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. 

Service Dogs & K9 Working Dogs Together in Public

We recently attended a college basketball game with Bo and had an experience with a K9 working dog and handler that changed how we'll work in the future.

We were seated in ADA seats at the mezzanine level of the school's large basketball pavilion. Bo was tucked at our feet and out of general view. The K9, working on a long lead, scented Bo and began approaching him. The dog's handler didn't realize what was happening.

We tried to alert the handler of what was happening and kept repeating that we had a service dog but what we were saying didn't seem to register with the handler because he didn't call his dog back or restrict the leash. As a result, the dog was able to continue his approach toward Bo. We resorted to body blocking with our hands and legs. If you're unfamiliar with body blocking, it's a technique to simply take up space to prevent a dog from doing so.

We used our our hands and legs to put protective space between the two dogs. We did not touch the other dog however, the handler perceived our actions as doing so and shouted "don't touch my dog." While the appropriate response would have been, "yes sir." My instinctive response was to tell him our dog was a service dog. He sternly replied that his dog was a working dog and repeated, "don't touch my dog!"

Bo didn't break his down stay and it was a non-incident in that regard but it rattled all of us, especially me. I ruminated over the incident for the rest of the game, as well as days after. I kept thinking about what I could have done differently. I came up with this list:

1. If we're working in a space where K9 dogs may also be working, I'll approach a security officer when we arrive and ask that any K9 handlers be alerted to the location of our service dog team. 
2. I'll request the dogs' handlers not allow their dogs to approach our service dog. 
3. I'll also ask the event staff closest to our seats to keep an eye out for other working dogs and inform handlers that they're approaching a service dog team. 
4. And, while ADA seats were recommended because we were attending the event with a service dog, I'll choose regular seating in the future. The mezzanine was busy with foot traffic, Bo would have been better protected in the bleacher seating. 

In the spirit of providing useful information, I called the college's ADA office and shared our experience. The representative I spoke with was receptive to my feedback. I explained what happened and suggested K9 handlers be advised that they may encounter a service dog in the ADA seating area. I also expressed my empathy for the handler, adding I understood the instinct to protect one's working dog. I made a point of mentioning how I appreciated the fact, that after the incident, the handler kept his dog in a tight heel when he passed our team.

In the end, it came down to two handlers with their dogs' best interest in mind. Next, time I'll be better prepared for the unexpected. I'm grateful for Bo's training and his rock solid work; he exemplified a trained service dog beautifully.

Book Review of Elle and Coach

Elle and Coach by Stefany Shaheen with Mark Dagostino is a heartfelt, authentic, engaging, inspiring, empowering and myth breaking story of life with Type 1 (Autoimmune) Diabetes and a Diabetes Alert Dog. Stefany's gift for writing and storytelling makes for powerful prose that captures your heart and mind.

As the mother of a child with Type 1 Diabetes and the owner of a Diabetic Alert Dog, I was able to relate to the story on a deeply personal level. Throughout the book there were parts where I found myself thinking: 'wow, I feel that way too' or 'I do that also.'

The chapters flow into each other making for an easy and quick read, while the imagery and detailed descriptions bring the story to life -- allowing you to experience a range of emotions including happiness, sadness, heartbreak, disappointment and even mama bear anger.

In telling her story, Stefany tells the story of thousands of Type 1 families across the nation. Reading it will touch your heart and open your mind. I promise you will be talking about it and sharing it with family, friends and co-workers.

Interview with Austin: What It's Like Having Bo at the Lake

Austin spends the summers, Sunday through Thursday, at his Meme and Poppy 's lake house. He has been doing this since he was six-years-old. They are informed, educated and trained on how to care for his Type 1 (Autoimmune) Diabetes and they are meticulous with his care. This is Bo's first summer with Austin at the lake. (Prior to this year, neither boy or pup were ready to work together without my assistance.) In order to document Austin's thoughts and feelings on the subject, I asked him several questions about what it was like having Bo at the lake with him. What follows are his unedited responses.

Why do you want to take Bo with you to the lake?
Because he is ready and it exposes him to new experiences being with other dogs and it's interesting to see how he does and to have him their because it gives me more responsibilities.

Do you have any concerns about having Bo at the lake?
Yes. We were on a walk and there were two dogs. One was on a hill about 10 feet above us and one was on a camp site next to us. One dog started barking and Bo was okay. But then the dog on the hill barked down on him and Bo had troubling handling it. Bo barked back. Then when we saw another dog, he started barking. I feel like he was trying to keep himself from being in that position again.

What is the best part about having Bo at the lake?
He is entertaining. He is always following me and he likes to lay down with me.

