Thanks for the Welcome!
About my dogs I trained:
Mabel and Dexter, both 3 years old, are AKC/CKC purebred Beagles that were originally trained for Search and Rescue. They have recently been licensed in NY as service animals as Seizure Alert/ Response dogs by the New York State Ag and Markets.
How dogs detect an oncoming seizure in a human is a mystery. Some trainers and researchers think they detect subtle changes in human behavior or scent before an episode occurs. There are no scientific studies, however, to prove these theories. Trainers also believe the behavior is not breed, age or gender specific in dogs. Although, Purebred Beagles bred for hunting appear to have a better sense of smell, calm demeanor, outward appearance, a small size for travel, a greater intelligence, and less shedding of fur. beagles have to be smart to catch that "Wabbit." lol
Seizure alert dogs are born with this remarkable ability. This sets them apart from other types of service animals.
This alerting behavior has been reported to occur several seconds to 45 minutes or more before the onset of the seizure. The dog does this by exhibiting marked changes in behavior, including close eye contact, circling, pawing, barking etc.
Mabel and Dexter alert to seizure activity by remaining close to their handler either standing or lying alongside him, jumping on the handler's chest, pawing, licking the handler's face or hands during and immediately after the seizure. They alert their owner to an impending seizure about twenty minutes in advance.
During the seizure Mabel grounds the handler by laying across his feet or by bracing him. Dexter grounds his handler by laying across the handler's chest and calling for help by howling non stop.
Currently, Mabel is being trained to use a cell phone to call 911 by using her paws to hit special keys on the key pad that are programmed for emergency assistance.
The dogs do not need to wear vests or capes and the handler does not have to show certification or licensing. Although, Mabel and Dexter do have NY State ID tags as Service Animals and their handler carries the State licensing paperwork, the Handler does not have to provide the paperwork.
I am starting to train SAD's for other individuals.