Sniff & Sit Dog training services. Search and Detection, Obedience and Behavior Dog Specialist.

Molly is the diabetic service dog that I am training. She is coming along nicely. Her basic obedience has been started and she is being fully socialized. As of now she knows sit, stay, down, come and knows how to follow off leash. She is also learning to identify the scent of the chemical change in a persons body chemistry when their sugar is dropping low. This has all taken place before she is even four months old. She is on her way to being a superb diabetic service dog.
M

This question is one of the most popular with clients who are calling me in for cases of aggression. The aggression can be toward other dogs or other people. Today I will focus on the most common cause of aggression, lack of socialization. There is what they call a “sensitive period”, this period is from 3 weeks of age till 13 weeks. This is the key time to introduce your pup to healthy dogs who are good with puppy’s and all types of people including children, it is important to be aware of some of the diseases like parvo and lepto so you can take steps not to expose your pup to these pathogens. Now in the case of a diabetic service dog they must be exposed to all different types of situations where they will have to be confident and calm. When dogs are exposed to people and dogs at this time in their life and have a positive experience it will last their whole life. Not to say that the socialization process stops here, it is a type of training that should never stop. To put things in perspective imagine that you were walking down the street and once in a while you see a member of the same species, but you rarely get to greet them and someone three times the size as you has a collar around your neck and they pull on it so it gets tight every time you see another …….. You would get nasty too. We should be getting our dogs out as much as possible, I know this is hard when your dog does not have good manners so this is why you should provide your dog with an education. Not of just sit, stay, down, come, and heel but teaching good social skills as well, this all starts in that sensitive period and continues for the life of the dog, so get out there with your dog and have fun.
M

Molly is being trained as a dog that alerts a diabetic when their blood sugar has dropped low. This is such a benefit to anyone who is a type 1 diabetic. The dogs can smell a change in the diabetics body chemistry and then with extensive training will alert them that they should check their sugar.
Molly is a nine week old black lab that I am training for this type of work. When she is done she will not only a life saver but a great dog as well.