seizure-alert-dogs-seizure-dog-training-florida.htm


I've always wanted a dog, and this is a game changer for me. I have so many questions about this process.
Anybody have a dog like this or know anything about the training process? What do I need to know about my e to be able to train the dog?
Do the dogs come pre-trained or do you have to get a dog, and have it trained to adjust to you personally?
 
I have a seizure alert dog but I got him just by chance. I adopted him from a shelter in Baja Mexico.
If a dog can sense your seizures coming on and give you a heads up, you can do the rest of the training yourself. Basically the dog needs to know how to behave in public.

Google the American's With Disabilities Act and find the section about Service Animals. The dog is not required to go to any special school or have any particular paperwork to show. If you say it is a service dog then it is.

If I can be of any more help about this please ask. My dog is my best buddy.
 
The best place to start is by buying a dog?
 
 
AlohaBird said:
I have a seizure alert dog but I got him just by chance. I adopted him from a shelter in Baja Mexico.
If a dog can sense your seizures coming on and give you a heads up, you can do the rest of the training yourself. Basically the dog needs to know how to behave in public.
Click to expand...
:ponder: I don't think this is all true. Yes, the dog needs to behave in public, but does the dog know how to behave when you go into a bad seizure? And since your seizures are nocturnal, how would your dog know? IMO, the dog needs to be properly trained so he/she can respond accordingly when the owner does have a specific kind of seizure.

AlohaBird said:
Google the American's With Disabilities Act and find the section about Service Animals. The dog is not required to go to any special school or have any particular paperwork to show. If you say it is a service dog then it is.
Click to expand...

The best place to find a real service dog for those with E is one of these websites:
http://www.epilepsyadvocate.com/resources/seizure-response-dogs.aspx
https://www.pawswithacause.org/i-want-a-dog/seizure-dogs

And the one Nak suggested:
http://servicedogcentral.org/content/node/491
 
Last edited:
Cint said:
:ponder: I don't think this is all true. Yes, the dog needs to behave in public, but does the dog know how to behave when you go into a bad seizure? And since your seizures are nocturnal, how would your dog know? IMO, the dog needs to be properly trained so he/she can respond accordingly when the owner does have a specific kind of seizure.



The best place to find a real service dog for those with E is one of these websites:
http://www.epilepsyadvocate.com/resources/seizure-response-dogs.aspx
https://www.pawswithacause.org/i-want-a-dog/seizure-dogs

And the one Nak suggested:
http://servicedogcentral.org/content/node/491
Click to expand...
Those are some great resources.
As far as my dog is concerned, he is able to wake me up often in time to make the seizure stop before it gets past the aura stage.

The training a dog would need for a person who has daytime seizures would definitely be different than mine but legally, they are not required to be a graduate of any particular program. You can do the training yourself at home if you feel up to it.
 
Nakamova was right to point out the difference between a seizure alert dog and a seizure response dog. The ability to sense a seizure coming on is innate, they either have it or they don't. Either way, the training can be done at home by the owner.

I think that is the most "properly trained" a dog could be.
 
Me too! He is such a comfort to me.
 
My seizure dog (may she RIP) trained herself without me even knowing until one day she was running around me crying in circles. I got her at 8wks. Just as an average dog, but she proved to be anything but average. You can't "train" a dog to sense a seizure. They either have that intense connection with you or they dont. The first key is to keep your puppy with you as much as humanly possible. Get a service in training jacket if u can. This is to allow the dog to see how you behave when you're "normal" and to get a sense of your chemical smells etc. Second, dog school. As your pup will need to be able to walk thru grocery stores etc without being distracted by other people or animals. Service dogs should know that when the jackets on, they're working. But to truly get them to be aware of your oncoming seizures is to have them know your behaviors and smells by keeping them close to you as much as possible. You can get on a list for a service dog as well, but the dogs are older when you get them, leaving your time with them shorter and more heartbreaking, also they can't promise the perfect fit. Your own pup with serious bonding is the way to go. Retrievers, labs, shepards, or mixes of these are usually considered the best. (However Sydney was a bullmastiff ).
 
My condolences on the loss of your Sydney, Tiffany.

I wish I could have had my dog from a puppy. When I got him he was a rescue mutt in a shelter in Mexico. He was skinny and just recovering from a bad case of fleas, tics, mange, etc. He just attached himself to me. I had a two day drive coming up to get home to San Diego and i had only had this dog about a day and a half so I was worried if he would try to run away or if I would have to tie him up. Really, all I did was open the car door and he jumped right up to the shotgun seat and said, "I have no idea where we are going but it has got to be better than here. I'm with you." That was 2006 and he's been with me ever since.

He stuck to me like glue for months after I got him probably doing what you were saying about getting to know me and bonding.

I dread the day when I will have to go on without him.
 
Losing her was awful, but watching her struggle after taking care of me thru all of mine was the hardest. I got another bullmastiff after (probably too soon which likely caused part of the problem) . Charlie just didn't have it. Still doesn't. Honestly, hes not very bright in general lol. Hes scared of the wind but i have a seizure and he doesn't even get up off the couch. But again, on top of his "slowness" i got him too soon and then had a baby. The chance to bond like i had with Sydney just wasn't there. Hes definitely become my son's dog and now that i have the time ill be looking again.
 
About a year after I got my dog I was diagnosed with breast cancer and he was right there with me through the whole thing. Best nursemaid ever. He could definitely sense my moods (which would have some pretty serious ups and downs along with the chemo schedule). On a good day he would get me to get up and dressed and get us out for a walk and on a bad day he would just sit there by my feet on the couch and keep me company.
 
nurse dog

I had a Sheltie for 13 years. Best dog on the planet! A very smart breed, and always on high alert for my feelings or physical demeanor. My ex and I used to laugh about getting her a little nurses hat. She actually did alert my ex that I was having a seizure, or going to on a number of occasions. True, they either have that innate ability to sense a seizure coming on or not. Ironically, Shelties are prone to seizures and that is what ultimately was her undoing, between age, seizures, blindness, and deftness I had to let her go. So sad...but glad I had her all those years.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom