Welcome to the Diabetic Alert Dog forum! http://diabeticalertdog.com/forum/index.php Thu, 09 Sep 2010 09:49:04 -0700 Phorum 5.2.11 http://diabeticalertdog.com/forum/read.php?24,2402,2413#msg-2413 http://diabeticalertdog.com/forum/read.php?24,2402,2413#msg-2413
Dogs are limited in the ways that they can communicate with us. They can bark, they can paw, they can retrieve something, and they can look at us(not talking about a passing gaze). The eye contact I am talking about is the kind that makes you feel like your belly button was examined from your eyes down from the inside.

If you have a dogs eyes he cant run away, he cant fight you, he just has to be CENTERED and focused! So how do you get that kind of eye contact? I start by this simple statement "THE DOG MUST GIVE EYE CONTACT FOR EVERYTHING THAT THE DOG WANTS". If the dog wants to eat a treat or kibble then he must give me EYE CONTACT. Another way to put is to "CONTROL YOUR MOTIVATOR" as much as possible. If food is your motivator, then get what you want before the dog gets what he wants. I start with avery tasty treat in my hand...I want dog to engage my hand at first because I need to make sure that what is in my hand is something that the dog really wants. I want the licking, pawing, etc . I sit patiently and let them do it. When the disengage from my hand and move back or away.....I open hand. This usually causes them to come forward again and engage. I keep at this until pup either stands or sits and looks at me with a "WHAT GIVES" look on face. I then open hand and say "GET IT" or TAKE.
As they get better they will sit and start making serious eye contact. Then I start applying it in other areas...like the door, getting in car, etc.

That is the start!]]> FetchExpress Ask a Trainer Wed, 08 Sep 2010 09:50:43 -0700 http://diabeticalertdog.com/forum/read.php?24,2402,2411#msg-2411 http://diabeticalertdog.com/forum/read.php?24,2402,2411#msg-2411 FetchExpress Ask a Trainer Tue, 07 Sep 2010 09:22:28 -0700 http://diabeticalertdog.com/forum/read.php?24,2353,2410#msg-2410 http://diabeticalertdog.com/forum/read.php?24,2353,2410#msg-2410 FetchExpress Ask a Trainer Tue, 07 Sep 2010 09:19:56 -0700 http://diabeticalertdog.com/forum/read.php?6,2359,2409#msg-2409 http://diabeticalertdog.com/forum/read.php?6,2359,2409#msg-2409 maureenbrown SCENT TRAINING Tue, 07 Sep 2010 07:46:53 -0700 http://diabeticalertdog.com/forum/read.php?24,2353,2408#msg-2408 http://diabeticalertdog.com/forum/read.php?24,2353,2408#msg-2408
Also, when I travel (went camping this weekend) he rarely eats. From Friday morning to Monday night I only got him to eat once. He is fed an all natural food by Skoki with a drizzle of olive oil on it.]]> equineacres Ask a Trainer Mon, 06 Sep 2010 20:56:36 -0700 http://diabeticalertdog.com/forum/read.php?20,1495,2407#msg-2407 http://diabeticalertdog.com/forum/read.php?20,1495,2407#msg-2407 I would have to agree with you. We got Taylor a CGM after an 18 month battle and denial by my insurance co, Kaiser. My endo told me United was covering them, and we were so desperate to prevent another seizure in Taylor, after the last one left him unresponsive. I jumped at the chance to get the sensor, so I changed insurance plans and got approval pronto. Taylor hated it from day one. All the same reasons, painful insertion, another site, came out a lot, not accurate about 99% of the time. We went through numerous training sessions with diabetes educators and "CGM experts" who were all very nice and encouraging, but we just could not get any consistent calibration. And Val is right, it doesn't wake you up. I joked with my friend through the tears one day that they needed to attach a shock collar to it to wake him up! So Bridget, my position on the artificial pancreas is, been there, done that, didn't work. He had all the components of the artificial pancreas, the only difference was he had to make the decisions to change dosage based on the sensor. If you can't get the sensor to be accuate on a consistent basis, how is the artificial pancreas going to work? If it is dependent upon human calibration, which is my understanding, it's not gonna work for us. Somebody correct me if I'm wrong!]]> cathygipson considering a DAD Sun, 05 Sep 2010 21:41:42 -0700 http://diabeticalertdog.com/forum/read.php?6,2406,2406#msg-2406 http://diabeticalertdog.com/forum/read.php?6,2406,2406#msg-2406
There have been some missed lows (or else I missed the alert-- that is definitely possible) and there have been some alerts that did not correspond with a low (however, I could feel that my blood sugar was fluctuating, and it may have momentarily gone low before going back up). He is just pretty reliable though-- more reliable than my own feelings.

We've still got daily work to do, so that this becomes and stays a habit. I also want to teach Indy to bow to alert me to a low, since that will be a very specific signal for me to recognize. Unfortunately I don't always connect that he is being super annoying (shoving his head under my arm, shoving against my hand, gnawing against the side of my hand) with my blood sugar. I get distracted, especially when my blood sugar is low, and sometimes catch myself about to get after him for acting that way. So an additional signal will help. Then, once all of that is perfected, on to teaching to alert for a high.

I am so proud of him for all that he has learned, in so short a time! So proud it hurts. I loved him before, but this-- is a whole new level.]]> Melissa S. SCENT TRAINING Sun, 05 Sep 2010 18:34:27 -0700 http://diabeticalertdog.com/forum/read.php?14,2378,2405#msg-2405 http://diabeticalertdog.com/forum/read.php?14,2378,2405#msg-2405 maureenbrown TRAINING Sun, 05 Sep 2010 10:43:49 -0700 http://diabeticalertdog.com/forum/read.php?14,2401,2404#msg-2404 http://diabeticalertdog.com/forum/read.php?14,2401,2404#msg-2404 minnesota.ann TRAINING Sat, 04 Sep 2010 07:49:26 -0700 http://diabeticalertdog.com/forum/read.php?24,2403,2403#msg-2403 http://diabeticalertdog.com/forum/read.php?24,2403,2403#msg-2403 nobodybutjustme Ask a Trainer Sat, 04 Sep 2010 03:12:53 -0700 http://diabeticalertdog.com/forum/read.php?24,2402,2402#msg-2402 http://diabeticalertdog.com/forum/read.php?24,2402,2402#msg-2402 Can you give some practical tips toward building focus and eye contact?]]> nobodybutjustme Ask a Trainer Sat, 04 Sep 2010 03:09:32 -0700 http://diabeticalertdog.com/forum/read.php?14,2401,2401#msg-2401 http://diabeticalertdog.com/forum/read.php?14,2401,2401#msg-2401
There are a lot of good ideas out there. What I decided to do is to direct Indy's attention to anything I think he might fixate on and become concerned about. We tried this out at the dog-friendly custard shop and then at a busy park today. For example, we see a man walking towards us-- I say, "look! See that? Who's that?" in a cheerful voice. If I see him lift his ears in that way that might possibly mean he is looking a little too hard at something-- I do the same thing. It is amazing how well this works! I would say it-- and instantly he would relax, tail wagging, happy dog. It made me realize something, too... I can't be tense when I'm talking in such a cheerful, curious, looking-forward-to-whatever-that-is-out-there voice. This calms us BOTH down. I knew that he is very much like a mirror-- very perceptive of what I am thinking and feeling. I figured that part of the problem was me and how I feel (that's what Cesar Millan would say) when I see a stranger approaching (some strangers more so than others). After today I see that is more of a factor in Indy than lack of socialization opportunities in his past.

It was a REALLY positive day. At one point, we were crossing a bridge at the park on our way back to the car when a guy started down the bridge from the other side. This is not a wide bridge, and for a split second I felt concern-- then remembered, and said "what is that? What do you see?" and Emily said "I think he's looking at the ducks," so then I said "Look at the ducks! See the ducks?" and we passed this guy without Indy even giving him a look. That was a very good feeling! The whole day was like that, but-- that was definitely the best part of it.

