Squirrels, Birds & Other Distractions

On a walk with Bo this morning, we encountered a squirrel running in front of us, a bird on the ground ahead of us, and a dog barking at us. Bo's response to these three different distractions was the same -- he looked at them and then he looked at me. His response is a trained behavior.

We began teaching this behavior when he was a puppy and continued the training into his adolescents. Today, we reinforce the behavior with food rewards and praise. When we began training him to look to us when he encountered a distraction, we would say his name and when he looked at us, we'd reward him with food. Now, at five-years-old, he doesn't need us to say his name. He simply will see a distraction and look to me or whoever is holding his leash. 

The Sweet Spot

Austin had just walked in the house tonight, when Bo came to me in my bathroom and alerted. I was washing my face, so I sent him to go 'show' Austin. He left and came right back and alerted me again with a paw swipe. I told Austin to check but it took me going out to him in the kitchen for him to do it. He was 85 -- that's what I consider the sweet spot for Bo's low alerts.

I told Austin to take a snack and Bo got rewarded before I went back to what I was doing.

About 40 minutes later, while I was talking to Austin in my room, I got another alert from Bo. Austin checked immediately and he was 71.

Austin had not taken a snack at 85, instead he suspended his insulin. That wasn't effective. This time, I watched him drink a juice while I rewarded Bo with cheese.

Checking On a Schedule

Checking on a schedule means not relying solely on Bo to alert us to a high or low blood sugar. We check on a schedule because while Bo alerts reliably and consistently, we recognize he is a living being and like all living creatures he is not perfect.

Today, Bo didn't alert when Austin was playing basketball. When Austin came out of the locker room, Austin checked-in with Bo. A check-in involves Austin saying hello to Bo, petting him and getting close to his face. I watched boy and pup during the check-in and didn't observe any pre-cursors to an alert.

After Austin finished his check-in, Bo didn't give an alert. Despite Bo's non alert, Austin checked his blood sugar because we always have him check after he engages in physical activity. Austin's blood sugar was 108, a safe number that's not in Bo's reward range threshold. Once again the pup proved his nose knows.

We could easily fall into a pattern of relying on Bo's alerts to tell us when to check Austin but we don't. Bo's alerts help us catch lows and highs between schedule checks; they don't serve to replace those checks. However, it always feels good when we check after a non-alert and the number on the meter validates Bo's nose. We are fortunate; we've got a pup that knows his job and likes working.

Is That Service Dog Team Real or Fake?

During our recent air travel with Bo, we encountered a couple at the airport with two service dogs. Upon noticing Bo, one of the dogs began barking and lunging in our direction. The handler held the dog's leash short and tight as we made our way past them and through the check-in line.

I worked Bo through the distraction using kibble to keep his focus. While I gave him the 'leave' command, marked his focus on me with the word 'yes' and fed him kibble, my family members used their bodies to put space between Bo and the dog. 

The handler of the barking and lunging dog stood in one place holding his dog's leash tightly. He didn't try to redirect his dog's attention, he didn't try to use body blocking to turn his dog around or put space between his dog and our team, nor did he try to use verbal commands or food to try to regain his dog's focus -- he simply held the leash tight. 

Placing On an Airplane

Despite the distraction, Bo maintained his focus on me and it was a non-event. But, the experience reminded me of a FaceBook post I once read about how to tell if a service dog is real. The writer asserted one need only look at how the human partner handles the dog to know if the service dog is real or fake. "Does she cue the dog, correct the dog, protect the dog? Does she pay attention to the dog's signals, moods, well-being?" The writer went on to list a number of other examples that illustrate the high level of attentiveness service dog handlers often demonstrate.

A real service dog may not be perfect 100% of the time; sometimes a service dog barks, gets distracted, or activated and doesn't behave to the standard of his training. How quickly a dog recovers and how well a handler manages the dog can be the distinguishing difference between a real and fake team. The following are some examples of what a real team may look like in an airport setting.

Placing Out of the Way of Traffic

A trained service dog will place out of the way of foot traffic by going 'under' a chair, bench or table. A trained handler will protect the dog's tail and body from being stepped on or bumped. In this picture, I'm using my foot to keep Bo's tail tucked tight to his body and to serve as a barrier from feet, luggage, wheelchairs or other moving objects that could harm or distract him. 

