Diabetic Alert Dogs

 

Brooks Diabetic Alert Dogs™

                                                    -“It’s a personal thing.”

Meet our DADs (Diabetic Alert Dogs)

Meet Bolt!  Bolt is one of our Diabetic Alert Dogs in training.  He is learning to recognize the onset of a diabetic child’s “out of range” change in blood sugar levels and to alert him well before a life threatening seizure or blackout.

If you have never heard of Diabetic Alert Dogs (DADs) then you are not alone.  DADs are a relatively new addition to the service dog industry and truly amazing companions.  Our service dogs are bred and trained to increase the quality of life for children and adults living with Type 1 diabetes, particularly those who experience “hypoglycemic unawareness.”

Normally, a diabetic person can feel their blood sugar dropping or spiking.  They may become light headed, drowsy or experience headaches. Diabetics that suffer from hypoglycemic unawareness do not readily feel the effects of a change to their blood sugar and are therefore at a high risk for life threatening seizures and complications, especially while they sleep.

What makes Diabetic Alert Dogs special is that they can smell a diabetic’s blood sugar dropping or spiking out of range early, so that they can provide their owner with an alert in advance of a crisis.  Our dogs are trained to “alert” their owner to the onset of a change in their body’s chemistry and to keep alerting them until the condition is corrected or until they receive the help they need.

What Brooks Diabetic Alert Dogs™ Can Do For You

Our Diabetic Alert Dogs can help you and your family to enjoy a higher quality of life and safety. Through intense and specialized training, your DAD will be able to “alert” you to check your blood sugar and take corrective action.  Owning one of our dogs can help you or someone you love in many ways:

• Sleep Through The Night – Your DAD can help you and your family to sleep safely through the night, knowing that your dog is trained to alert you in time to prevent insulin shock.
• Live A Normal Life – Live a more normal life by keeping your blood sugar levels “in range.” Your DAD can help you do this by alerting you throughout the day or night as needed, allowing you to live a longer and healthier life.
• Bring Stability & Relief – Your DAD will provide much needed stability and relief to parents that have children with Type 1 diabetes. With their desire to please, strong work ethic and intense loyalty, your dog will bring you or your child the companionship of a therapy dog with the stabilizing skill of a service dog.
• Gain The Comfort Of A Constant Companion – People may need personal space but dogs never do! These loving animals will follow you anywhere and everywhere you go.  From early in the morning to late at night, your DAD will be an ever-vigilant friend by your side.

 

The Difference Between Brooks Diabetic Alert Dogs ™ And Monitors

A Diabetic Alert Dog is not meant to replace a medical device like a monitor. We do not suggest that you should stop using a monitor once you have purchased one of our DADs.  Diabetic Alert Dogs are intended to be a living supplement to your well-being and security.

Unlike monitors, a Diabetic Alert Dog’s ”batteries won’t wear out.” DADs are “on duty” all the time and are bred for this life mission.   Our dogs are trained to alert you BEFORE a dangerous change in blood sugar occurs.

These dogs will persist in alerting a person until they wake up and take corrective action or until they get the help they need. Many people can sleep through a monitor’s beeps and alarms, especially as they become accustomed to a particular digital tone (much like sleeping through an alarm clock).  It is much harder to sleep through the physical nudges and urging (and if necessary, barking) that our DADs are trained to do.

 

Owning A Brooks Diabetic Alert Dog™

Only qualified individuals may own one of our DADs…  We’re concerned for the best interest of both the diabetic person and the dog.  If you are interested in being screened as a candidate for a Brooks Labradors Diabetic Alert Dog, please fill out our “DAD” QUESTIONNAIRE  and we will follow up with you as soon as possible.

 

Brooks Diabetic Alert Dogs™ Are Special

We recognize that having access to your Diabetic Alert Dog’s trainer is very important. That level of personal care is the primary reason we only produce a few DADs per year!

In order to achieve the high standard of excellence in Diabetic Alert Dog training, Brooks Labradors has teamed up with experts respected in their fields. These two professional breeders, Debby Kay and Kathy Marr, share our desire to produce a reliable Diabetic Alert Dog using a conservative yet effective training protocol in this emerging canine training niche.

Debby Kay has been breeding Labradors since 1969 and is the author of the Labrador Breeders Handbook, and the Super Sniffer™ Drill Book.  Her reputation as a pioneer in detection dog theory sets her apart as one of the most credible and widely respected authorities on foundational scent work.

Kathy Marr has had a passion for helping people and their pets since childhood. She followed her passion and started professionally training dogs in 1986 and is a certified animal behavior consultant. She is member of APDT and IAABC.

A Message from The Brooks Family