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.

The Closed Bedroom Door

It happens night after night. Well okay, there are some nights when it doesn't happen but most nights Austin's bedroom door ends up closed. Austin claims he always opens it before he turns in for the night, so how it ends up closed is an ongoing debate in our house. It wouldn't be such a big deal if it weren't for the fact that Bo sleeps with Austin but alerts to us in the middle of the night.

If the door is shut Bo can't get out of Austin's room to come to our room and alert. So, being the persistent alerter that we've trained him to be, he improvises. He will whine and tap his feet behind Austin's closed bedroom door. The noise he makes doesn't wake Austin but it does wake us. (He learned the whining and tapping when we used to put a gate at Austin's door at night to keep him (Bo) from leaving his room.)

Recently, we've been tweaking Austin's overnight basal rates in tiny increments.  We haven't gotten his overnight number where we want it to be, so Bo's been doing a lot of night work -- sometimes alerting multiple times in one night. Last night, he alerted to a high of 170. The night before, Austin had a pod issue and he had a persistent high. Bo caught the high in the 200s and re-alerted again as Austin's blood sugar soured into the 300s.

Not all trained Diabetic Alert Dogs work at night, we are fortunate that Bo is a strong night alerter. I attribute his strength in this area to a few things. The first is the amount of time and energy I invested in scent training at night. Night after night, I'd wake up with him at 2 am and train. Plus, I always used the highest value food reward and his favorite toy and games in night training. It was exhausting work but it paid off. Second, Bo gets a nap early in the evening before heading to bed with Austin. The nap allows him to sleep lighter than without one. In fact, on days when he doesn't get an early evening nap he is more apt to miss an alert in the middle of the night. Third, night alerts provide a nice snack for Bo.

Given, he works for all his food. He doesn't have a food dish. He is a healthy weight and gets the calories he needs but he isn't overfed -- a snack in the middle of the night is an incentive to get up and let us know when he smells a low or high.

Have a question about night alerts? Leave your question in the comments and I'll do my best to answer.

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.

His Nose is a Wonder

Bo's nose is a wonder to me. If I could have one super power, it would be to have a nose like his. To smell what he smells -- the scent of Austin's blood sugar diving, soaring and holding steady. I want a soft breeze to carry secret messages to me and circulating air to shout to me like they do to him. I want a deep inhale to tell me when Austin's sleep is safe and when it's not.

Today, while Austin was downstairs watching a football game I sent Bo to find him. Bo had been with me and I wanted him to check-in with Austin. On my command, he left my side and went to Austin who was eating. He alerted to Austin before running upstairs to find me. Once he got to me in my room, he pawed my leg and bowed in front of me.

I didn't know he had already alerted Austin, so I told him we'd check and headed downstairs. Austin was in the process of checking by the time I got there. The meter read 55.

The work Bo does for us changes our lives. It makes our lives better. It keeps Austin safer.

Austin didn't feel the low. He had just finished lunch and was eating a yogurt when Bo alerted. He would have bolused for the yogurt if it had not been for Bo's alert. Instead, he took glucose and waited 15 minutes before rechecking.

High Alert and Spilled Pretzels at School

Bo ready to go to work at school with Austin.

Bo and Austin worked together at school today. Bo alerted to a 200. He also alerted to a 118 but Austin didn't wait 15 minutes to re-check, so we don't know if it was a false alert or an alert ahead of the meter. Austin felt like his blood sugar was dropping and because he was going to lunch, he ate without waiting and rechecking.

When I asked Austin how Bo did working in the cafeteria, he said Bo did good but not so good when they encountered spilled pretzels in the hallway.  Bo got a pretzel before Austin saw the spill. Austin said once he gave the leave command, Bo complied and left the pretzels.

Leaving food in public is something we are continually working on with Bo. Ideally, he would not put his nose down to sniff food on the floor or ground. A service dog (SD) should not be going for food like this -- it's not safe for the dog and it's not good SD manners.

Bo and Austin on their way into school.

Bo doesn't go for food that falls on the floor in our house or homes of people we visit but in public he will try to go for food on the floor or ground. I think this may be because we did more more training on leave at home when he was younger than we did in public. Dogs don't generalize like humans. So, it's important to train commands in different places and spaces to help dogs learn. In the case of leaving food, a dog must learn leaving food that's fallen on a kitchen floor is the same as leaving food on the ground on the street or any other place.  From what I've seen, and from what Austin tells me, there are a lot of opportunities to practice leaving food while working at school. I look forward to hearing from Austin about Bo's progress in this area as they spend more time together at school.

All in all, it was a successful day for boy and pup at school today.

Alert During A Meal

Bo ready to play after a low alert.