We live not terribly far from an air force base, and from time to time the sound barrier is broken. It sounds, and feels, like something slams in to the house. I generally go check to make sure a car hasn't run in to our garage door, it sounds so much like that! One day this week was the strongest I've ever felt it. I don't usually react after this many years of it other than to make sure nothing has actually hit the house, but I just about jumped out of my skin this time. Emily screamed, the cats both jumped. Indy got up and walked over and sat down near me, and then just waited. I thought, that isn't bomb-proof but that's something. Sonic boom proof maybe!

All in all, it has been a really encouraging week.]]> Melissa S. TRAINING Fri, 03 Sep 2010 20:51:59 -0700 http://diabeticalertdog.com/forum/read.php?14,2378,2400#msg-2400 http://diabeticalertdog.com/forum/read.php?14,2378,2400#msg-2400
I learned that Indy responds best to verbal praise, so Emily gets to work the clicker to her heart's content (oh, how she wanted to use that so badly when it was forbidden) and treats are reserved for detecting a low and for just being a great dog in general.]]> Melissa S. TRAINING Fri, 03 Sep 2010 16:09:48 -0700 http://diabeticalertdog.com/forum/read.php?23,2152,2399#msg-2399 http://diabeticalertdog.com/forum/read.php?23,2152,2399#msg-2399 Melissa S. DIABETIC CHAT Fri, 03 Sep 2010 15:58:57 -0700 http://diabeticalertdog.com/forum/read.php?23,2295,2398#msg-2398 http://diabeticalertdog.com/forum/read.php?23,2295,2398#msg-2398 My son was diagnosed at 11, and in public school. I have to say the very first day the school reassured me they would take care of him, and they did very well. It was actually in the later years that we had more problems. Puberty....ughhh!!! Talk about wild blood sugar, and still today at 19! Since you're in a private school, I don't know what you're entitled to as far as services. Sounds like you're on the right track with the teacher, and I would focus on fostering a very positive relationship with her in order encourage her continued cooperation. We had a 504, and I was glad we did. Your teacher sounds competent, but she is also probably spread pretty thin. You hit on a good idea to work at the school, gave me peace of mind with my son. Maybe you can volunteer there a few hours/day for now? At least you could go at lunch and check her. If you could at least lay eyes on her mid-day, would probably ease your mind that she's ok. If she on a pump, you can set alarms to check BG, to make sure she bolused, etc. I also agree that with a new school year, we always saw huge swings in BG, and they will settle down. Jake makes a good point, most people really know nothing about diabetes, it's not their fault, they just haven't been exposed to it. Education....it's never enough. Sounds like it's really going to fall on you to do that, which is ok, at least they get accurate info. There's always somebody who "knows everything about diabetes" and they're all wrong!! I would have to agree the party/snack situation is the worst part of elementary school for a diabetic!!!!! I remember Taylor's end of year party in 5th grade, he was just diagnosed. I had to go and hang out in the shadows so I wouldn't cramp his style! They had a pizza party, so he came around the corner to check and bolus, very sad! I wish teachers weren't so obsessed with "treats", you'd think with the current health focus, they would get over that. On the other hand, you can ask the teacher to just let you know ahead of time when they will have a party/treat. A few skittles or m&m's isn't going to push her over the limit either. OMG...that seems so long ago!! It sounds like you and the teacher are making a good team, you will just have to work together in the absence of other staff. Good luck!]]> cathygipson DIABETIC CHAT Thu, 02 Sep 2010 21:07:53 -0700 http://diabeticalertdog.com/forum/read.php?24,2353,2397#msg-2397 http://diabeticalertdog.com/forum/read.php?24,2353,2397#msg-2397 equineacres Ask a Trainer Thu, 02 Sep 2010 20:13:20 -0700 http://diabeticalertdog.com/forum/read.php?16,2396,2396#msg-2396 http://diabeticalertdog.com/forum/read.php?16,2396,2396#msg-2396

