This is the true, motivational story of a woman determined to rise above the challenges of living with Type 1 diabetes by training a very special dog named Abbey as a Diabetic Alert Dog (also called a Diabetes Alert Dog or Medical Alert Dog). It is a humorous, personal narrative and an informative guide on what it takes to become a successful team, filled with entertaining anecdotes of training episodes, miscues, public interactions and the crafting of a deep relationship between handler and canine.
Whether you or someone you love has diabetes, have a medical practice, train service dogs, compete in events like rally, agility, tricks or confirmation, or even if you are ‘just’ a dog lover, this funny and poignant memoir will encourage you to embrace the good days and persevere through the bad.
After reading this story, you will never look at dogs and their amazing potential in the same way. And you may just find yourself with an irresponsible urge to train your own Diabetic Alert Dog! Embrace the challenge by meeting Abbey and her inspiring owner-handler.
Cuprins
Chapter 1: Entry Into Another World ………………………………………….1
Chapter 2: Can We Do This? DAD Or DUD? ……………………………….. 9
Chapter 3: First Appraisal …………………………………………………………13
Chapter 4: More Than Words Can Say ………………………………………19
Chapter 5: Personal Choices ……………………………………………………..25
Chapter 6: I Am Not Alone………………………………………………………….33
Chapter 7: Ding, Dong! May I Have Your Attention? …………………..39
Chapter 8: Virtual Outreach……………………………………………………….49
Chapter 9: Can You Smell Me, Pepé Le Pew?………………………………55
Chapter 10: Another Dad Household………………………………………….65
Chapter 11: A Day In The Life Of Dog & Handler ………………………..73
Chapter 12: Mom And DAD’s Day Out ………………………………………. 81
Chapter 13: Eureka! First Independent Alert ………………………………91
Chapter 14: Positive Advocacy Can Change The World……………….95
Chapter 15: Teaming To Train The Difficult Car Alert ………………..103
Chapter 16: Bloopers: The Good, The Bad & The Ugly ………………111
Chapter 17: The 24/7 Quest To Generalize DAD Alerts………………119
Chapter 18: Sometimes The Dog Is Smarter……………………………..129
Chapter 19: A DAD In The Workplace? ……………………………………..141
Chapter 20: Team Abbey Moves Forward ………………………………..149
Chapter 21: The Assistance Dog Public Access Behavior Test……155
Chapter 22: Adding Gravy: Simple Cues For Alleviating Stress ….167
Chapter 23: Be Careful What You Wish For……………………………….177
Chapter 24: Off To Camp We Go……………………………………………….183
Chapter 25: Overcoming Doubters And Challengers ………………..193
Chapter 26: General Recommendations……………………………………205
Chapter 27: The Age Of Wisdom ………………………………………………211
Afterword…………………………………………………………………………………215
Acknowledgments ……………………………………………………………………216
Diabetes/Diabetic Alert Dog Resources……………………………………..218
About The Author …………………………………………………………………….224
About The Photographer ………………………………………………………….225