What is the most difficult part about having Bo at the lake?
Picking up poop. It's just not something I enjoy doing.

How do you work through the difficulty of picking up poop?
I just do it. I just get it done with or I walk as far as I can into the woods, off the side of the road, and cue him to go two.

What have you learned about yourself since having Bo at the lake?
I haven't learned anything about myself.

What has most surprised you about having Bo at the the lake?
How well he works in a different environment. For example, he alerted Poppy in the middle of the night.

What do your friends at the lake say about Bo?
That he is really cool and that he is doing a really important thing.

Do your friends at the lake ask you questions about Bo's job?
Not really.

Has anyone tried to pet Bo when he was working at the lake?
Yes but I just told the kid no and he stopped.

Would you recommend that a 13-year-old boy living with Type 1 (autoimmune) Diabetes get a Diabetes Alert Dog?
Yes, because it helps with responsibilities. Also, it's very helpful because a lot of times I feel fine and Bo alerts and I'll be low and I won't feel it. It's really nice to have that back-up.

Boy and pup napping at the lake.

Video: Training thru a Metal Detector

The focus of our training session with Helen this afternoon was on practicing passing through a metal detector and having Bo wanded with a hand held metal detector by a stranger. This training is in preparation for going through airport security. We conducted our session at our local federal court building. We chose to schedule our first session at the end of the day when it would be less busy. We introduced ourselves to the security personnel and explained what we where there to do and asked for their permission to pass through the metal detector for training purposes. The employees were incredibly welcoming and helpful. Bo did have a reaction to being wanded that was captured on video. Helen talked Austin through handling the reaction and Bo recovered. We did not remove his vest, harness, leash and collar, so the metal detector was NOT turned on when it was moved over his body. (It would have alarmed due to all the metal and we wanted him to experience the wand on his body separate from the sound of it alarming. We exposed him to the sound of the detector going off at the end of the session.) When we go through airport security we will remove his equipment and put on a slip lead without any metal parts.









We spent 30 minutes training at the federal court building and then went to Helen's studio to practice with an improvised metal detector and another male person who Bo had never met previously.  The following videos are from the studio session. In the first one, Bo walks into the studio unfocused and pulling. On his second entrance to the space, he is focused on Austin.

Air Scenting Before an Alert

The other day Bo alerted to me while we were on my friend's deck watching Austin play basketball. Bo was in a down stay at my feet and he raised his paw and swiped my foot. I looked down at him and saw his nose sniffing vigorously while he was air scenting. At that moment, I recognized the soft breeze that was drifting past us. I called Austin up to the deck to check his blood sugar and Bo stood up and re-alerted. Austin got up to the deck where I was sitting (a good hundred feet from the court below) and checked his blood sugar. He was 82. Austin took glucose and I rewarded Bo for his alert.

One of the many things I've learned on this journey is the role air flow plays in a trained DAD detecting and alerting to a reward range blood sugar. As a result, I watch Bo for signs of air scenting which include his head in an upward tilt and his nostrils sniffing vigorously. I also pay attention to (indoors) if the heating/cooling fan has just kicked on or (outdoors) if there is a strong wind or soft breeze. 

Bo air scenting.

Austin on court below the deck where we were.

Video: Working at a Paintball Field

Today, Austin and his friend celebrated their 13th birthday's together at a paintball field with twelve of their friends. It was Bo's first time at the field. He handled the sounds of the guns, the yelling and screaming of players and the running and activity very well. He gave a woof at an adult, fully geared up player who was wearing a mask but stopped with redirection. Over the course of the five hours we were there, Bo alerted to a high of 220 and a low of 75.

In this video, you can hear the noise of guns being shot and players yelling. You can see Bo remain in a relaxed down. A fly on his rump got his attention more than the noise.  I would highly recommend training at a paintball field for the many distractions it presents.

Night Alerts

We are fortunate in that Bo alerts in the middle of the night. We've found our success in allowing Bo to get a couple of hours of sleep in our bed early in the evening, when Austin is still awake, and then placing boy and pup together when Austin goes to bed. At 3:13 am this morning, Bo hopped out of Austin's bed and came to mine to alert. Austin was 84 -- an ideal number to be alerted at for a low. Bo is not perfect by any means but he is one heck of a night alerter and for this I'm incredibly grateful!

Remote Alert at the Football Stadium

We took Bo to the football stadium last night to train for a few hours and while we were there he gave a remote alert. Bo was sitting between my legs (close command) and Austin was on the side line when he alerted. Bo paw swiped me twice in quick succession and looked at me intently. I told him we would check. We were able to get Austin's attention to tell him Bo alerted and to have him check his blood sugar. Austin checked and he was 180 -- a number in Bo's high reward range. We treated Bo with hot dog pieces and praised him for his good alert, then gave him the 'all set' command.