A service dog will place at the feet of its handler on an airplane. Bo holds a down stay on a flight, except for when he alerts. Before he alerts, he changes his position to a sit or stand. On our recent flights, Austin and I pre boarded the plane with Bo and sat in the bulkhead row. Our other family member joined us during general boarding. The bulkhead row is ideal because it provides more space for the dog and handler, however a service dog should also be able to place in a regular row with less space. 

We trained Bo for placing in tight spaces by having him load up into the wheel-well of our car and ride at our feet.  We also practiced placing in small spaces by having Bo load up in a cardboard box. 

Bo wearing a slip lead with no metal parts.

In preparation for taking Bo through airport security, we replace his gear containing metal parts (i.e., service dog vest, harness, flat collar and leash) with a slip lead made out of rope and a plastic loop. As we make our way through the line, we keep Bo in a heel position and use our bodies to block little humans from petting him, as well as wheeled luggage from bumping him. Once it's our turn to go through the security check point, Austin gives Bo the stay command, goes through the metal detector and then calls Bo through the detector. Bo does not get a security pat down because without his gear he doesn't set-off the metal detector. Austin however, gets his hands swabbed to test for traces of explosives.

Video: Austin and Bo Going Through Airport Security Checkpoint

It Takes Work Handling a Service Dog

I've said it before and I'll say it again: 

"Taking a service dog to school is a big responsibility for a child; working with a child at school is challenging for a service dog." 

Given this, I wasn't surprised when Austin told me he wanted to take Bo to school less often.

"Why," I asked. 

"It's a lot of work handling him in the cafeteria, Austin said. "He goes for the food on the floor and he doesn't always respond to my command to leave."  

In honesty, I noticed this problem a couple of weeks ago when I took Bo to school to watch Austin play in a basketball game. Bo seemed to go for every wrapper and food crumb on the floor and bleachers. Previously, Austin had mentioned Bo was eating food off the floor but I didn't understand the extent of the behavior until I was on the other end of the leash.

I've never considered Bo to have a strong leave command but he had never demonstrated the blatant disregard for the command that I witnessed at the game. It was clear to me Bo had been practicing 'floor surfing' at school. Austin had allowed him to get away with this behavior enough times at school that it became a default behavior — one that is not only inappropriate for a service dog, but also potentially life threatening.

So, in light of this situation we are putting a plan in place to work on re-training Bo on the leave command. I have a few ideas of how to tackle this problem but because I want expert guidance, I called our trainer Helen. We are going to train in the cafeteria of a local college to simulate the environment Austin is finding challenging. The session will involve Austin handling Bo and and me observing, while Helen works to re-teach boy and pup on how to achieve a strong leave.

Austin's really excited to meet with Helen. It's been two years since our last training session. As for me, I'm looking forward to watching boy and pup work under her direction. She is a gifted teacher and Austin is an eager learner. In fact, this morning he shared with me his intent to refine his handling skills and to really work with Bo on keeping a tight heel and a strong leave.

It takes work to handle a service dog. Training never ends for the pup or the human. I'm pleased Austin is mature enough to realize he and Bo have more work to do in order to make them the best team they can be. In fact, when I mentioned I'd send a note to his guidance counselor to let her know this new plan, Austin told me he already spoke to her. 

Bo's Four Year Homecoming Anniversary

October 13, 2013

Four years ago yesterday, we brought Bo home and began the journey that led us to where we are today. We welcomed our sweet pup into our hearts with hopes and dreams that were big but grounded in reality. We knew there were no guarantees the puppy we chose would have the drive or temperament to be a diabetic alert dog (DAD); what we did know is we were committed to doing everything we could to give him the best possible chance for success.

Fast forward to today and boy and pup are navigating high school side-by-side everyday. They are working together with ease. Bo is alerting Austin at school and Austin is responding to his alerts by checking his blood sugar and rewarding Bo. It wasn’t until boy and pup began working independently together at the start of this school year that I finally felt like I could say ‘I did it’ — I reached my ultimate goal of training a DAD for Austin.