Yesterday, while Austin was eating breakfast, Bo alerted. Austin was on his second English muffin and I figured his blood sugar was rising. I was inclined to have Austin bolus for his breakfast but he checked instead. He was 81.

Bo got a puppy party with cheese before he brought me a toy to play his favorite game. The pup's nose helps us day and night to keep Austin's blood sugar in a safe range.

First Day of Sophomore Year

Sophomore Year (Austin 15, Bo 5) 

Today Austin took Bo with him to school for their first day together as sophomores. Bo alerted to a high of 190 and re-alerted at 230. Austin says they worked well together. My heart is happy with this news.

Austin's teachers had this to share regarding Austin and Bo in their classrooms today:

"I have Austin S2 and frankly I didn't even know that Bo was in the room until I was walking around class and saw him gracefully lying below Austin's feet."

"I just met Bo last block. It is clear that Austin and Bo are a team and it was an effortless transition having Bo in class."

"We didn't even realize Bo was in class today until half way through, so the two of them have his presence down to a science - very impressive! "

AM Drop Off at School

I've always believed the biggest compliment to our service dog (SD) team is when someone says s/he didn't notice Bo. If Bo is doing his job well, he will go unnoticed most of the time. By this I mean, he will be tucked tight and out of the way of traffic; he will be quiet and settled on place; he will alert discreetly and only escalate his alert if, for some reason, Austin is not responding to him.

Knowing boy and pup are working as a team on their own in a highly distracting environment like high school fills my heart with joy and pride. Knowing Bo is catching out of range blood sugars that otherwise would have gone undetected (until a scheduled check) is reassuring and comforting. We know when Austin and Bo are together 24/7 during the summer Austin's A1c is the lowest. The more time they are spending together during the day at school, the more likely we'll see A1c results that ensure Austin's long term health and well being.

Loading Up in Car for School

Today I Turned Five

Today I turned five.

I found a green ball.

I chased the ball.

I splashed in a big puddle.

I went for a walk.

I got new toys.

Gil and Syl got me a football.

I ate a special frozen treat.

I had a birthday party with my humans.

Our five-year-old pup. August 23, 2017.

For the Love of Bo

Prior to my journey I had no dog training experience, never owned a dog, nor was a “dog person.” What I lacked in experience I made up for in sheer grit. I knew it was going to be work. I had no idea how much work it would be. I knew it would be at least two years before I'd know if the puppy I was training had the drive or temperament to be a service dog. I had no idea the amount of tears or triumphs I would experience on the way to finding out. I knew I would love our pup regardless of the outcome; I had no idea just how strong that love would be or how much joy it would bring.

My story is one a mother’s will to defy the odds to help her child live independently with a life threatening disease that requires constant vigilance — a story punctuated by adversity, perseverance and triumph. It's a love story in the truest sense. 

Video: With Me Off Leash

Bo is trained to walk at our left side and to keep our pace. 'With me' is the verbal command for this trained behavior. It's commonly known as 'heel.' When he is working on a leash, his leash should be loose. He should not pull ahead or lag behind but instead stay on his mark at our leg. 

In this video, Bo is walking with me OFF leash. You see he maintains his position at my left side, keeping pace and visually checking in with me. When I stop, he stops and sits without any verbal prompting. We use food reward based training to teach Bo to walk at our side on and off leash. One of the most helpful training tips I got related to training 'with me' was to be sure I was giving Bo his food reward on his mark.

The Kid with the Dog

Last Thursday, I attended a meeting at work without my cell phone. The one hour meeting ended up lasting two hours. When I got back to my office, I had missed two calls — one from Austin and one from the school nurse. They were trying to reach me because Austin's blood sugar was 500 and he had small ketones.

In his condition, he couldn't walk home from school as planned, so he needed to be picked up. With me unreachable and his typical ride home out of town, Austin called our neighbors — Syl and Gil. And, as they've done so many times before, they swooped in and saved the day for our family. Syl was there to answer Austin's call and Gil was there to pick him up at school and bring him home. When I finally returned the missed calls, Austin was home and his blood sugar was on a downward trend.

Later that evening as I reflected on the incident, I couldn't help but think how Bo could have prevented the dangerous high and ketones, if he had been at school with Austin. I have no doubt Bo would have alerted in time to treat the rise in blood sugar before it got to an unsafe number. He also would have continued to alert, leading Austin to re-check. Bo wasn't at school because Austin has not wanted to resume taking him to school since he stopped attending with him in December. Austin says he wants to bring Bo back to school but so far he has not.