This isn't the first time Bo has alerted remotely but it's one of his first remote alerts in a highly distracting environment. There were big and small kids running past us and there were people eating hamburgers and hot dogs near us. There was loud music, as well as people cheering and stomping on the bleachers. There was also a mom pushing a double stroller back and forth in front of us. We were seated next to the stairs so there was frequent foot traffic beside us. There were also several people who stopped to talk to us and some who stopped to look at Bo. Our sweet pup earned a gold star for his focus and attention. His alert was a bonus! When we got home Austin's blood sugar was 98, just right for sitting down to eat dinner.

Austin was on the side line beyond the fence
when Bo alerted high from the first row of the bleachers.

Down stay between my legs on the stadium bleachers.

Alerts: Do They Ever Get Old?

Bo came into my room tonight while I was vacuuming and alerted. My bedroom door was closed and he pushed through it to get to me. He typically waits at a closed door for us to open it, so when he did this I had a feeling he was coming to tell me something. He walked over the vacuum hose, came to my side and alerted with a paw swipe. I didn't ask, 'What is he?' Instead, I turned off the vacuum and headed to the kitchen to get Austin's pack. Austin was 79. You'd think after experiencing hundreds of Bo's alerts they would get old but I can honestly say they don't. Each alert is unique in one way or another. For example, tonight's alert was the first he has given while I was using the vacuum. In addition to getting past the closed door, he had to maneuver around the vacuum canister and hose and he had to get my attention with the noise of the vacuum running. These may seem like simple tasks but in a dog's world they are a lot of distractions. He worked around them, proving his willingness and ability to to do what we have trained him to do, and he did his job beautifully! 

The Lowest A1c Since Before Type 1 Diagnosis

Today we are grateful because Austin's A1c dropped from 7.9 in March to 7.2 today. This is the lowest average 90 day blood sugar we have seen in the eight years he has lived with Type 1. (The closest we've gotten to this number is 7.3 in 2011.) It's especially exciting because when his average 90 day blood sugar is segmented into 'within', 'above' and 'below' BG goal, the below goal represents 0%. A low A1c can be achieved by a lot of low blood sugars but as you can imagine that's not optimal. The goal is to achieve an A1c of 7.5 or lower by maintaining one's blood sugar in your target/goal range. Austin's goal range is between 80 and 140 mg/dl.

We attribute Austin's A1c today in part to Bo. Over the past six months, Bo's alerts have become more consistent and reliable. Additionally, he continues to demonstrate his willingness to work for us. He is not perfect but he is showing excellent and marked progress. We will continue to work to tighten Austin's blood sugar control with the goal of ensuring his long term health and well being. There is no question Bo will help us achieve tighter control sooner, rather than later.

Austin and Bo First Day of 7th Grade

Today I Turned Two

I walked in the meadow.

I ate grass.

I played fetch in the field.

I posed for pictures.

I found my family's brick in the school yard.

I practiced 'leave.'

I went exploring.

I found a tennis ball.

I rested in the sculpture garden.

I got brushed.

I brought Syl presents for my birthday.

I got a birthday gift from Syl and Gil.

I played football.

I got rubs from Syl.

I hung out with my boy.

I got a cupcake treat from my Mama.

I got a new toy.

Our two year old pup. August 23, 2014.

Video: Practicing Stimulus Control

In May 2014, I wrote a post about stimulus control. It explains what stimulus control is and how we practice it. Our goal is for Bo's responses to our commands to be what's considered 'under good stimulus control.'  In this video, Bo is behind me and I'm giving him commands without looking at him and without hand signals. The goal of the exercise is for him to give the correct behavior the first time I give a command. I practice stimulus control with him in different ways to improve his ability to respond to verbal commands no matter where he is in position to me. There is an easy to understand post about stimulus control on the Dog Willing LLC Web site.

If at First You Don't Succeed, Try, Try, Try Again

Waiting our turn for recall with distractions.

We took Bo for his AKC Community Canine test this afternoon -- a test we've been preparing for as part of a six week group class with four other dogs and their humans. We arrived at the test site an hour before the test to exercise Bo and get him acclimated to the location. By the time we met up with our instructor, her assistants and the other class members he was less energetic than when we arrived. 

Recall with distractions.