The path we took to get a DAD isn’t a path that’s suited for every T1D family and certainly not a path for the faint of heart. I believe it worked for us because we committed our time, energy and resources to giving Bo the best possible chance for success. Additionally, we were fortunate to have an extraordinary trainer in Helen Nicholls St. Pierre plus an expansive support network of family, friends and other DAD teams from across the country.

We were lucky; Bo turned out to have the drive to do the work we raised and trained him to do. Not all dogs, despite their breeding and training, are cut-out to be service dogs —  a fact I think about every time I consider training another DAD for Austin to take to college. Similarly, not all families are suited to train a service dog. I’m thankful for our experience and grateful for the incredible journey we began four years ago when we brought Bo home.

The Inconvenience Factor

The activity of Austin's three hour football practice caught up with his blood sugar this evening and Bo was on the job to let us know. I got his first alert as I was putting away laundry in Austin's room. I felt Bo's paw swipe but Austin saw it and told me he had to check before I said anything. The meter read 86. I rewarded Bo while Austin ate a snack. Seventeen minutes later Bo re-alerted me. Austin re-checked; he was still 86.

If you're fortunate enough to have a DAD that consistently and reliably alerts, you can expect being alerted and re-alerted. Sometimes it's not convenient to stop what you're doing to validate a re-alert and reward it with food and or a game. (i.e., It's the middle of the night and you want to go back to sleep. You're leaving for work and you're already late.)  But, it's always important to validate the alert in a timely manner and reward or watch it based on the number.  It's been my experience that following a consistent process for responding to alerts is key to maintaining Bo's work ethic and ultimately our team's success. 

As Austin prepares to take Bo to school full-time this month, I've talked with him a lot about the importance of responding to Bo's alerts immediately. As a 14-year-old boy, he doesn't always want to stop his activity to check in response to an alert. (Also, he sometimes thinks he knows better than Bo despite Bo proving him wrong on several occasions.) When I'm with him, I will check for him as he continues what he's doing. At school the responsibility will fall on him. I know he can do it.  I expect he and Bo will become a stronger team as they work more on their own and less with me.

Training, Exercise and Play Before Sunday Mass

Before Austin and I left for church with Bo Sunday morning, I took Bo to our local community schoolyard for training, exercise and play. On the short walk from our house to the school, we practiced loose leash walking, as well as stopping and or sitting based on my body cues. I also worked Bo on pivoting.

Once we got to the empty school parking lot, I let go of the leash and worked on heel work using only voice control. Once we reached the schoolyard, I unhitched his leash, gave him his free command and threw his frisbee. The schoolyard's large open field is a safe space for him to get exercise and work off leash.

I love the early morning time I spend with Bo outside. I get to reinforce trained behaviors, as well as have fun with him. In a couple of weeks Austin will begin taking Bo to school. Before they leave each morning,  I'll train, exercise and play with Bo like I did this morning. It's not only fun for him but it's a way for him to get his 'beans out' as Helen says.

When we got to church, Bo settled at our feet in the pew. In the past, when Austin has taken Bo to mass, Austin’s repeated standing and sitting throughout the mass confused Bo. He is trained to follow our body movement, so each time Austin stood, Bo responded by standing. On Sunday, we cued him to stay before we were about to stand. He quickly figured out he could stay settled even though we were moving up and down.

Bo did break his place mid mass. Austin's first reaction was to tell him to go down. I reminded Austin that Bo may be alerting and to wait and watch. After a few seconds and a yawn, Bo paw swiped my leg. Austin checked and confirmed his high alert. 

When we went up to receive communion, Bo ended up backing his way out of the pew rather than turning around and walking straight out of it like in this picture. Turning in small confined spaces is now on our list to train and practice. Backing out wasn’t a big deal but it exposed a hole in our training. So, we will work to fill it.

During mass my thoughts drifted from the liturgy to the boy and pup sitting next to me. As I watched them in the space, I couldn’t help but think about how far they've come. There was once a time in church when Bo barked at our priest when Austin was getting communion. No barking this Sunday — just a calm, settled and focused pup doing the job we’ve worked so hard to train him how to do. 