During a recent appointment with Austin's endocrinologist, Austin shared his feelings about bringing Bo to school expressing the extra work involved with being responsible for a dog at school. Later in an unrelated conversation with me, he made a reference to 'being the kid with the dog' at school. I know taking a dog to school is a big responsibility. I also know having a dog at school draws a lot of unwanted attention. I've chosen to leave the decision of whether or not to take Bo to school up to Austin. When we are going out in public, I always ask him if he wants to bring Bo or leave him home. Lately, he's opted to leave him home. Today, Austin had a medical appointment for an acute illness. Like I always do, I asked him if he wanted to take Bo to the appointment. I expected him to say, no. To my surprise, he said yes.

Service Animal Pamphlet Features Bo

Bo is featured on the front cover of Concord Hospital's Service Animal pamphlet.  I may be bias but I think he visually represents service dogs (SD) well. What do you think?

The hospital produced pamphlet addresses ADA law and outlines what patients and visitors with service dogs can expect during their visit or stay.  The pamphlet will be available in public spaces at the hospital and its medical practices. The contents of it is also available on Concord Hospital's Web site.  I'm hopeful it will serve as a tool to educate people about the ADA law and inform on how healthcare professionals at the Hospital interact with service dog teams.

Service Dog Education and Advocacy

Bo as Service Dog Ambassador

Last week I had the opportunity to talk to a great group of fourth and fifth grade Cub Scouts about service dogs. Austin was asked to give the presentation but declined, so I gave it with Bo. The week prior, I had joined friends who raise Guiding Eyes for the Blind puppies for a similar presentation to a Girls Scout Troop. 

My presentation focused on education and advocacy. I started my talk with a discussion about what makes a service dog different from a pet dog. I then talked about the different types of service dogs and had a nice conversation with the boys about Bo's job as a Diabetic Alert Dog. I was so impressed with the their knowledge and questions. Many boys had heard of diabetes and even knew it was a disease that related to a person's blood sugar. Smart kids! 

Before we left, I invited the boys to hide a scent stick for Bo to find. I took Bo outside the classroom while they hid the scent stick. When I returned with Bo, I gave him the command to 'find low' and the boys enjoyed watching him use his nose to find it. Bo also got to demonstrate some of the commands he knows and take a picture with the den. 

The boys showed excellent service dog etiquette and did not touch, pet or talk to Bo — understanding when a service dog is in public the dog is working and must stay focused on its handler to do its job well.

I look forward to doing more service dog education and advocacy in the future.

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.

Video: 'This Way' Command

We use the verbal command 'this way' to cue a 180 degree direction change.  We mostly use it on loose leash walks. Today, while on an off leash walk with Bo and Lilly, I captured this video of Bo responding to my command 'this way.' If you're able to zoom in on the video, you can actually see him change direction the moment I give the command. 

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. 

A Listening Dog

The other day I was reminded that Bo is a listening dog. Austin had just finished checking his blood sugar after a low alert from Bo. I asked Austin if he wanted to take glucose tablets or if he wanted me to get a juice. I was already on my way to the kitchen when Austin replied he wanted juice. I turned around to see Bo was behind me carrying a juice box. He had retrieved it from Austin’s nightstand where we always keep a juice box.

Bo has the 'get juice' command under good stimulus control — only retrieving a juice from the nightstand when given the command. When I had asked Austin if he wanted me to get a juice, Bo heard his command 'get juice' and responded as he has been trained. 

Related Video Posts: Retrieving a Juice Box on Command (from 10-19-2014)

Christmas Vacation

As I sit cross legged on the bed typing these words, he lies at my knees snoring gently. Moments ago he alerted to my dad one floor above me before leading my dad downstairs to me, where he alerted to me. Austin was playing video games behind a closed door in a room on the opposite side of the vacation home where we are staying. A check of Austin’s blood sugar confirmed his high alert. Once I treated him for his alert, he followed me back to my room downstairs where he now lies sleeping. I love my working pup.

What It's Like Working Bo at School

Bo and Austin during free time.

Guest post from Austin: 
Bo as many of you know has been attending school with me for a bit over a month now and let me say it has been one of the best months in my life. Bo is up there with some of the best things to come into my life. He works everyday all day, he get few breaks and still alerts and performs exceptionally. As I grow older and older the feeling I get when high or low fade and I find it increasingly harder to tell the difference between normal and low. However the scent signature will not change and that’s where Bo comes in he has caught thousands of high and low blood sugars through his life and it does not stop in school. Even with the constant flow of questions like “how old is he” or “what does he do”, “You’re not blind” and the most annoying “can I pet him” Bo stays calm and works through it. Bo works 6 hours through a school day and most of that is very boring to him, sitting or lying at my feet scenting for the slightest smell of a low or high. Bo is the best he is everything I could imagine and more. It makes me and my mother so proud to see him succeed in school.

Bo under desk at school

Bo napping after being picked-up from school.