We went through each test item as a group -- taking turns with greetings from strangers, walking past distractions of people and dogs, sitting and staying in a small group, holding a down stay with distractions and recalling with distractions. Everyone in the test group passed and we were filling out our paperwork when someone realized we had forgotten the last test item. It was the item that tested our dog's ability to wait at a doorway until given the command to proceed. This is a skill I practice and use with Bo every day. I had no concerns about Bo's ability to pass this test item. I had been most concerned about his ability to pass the 'leave it' test. While he has a reliable 'leave' at home, he struggles with 'leave' in public. 

Our 'doorway' was a narrow passage that served as an entry into the park where we were testing. It was formed by a large rock wall that had an opening in it for foot traffic.  A granite post divided the entry in half. We had to walk between the post and one side of the wall. Easy enough, right? Not so much.

The granite post had dog urine on it and Bo wouldn't 'leave it,' so we never got to having him wait at the entry way.  He was so locked on the scent I couldn't get his attention to give him a command to wait. He had his nose down on the ground and was sniffing intently. So, we failed the test. 

We left knowing we have more work to do to teach a reliable 'leave' in public. This is a skill that is critical for a service dog and he needs to be 'bomb proof'. We will be seeking out new and creative ways to practice and train this behavior using things that we can see and things we can't see, like dog urine. 

'Tis a lesson you should heed:
Try, try, try again.  

If at first you don't succeed,

Try, try, try again.

This failure will make us work even harder and I'm confident, as a result, we will be stronger and better for it.

I Tested Bo This Morning

I tested Bo this morning. It was 6:45 am. I didn't need to go to work, so I was lying in bed watching the news. Bo was nestled at my side with his head resting on mine. We had been like this for awhile before he put a paw on my chest. Unlike usual, I didn't respond to it. I wanted to see how persistent he would be if I didn't respond to his signal. 

Bo pawed me again. He pawed me several times before pressing both his front legs into my chest in what looked like a bow. 

I moved him off me.

He sat at my side and looked over me. 

He pawed my face. His rough paw pad scratching my cheek.  

I looked at him silent and moved my body position. He then stood up and went to the edge of the bed. 

I thought he was going to jump off it.

Instead, he stood at the edge of the bed making eye contact with me and then looking at the floor. 

I remained silent. 

He responded by lying down with his body facing mine. His head was held high in attention. He was staring at me intently and he groaned. He followed it with a succession of whines upon which I broke my silence. 

I asked him if we needed to check. 

He immediately jumped off the bed and went to Austin's room. 

When I got to Austin's room. He was on Austin's bed sniffing around Austin's head. 

I checked Austin and he was 79.  After I treated Austin with juice, I rewarded Bo with food, praise and his favorite game. When the party was over he hopped onto my bed, curled up and went back to sleep.  

Bo after being rewarded for his alert.

He passed my test. He was persistent in his alerting and he used different behaviors in attempting to get me to respond to him. The entire exercise was only a couple of minutes. If he didn't continue alerting or trying to get my attention, I still would have checked Austin's blood sugar. I've never tested Bo in this way before and I may never do it again.

Have you ever tested your DAD in a similar way?  What did it look like? 

One Dog, Two Homes

Bo with Syl and Gil at their home.

Bo has two homes and two families that love him as their own. He has our family of three and he has our neighbors, Gil and Syl. Ever since Bo was 10-weeks-old, he has been spending his days at Gil and Syl's house while we spend ours at work and school. At their house, he socializes, plays, exercises and naps all while getting a lot of love and attention. We have referred to Gil and Syl's house as Bo's vacation home because of the pure joy and excitement he exudes every time he goes there.

I'm certain our journey with Bo wouldn't be what it is today if it weren't for Gil and Syl taking him during the day and nurturing his development. They have provided him countless socialization opportunities, practiced and reinforced trained behaviors, supported his DAD training and provided me with guidance and support on dog ownership. They have been a major part of the village it has taken to raise and train our pup.

In Bo's first year, Syl attended our private training sessions with Helen. In doing so, she was able to maintain training consistency between our house and theirs. She has also educated me on many things I didn't know. For example, I had Bo micro-chipped but I never had an ID tag made for his collar until Syl mentioned it to me. She has also identified minor illnesses and injury at early onset that I had missed -- things like conjunctivitis and a cut paw pad. I think she was even the person who told me about the need to register Bo with the Town Clerk's office. (Crazy! Here I am on a journey to raise a service dog and I had totally missed Dog Ownershp 101. Thankfully, Syl held my hand along the way and got me up to speed.)