Helen Nicholls, CPDT-KSA, CDBC, OSCT

My dear friend and dog trainer Helen Nicholls

If you know Helen Nicholls, our friend and dog trainer, you know why I love her. If you don't, I'll tell you. But before I do, let me share the story of our beginning — it's one that goes back to 2012 before Bo was even born. We started with a voice mail — a long-winded, rambling voice message from yours truly. I don't remember verbatim the loquacious monologue I left on Helen's voice mail but it went something like this:

Hi Helen! 
My name is Jenn Dearborn. I got your name from a co-worker who highly recommended you. I'm calling because I would like to train a puppy to be a Diabetic Alert Dog for my 10-year-old son. He lives with Type 1 Diabetes— my son, not the puppy. I've never owned a dog before and I'm looking to work with a professional dog trainer who can help me with basic obedience and public access. I was wondering if you would be interested in working with me. Please give me a call. I look forward to talking to you. Thanks!

While some professional dog trainers, upon receiving such a voice mail, would hit delete before getting to the end of my message, Helen not only listened to all of it but she also called me back.

In recounting with Helen our beginning, I've shared how glad I am that she took a chance on me — the mother who had no dog training experience, never owned a dog, wasn't even a 'dog person,' yet wanted to raise and train a Diabetic Alert Dog for her child. She threw the proverbial dice when she agreed to take me on as a client. The odds for success weren't in my favor. (Let's just be honest.) Thankfully, what I lacked in experience and knowledge, I made up for in sheer grit. And so, with the throwing of those dice our journey together began. 

It didn't take me long to realize I'd found someone special in Helen. She was much more than a knowledgeable and gifted dog trainer, she was a truly good person with a loving heart and a passion for helping humans and their dogs build relationships rooted in trust and respect.

I met with Helen twice a month for more than two years. Sometimes we met more often. Only for a brief period, when she was on medical leave, did we meet less. Despite being on leave, she made herself accessible to me. Going so far as to make me promise I'd call her if I needed help. 

Our training sessions began and ended with Helen's arms outstretched to deliver her signature hug. (If you know Helen, you know the hug I'm talking about.) I'm not a "hugger," but I always welcomed her warm embraces.  In our sessions she taught me about positive reinforcement training methods, which she uses with dogs as well as their humans. Just as chicken or cheese fed Bo's willingness to work, hearing "Good job Jenn" or "Nice work" from Helen fueled my motivation. Helen educated me on puppy behavior and adolescent dog development. She instructed me on how to teach behaviors and use verbal and non-verbal commands. She even schooled me in dog gear and toys.

I'm not sure when it happened but at some point between her teaching and my learning, Helen my dog trainer became Helen my friend — the friend I know and love today. 

Why I Love Helen
She is a straight shooter. She tells it like it is. Sometimes it's something you want to hear, sometimes it's not, but every time it's delivered in the kind of matter-of-fact, non-judgmental manner that gives you pause to think. 

She's real and affable. There is no pretense when it comes to her. Her words, actions and heart are genuine. Being in her presence is comfortable and fun.

She is wise beyond her years carrying with her the insight and perspective of an old soul. On more then one occasion, I've said her job title should read dog trainer/human therapist. 

She has the best sense of humor with a quick wit that makes you laugh out loud and your cheeks hurt. 

She is a compassionate and loving mother who is devoted to her precious little girl. Her love for her child is palpable through her actions and words. Everything she does is with her daughter's best interest in mind.

She is resilient in the face of adversity — a role model to others on how to face life's challenges with grace and dignity. 

She is incredibly smart and a life long learner. Her interests and knowledge traverse topics of science, history and literature. 

Last but definitely not least, she is loyal. She will stand up and protect the integrity of those she cares about. (I'm talking mamma bear loyal.) If you're her friend, you can trust she's got your back.

Helen is all these things and so much more. She truly  is an amazing and inspiring person and she has had a profound impact on me and Austin. I feel fortunate our paths in life crossed, as I can't imagine being on this journey without her by my side.

