An exciting DAD study and more scent training

Eli Lilly and the Indiana Canine Assistance Network (ICAN) are conducting a study to see exactly what it is that our diabetes alert dogs are sensing when they alert for low blood sugars.  I'm so glad to hear that someone is finally doing this.  If it can be determined what the chemical compound is, then it might be able to be recreated for testing.  The product would be reliable and the trainer could always be sure that they are training with something that the dog can sense.  Sometimes now, I have to wonder about the stability and accuracy of what I am training with.  If the sample isn't exactly "right", they the dog is not getting trained, only confused.  Here is the link to the study.  

I volunteered to send a sample in for this study.  Interestingly, they are using sweat, not saliva samples.  I collected  my sample by rubbing four absorbent cloths over my back and forehead and then blowing on these samples and mailing them in.  There is also a control sample where I did the same thing during a normal blood sugar.

I've been trying some sweat low blood sugar samples.  My low blood sugars usually occur during/after my walks.  I have been using the clothes that I was wearing as the low scent to test Senator, and they work really well.  I keep them in a big plastic bag and they seem good for 3-4 days.  I just put them under my clothes or sometimes just carry them into the room and Senator senses them almost immediately.

I'm continuing to teach him to tell me if I am high or low after the initial alert.  He seems to be doing very well with it.  I've decided to back off of the training with both alerts for awhile.  I'm concerned that I might be confusing him.  For now, I am continuing to do about three alerts per day.  I make sure that I expose him to any natural alert that I have during the day and also do some stored samples to supplement these.  After he paws me for the initial alert, I ask him "what is it".  He does either a down or a sit and I give him a treat.  I repeat this about 5 times and then hug and thank him.  I would estimate that he gets the right alert about 80% of the time.  I tend to have more lows, so he is exposed more to them and tends to default to them (I think).  All in all, I think we are doing well.  I'm trying to get some more public access training experience for him now.

Working with high and low alert together

I decided that it was time to move on and begin training the alerts together.  I haven't read how other people do this part, so I am just winging it.  I'm trying to keep it as simple as I can so as not to confuse Senator any more than necessary.

Our house is arranged so that I can walk in a large circle between the kitchen, living room, and dining room.  So, I put the scents into the small plastic containers with holed punched in them that I had used before.  I put the high scented one in the kitchen and the low scent one in the dining room.  I had the appropriate treat within reach of both.  I put Senator on a leash and walked him in this circle.  When he came to the low scent container, I would say good low and give him the treat for lows.  Then we moved on and did the same with the high scent.  We made about 5 times around and then quit.  He seemed very excited and to enjoy this.

The next day, I followed this same procedure.

On the third day, I quit saying good high or good low.  Instead, I said "what is is" when he got to the container.  If he looked confused or didn't do the appropriate response (down for low, sit for high), I would say "down for low" or "sit for high" and he would do that and get his treat.  After a few rounds, I didn't have to give him the verbal prompt.  Again, we did about 5 or 6 rounds.

On the fourth day, we continued with no immediate prompts from me.  I would say "what is it" when he reached the container and he would do the response.  If he got it wrong, I would correct him and then treat him.  I would say that he got it right more than 50% of the time.  He seems to default to the down when not sure.

The next day, I did the same thing to begin.  His percentage of correct seemed higher.  After about 5 times around, I attached his leash to a door nob in the kitchen and retrieved both containers.  I brought them to him one at the time, had him sniff the container and again asked him "what is it?".  He did well with this.

I plan to continue with this protocol for awhile until his percentage reaches near 100%.

I've had a few natural lows in the meantime.  After the initial alert, I ask him "what is it"  He's been getting it right each time.  It will be interesting to see if he gets it right with a high BG now.  That will say a lot.