Bo's time at Gil and Syl's house has provided exposures to many new people and provided countless socialization opportunities. Delivery men, repair men, family members and friends -- all giving Bo the opportunity to practice greeting people with manners and learning strangers can be nice people. Their house has also provided the opportunity for Bo to perform the work we've been training him to do -- alert on low and high blood sugar. This is because one of Syl's friends who visits her daily, lives with Type 1 Diabetes. Her name is Ellen. Bo was not trained to alert on her, it's just something he began doing on his own. Ellen has graciously accepted Bo's invitation to work for her.  Each time he alerts, she checks her blood sugar and follows our process for rewarding and reinforcing his alerts. These positive and reinforcing experiences combined with the huge amount of love Bo receives from Gil and Syl and all their friends and family has helped us raise a happy, healthy, smart, sweet dog. 

So, you're thinking WOW, right? I know! We are incredibly fortunate and blessed to live next door to the most wonderful two people a family could ever ask for. We are also incredibly grateful for the wonderful gift and opportunity to share one dog between two families. Syl once described the circumstances of our mutual situation something like this: 'You needed someone to take care of your pup, while we needed a pup to take care of.' I never could have imagined such a perfect arrangement and I'm grateful for it every single day. Our pup lives a great life at his two homes and with his two families, and we wouldn't have it any other way. :)

Lessons Learned

I've been writing this post in my head for awhile. It's the lessons learned -- those things I would do differently had I the benefit of 20/20 hindsight when we started this journey.

1. Consider Adopting and Training a Released Service Dog in Training

I purchased Bo from a reputable breeder and began training him when we brought him home. If I had it to do over, I would consider adopting a dog that was released from a credible service dog organization like Guiding Eyes for the Blind (GEB). Through my journey, I have become friends with GEB puppy raisers. I've learned a lot about the GEB program and how their dogs are bred, raised, trained, IFT tested and when they don't pass test requirements -- released for adoption. It's a rigorous program and only a small percentage of the dogs that start with the program have the temperament and drive to become guide dogs. The others are released having logged hours of socialization, public access and basic obedience training. All of their training is performed under the guidance of puppy raisers who are required to follow GEB protocols and attend monthly group classes, led by professional GEB trainers. A dog can be released from the GEB program for something as benign as being afraid of heights. In short, adopting a released dog is a cost-effective and time-effective option for the individual seeking to train his/her own DAD --- an option I wished I would have appreciated when I began researching DADs.

2. Let People Pet Your Puppy Even if He is Wearing His Service Vest

I started taking Bo out in his service vest around the time he was 12 weeks old. People would come up to us all the time and ask to pet him and say hello. I would always politely tell them he was a service dog in training and that he couldn't be pet. Well, if I had it over to do I would let as many people big, small, young, old -- you name it --- greet and touch him. Why? Because by not allowing this he got used to people respecting his space. I learned there are many people who don't think twice about touching your dog without your permission. I can't intercept every one of these people who often have good intentions. For example, once I was walking Bo past a group of people on a crowded sidewalk and a man put his hand out to touch Bo as we passed. The benefit of this early exposure to people coming up to him and touching or talking to him (in his vest) far outweighs the benefit of associating the service vest to work when your dog is a young puppy. (Note: When Bo wasn't in his vest as a puppy we always allowed and encouraged greetings from strangers.)

3. Teach 'Close' When Your Puppy is Still Small

Sit, down and stay were the first commands I taught Bo. If I could do it again, I would have taught the 'close' command too. This command teachers your dog to get close to your body. It looks like you sitting with your legs apart and the dog nestled between your legs. If you are standing it looks like the dog sitting between your legs and touching your body. The command is helpful when you need your dog to remain close to your body for his own safety. For example, in a check-out line with shopping carriages or on a bus or subway. Training this command involves luring the dog into an outward facing sit between your legs. It's much easier to get the dog in the necessary position when he is small. I started training Bo on this command when he was older and bigger -- it took a lot of training and practice before he was able to perform it correctly.

4. Choose Your Alert Signal Carefully

I trained Bo to alert with a paw swipe. If I could do it over, I would not use the paw swipe. The paw swipe can be a violent gesture -- especially to a bare leg, arm or to your head. It can result in scratches, bruising and redness. Not ideal for anyone but especially not for a child. Instead of the paw swipe, I would train the nose bump as a low signal. It provides a physical touch that can awake you during sleep but is gentle on skin.

5. Set Your Low Threshold Tight

I originally trained Bo to alert on a blood sugar of 100 or lower. I ended up re-training him to alert on a low of 85 or lower. If I could do it over, I would have trained him to alert on a low of 85 right from the get go. Why? Because we are validating a DAD's alert with a glucometer -- technology that is allowed +/-20 point margin of error. A meter reading of 85 could be as high as 105 and as low as 65 -- 85 is the sweet spot in my opinion.

What lessons have you learned on your journey to raise and train a DAD?