Setting Boy and Pup Up for Success

Setting Austin and Bo up for success has been my first priority in all the training I've done with them. This is no more evident than in the hundreds of hours I've spent over the course of our journey preparing them for the day they would attend school together. We've trained for years in schools and places that mimic school environments — spaces like gymnasiums, libraries, cafeterias and even our church's education classrooms. We've created mock classrooms and simulated busy locker corridors to prepare boy and pup for the cachophany of distractions school presents. We've practiced walking in sync up and down stairwells, resisting the temptation of dozens of tennis balls on the feet of classroom chairs, and placing under desks and tables. We've had short training sessions at the end of the day in school and on the busy school campus. Most recently, Austin has worked Bo in school at the end of the day while I've waited outside. 

Taking a service dog to school is a big responsibility for a child; working with a child at school is challenging for a service dog. The team's success is dependent on one thing that cannot be taught or trained — the maturity that comes from experiences, mistakes and understanding. And so, as I've waited for them to mature I've fielded questions from friends, strangers, family and Austin about when the two would attend school together. Often times fielding the questions with the tenacity of a defendant under cross examination.  


"When is Bo going to school?" friends asked. 

"Do they go to school together?" strangers wanted to know. 

"Isn't Bo old enough to work with Austin in school?" family members probed.


And of course there were the seemingly endless questions from Austin as to when he could take Bo to school, without me. 

Despite the questions, that sometimes carried an undertone of disappointment, I maintained my commitment to giving boy and pup the best chance for success no matter how long it took for 'the one day' to arrive when they were capable of handling the responsibility and challenge of working in school.

I'm so happy I was patient because the perfect opportunity has presented itself for boy and pup to trial working together at high school this summer. Austin is taking a writing class that meets four days a week through the month of July. Because it's summer session the classes are only half days and the school is not at full capacity. They'll have the chance to find their rhythm in a shorter day and under less crowded conditions than what they'd encounter if school was in full session. While I don't have a crystal ball, I'm cautiously optimistic that they are capable of success under these modified conditions. 

Last week, I met with representatives from Austin's school to revise his 504 Plan to include Bo this summer. We are fortunate to live within a school district that is supportive of our family's use of a service dog to help manage Austin's Type 1 Diabetes. Together, Austin's guidance counselors and I identified the accommodations that would be most helpful to ensure Austin and Bo's safety at school. I left the meeting filled with hope for what lies ahead on what has been one of the most wonderful journeys I've ever taken.

A Serendipitous Encounter

Yesterday, while at U Mass Boston for a basketball tournament, we met a woman who works for Dr. David Scadden, the Harvard Stem Cell Research Institute researcher who along with Dr. Douglas Melton leads the stem cell research to find a cure for Type 1 Diabetes. She described herself as Dr. Scadden's 'work wife' but she didn't go into details about her specific role. 

She had approached us with eyes for Bo and when I answered her question of what Bo's job was, she shared her work relationship to Drs. Scadden and Melton. 

It was encouraging hearing her talk so emphatically about stem cells curing Type 1 Diabetes in the future -- even in Austin's future. I'm so thankful for the bright minds and hard work of all the people who are making finding a cure for Type 1 the focus of their life work. And, for all those who fund finding a cure.

Working Together at School

Bo 'under' during religion class.

I am hopeful this image of Bo working with Austin in a classroom is foreshadowing of what's to come this summer when Austin attends 9th grade confirmation I class in June and a high school writing course in July.

The pup does a great job alerting us on Austin's out of range blood sugars. His low alerts are especially helpful because Austin doesn't feel his low blood sugars and is often asymptomatic. 

Last summer, Austin spent the summer with Bo and we saw a decrease in his A1c. I'm hopeful we will see the same drop this summer as boy and pup spend all day together day in and day out.  I'm also hopeful the one-on-one time will further strengthen their bond. 

Ideally, Austin would have tucked Bo's tail in to
protect it from being stepped on,

Night Alerts

He does some of his best work for us while we are tucked in bed sleeping. Thusday night he woke me with an alert before 2 am. Austin had been 189 before bed but he had also spent hours on the golf course. The activity caught up with him and he went low. Bo caught the 60 before our scheduled check. Anyone who questions the ability of a trained DAD, only needs to spend a few nights with us to understand the ability of a DAD's nose.

Low Alert While Home Alone

Boy and pup

Today, Bo alerted to directly to Austin while the two were home alone. Austin was resting in my bed when Bo came into the room, jumped on the bed and alerted Austin with a paw swipe. Austin asked him if he needed to check and Bo paw swiped him a second time. Austin checked; he was 52. He treated himself with juice and then rewarded Bo with chicken. 

Ideally, Bo would have alerted before Austin got to 52. We use scent samples between 70 and 85 for training. While 52 is lower than I would like, it's better than no alert given the fact Austin doesn't feel his lows.

Bo's First Basketball Tournament

This nose knows.

Last Saturday we were at a basketball tournament with Austin and Bo from 5:30 to 10:30 pm. While Austin sat and played with his teammates on the court, we watched the games from the balcony with Bo. He alerted to a high while Austin was playing.

It was a busy, loud and crowded environment with lots of distractions. Food on the floor was one of the biggest and most difficult distractions for Bo, although he responded promptly to my commands to 'leave.' All the training we've done at basketball games helped prepare him for a tournament atmosphere.

Watching the games from the balcony.

Bo tucked between my legs and the balcony glass.

Video: Training Bo to Close Doors

I am training Bo to close doors on command. It's a behavior he is learning quickly. I started training him using a sticky note taped to a door and giving him the 'touch' command. I began target training with him when he was a young puppy, so he knew what I wanted when I pointed to the sticky and gave the command 'touch.'

After just a few times in the initial session, I dropped using the verbal cue 'touch' and just pointed to the sticky on the door. Every time he used his nose to push the door closed, I rewarded him. If he pushed it hard enough and the door closed tight, I reinforced him with a jackpot of treats, plus verbal praise.

Today, I added the verbal cue 'close,' which will be the command I use to cue this behavior. Once he is consistently responding to the verbal command, I'll remove the sticky note and practice with just the command. I've been training on interior doors, exterior doors, kitchen cabinet doors and the refrigerator door. The goal behind this training is for Bo to use his nose to push a door closed on command. This training is only teaching him to close a door by pushing it. When I train him to close a door with a pull method, I'll use a tug toy tied to the door.

GoPro Video: Get Help Command

Bo is trained to get help on command. Now with a GoPro camera and Fetch dog harness we can capture what this behavior looks like from his perspective. In this video you see Bo look for me in my bedroom before continuing down the hall to Austin's room. I was on the floor on the far side of the bed looking at books when he found me. He jumped on the bed and when I didn't respond immediately, he began barking at me. In this video, you see Bo bark, jump up and look back at me to see if I'm following him.

Bo will come to me as his first choice when training this command but if I'm not present, he will go to any person. Bo only gives this behavior on verbal command to 'get help' and this command is only given by Austin. Also, Austin is the only person who rewards Bo with food for retrieving a person and bringing the person to him.

We began training the 'get help' command when Bo was a young pup and we practice it on a regular basis.

Raising Bo: Get Help
Bo is trained to get help on command and now with a GoPro camera and GoPro's Fetch dog harness we can capture what the behavior looks like from Bo's perspective. In this video, you see Bo look for me in my bedroom before continuing down the hall to find me in Austin's room. You also see him jump and bark and circle back to me. When we practice this command it's always Austin that rewards Bo with food for bringing a person back to him. We've been training the 'Get Help' command since Bo was a young pup. #RaisingBo http://raisingbo.blogspot.com
Posted by Jennifer Breton Dearborn on Monday, January 18, 2016

A Major Milestone Met

Earlier this fall, I began the process of applying to have Bo registered and licensed as a service dog with the New Hampshire Governor's Commission on Disability (GCD), as outlined in NH RSA 466:8. Registration with the GCD exempts a service dog owner from the annual registration and licensing fees associated with owning a dog. I didn't seek to have Bo registered with the GCD as a way to avoid paying annual fees but rather as an acknowledgement of the thousands of hours we've invested in his service dog training.

While GCD registration is not required by law and cannot be used to verify the legitimacy or authenticity of a service animal for any purpose, the registration tag can only be used by an eligible service animal as defined by NH RSA 167-D:1.

Additionally, the application process requires the submission of documentation from a recognized training agency or documentation the dog passed the public access certification test and a letter from the person's healthcare provider stating the dog performs tasks directly related to the person's disability. 

Because Bo was owner-trained, with ongoing assistance from professional and credentialed dog trainers, we were required to submit documentation that he passed his public access certification test, as well as a letter from Austin's endocrinologist verifying Austin has Type 1 Diabetes and uses Bo to assist in managing his blood sugar.

Austin's endocrinologist wanted medical evidence of the validity of dogs detecting hypoglycemia before writing the letter to submit as part of Bo's application. To assist her in conducting her due diligence, I sent her a link to Eli Lilly Company and Indiana Canine Assistance Network 's study on hypoglycemic alert dogs. I also sent the results of a lit search on 'diabetic alert dogs.' 

The Eli Lilly study, which concluded Diabetic Alert Dogs' sensitivity to detect hypoglycemia is greater than by chance alone, provided the evidence she was seeking. And nearly two months after I had started the application process, I had all the documentation I needed to complete it. Three weeks passed between the time I submitted the letter from Austin's endocrinologist, to the time I received Bo's registration letter and tag in the mail.

Once I finally had the letter and tag in hand, I was able to pause and reflect on what it represented -- hard work, commitment, perseverance, tears, triumphs and perhaps most importantly --  love.  All that has gone into Bo's training and raising is rooted in the love I have for my child, and is symbolic of a mother's innate will to do anything and everything to help her child live a happy, healthy and long life. 

Low Alert and High Alert in the Middle of the Night

We were battling high blood sugar early last night and by midnight all our efforts to correct the high had caught up. Bo alerted me at 12:04 am. Austin had a friend sleeping over, so he was sleeping downstairs on the sofa bed instead of in his room. Bo was with the boys downstairs, so when he woke at midnight he came upstairs to alert to me in my bedroom. I checked Austin and he was 70. I treated the low with 15 g of juice, decreased Austin's basal rate, rewarded Bo, cued him to get back in bed with Austin and then went back to bed myself.

At 1:33 am I woke to Bo alerting again. This time Austin was 173. I had reduced Austin's basal rate too much but thanks to Bo I was able to take care of it before it got really high.

Last night was just another one of the many times Bo has helped us keep Austin safe through the night. I love our pup.

Incognito in Public

Bo incognito in public.

Last Saturday I forgot Bo's service vest when I took him to Austin's football game. Instead of going home to get it, I worked him incognito. Strangers didn't give him a second glance while we were walking to the stadium. There was no staring, pointing or whispering when we made our way to the bleachers. I took a seat among the fans from the opposing team to maintain our anonymity. A woman sitting next to me turned to me with a smile and said, "He is so well-behaved." I smiled and thanked her. When the crowd burst into cheers, the same woman turned to me and said, "He's so calm."

When I eventually joined my friends they observed Bo wasn't wearing his service vest and asked if they could say hello. I gave them the go ahead and Bo the okay to say hello. They indulged him with rubs and praise. In return he gave kisses, sniffs and tail wags.

A woman I didn't know was sitting on the bleacher below me. Unbeknownst to her, Bo was sniffing her jacket. I stopped him and apologized to her for his nosiness. She replied, "He is probably smelling my dog. May I pet him?" I told her yes. She complimented him on his good behavior and pet him as she talked to him. Her husband who had been sitting to the left of me and behind her didn't speak until he was leaving. He stopped in front of Bo, looked at him and said, "You are the most well-behaved dog I've seen." Bo looked at the man as if he knew what he was saying. I smiled and thanked him.

This outing made me realize the pressure I put on myself with regards to ensuring Bo exemplifies all service dog qualities in public. It was a unique experience for me to see Bo through the eyes of strangers without the expectations associated with being identified as a trained service dog.

I observed Bo air scenting with each passing breeze but he never alerted. When Austin got off the field, he came to ask me for money to buy food. He had just checked his blood sugar and was 103.

At my feet on the bleachers.

Watching football.

Bo settled at my feet on the bleachers.