Too cute to not add to the forum. He was spectacular on this trip. I was sooo proud of him!]]> equineacres Just Chatting Thu, 02 Sep 2010 20:06:50 -0700 http://diabeticalertdog.com/forum/read.php?23,2389,2395#msg-2395 http://diabeticalertdog.com/forum/read.php?23,2389,2395#msg-2395 There is enough room to hold her meter, low snacks, a little bag that has extra stuff (test strips, infusion site, glucagon, syringe and insulin) and a book with carb info on every food under the sun including almost every fast food place.]]> Jwatson DIABETIC CHAT Thu, 02 Sep 2010 19:38:41 -0700 http://diabeticalertdog.com/forum/read.php?20,1027,2394#msg-2394 http://diabeticalertdog.com/forum/read.php?20,1027,2394#msg-2394 Obviously one reason is the needs of the child to be a child, as stated. PE, recess, and lunch are good opportunities to give the team a break to let the child interact with other kids.
Also, it is nice to give the dog a break as well. We are asking these DADs to work 24/7 - it's impossible- We all need to adjust our expectations . . . To expect too much is to set yourself up to not be satisfied with your dog. He is a dog- a living, breathing, dynamic creature who cannot be perfect any more than any of us can be perfect. Giving your dog and his kid a break occassionally is a wise choice -]]> nobodybutjustme considering a DAD Thu, 02 Sep 2010 19:38:33 -0700 http://diabeticalertdog.com/forum/read.php?23,2389,2393#msg-2393 http://diabeticalertdog.com/forum/read.php?23,2389,2393#msg-2393 Keep a spare set in the school nurse's office.]]> equineacres DIABETIC CHAT Thu, 02 Sep 2010 17:28:54 -0700 http://diabeticalertdog.com/forum/read.php?23,2295,2392#msg-2392 http://diabeticalertdog.com/forum/read.php?23,2295,2392#msg-2392
Interesting day, after a couple hours, still around 100, then her snack of 23 grams (checked after an hour) brought her up to 300, so back to giving insulin. Ugh. Might have something coming on.....Thankfully, no seizures today!

Did sound like they had someone from the office that kept going down to check on her, after that first low; and then they would call me with the "report". So that's a good new development.]]> mindi DIABETIC CHAT Thu, 02 Sep 2010 14:16:44 -0700 http://diabeticalertdog.com/forum/read.php?23,2152,2391#msg-2391 http://diabeticalertdog.com/forum/read.php?23,2152,2391#msg-2391 NotAllThere DIABETIC CHAT Thu, 02 Sep 2010 13:11:09 -0700 http://diabeticalertdog.com/forum/read.php?23,2390,2390#msg-2390 http://diabeticalertdog.com/forum/read.php?23,2390,2390#msg-2390
Thought I would share a couple of sites that I use for recipes and carb counting that I find useful

www.allrecipes.com This sight allows you to convert recipes from cup measurements to weights by selecting metric at the top of the recipe. Also the recipes are rated and have comments so you can tell if its going to be a good or not.

http://nutritiondata.self.com Has a great database of food that you can search to find out the nutritional information.


Louise]]> NotAllThere DIABETIC CHAT Thu, 02 Sep 2010 13:09:23 -0700 http://diabeticalertdog.com/forum/read.php?23,2389,2389#msg-2389 http://diabeticalertdog.com/forum/read.php?23,2389,2389#msg-2389
My son currently uses the ezy fit case to carry his gear around in. It will not fit in the extra bits he needs for his pump. What does everyone else use to carry around their gear?

[www.diabete-ezy.com]

We also use the Ezy wipes which we find very handy.

Thanks
Louise]]> NotAllThere DIABETIC CHAT Thu, 02 Sep 2010 12:55:22 -0700 http://diabeticalertdog.com/forum/read.php?22,2388,2388#msg-2388 http://diabeticalertdog.com/forum/read.php?22,2388,2388#msg-2388 Today we have another half day of meetings, including a talk from the superintendent. Should be interesting to see what he says about the situation.]]> equineacres UPDATES FROM TEAMS Thu, 02 Sep 2010 06:43:52 -0700 http://diabeticalertdog.com/forum/read.php?22,2144,2387#msg-2387 http://diabeticalertdog.com/forum/read.php?22,2144,2387#msg-2387 kaneandaidan UPDATES FROM TEAMS Wed, 01 Sep 2010 23:32:54 -0700 http://diabeticalertdog.com/forum/read.php?22,2074,2386#msg-2386 http://diabeticalertdog.com/forum/read.php?22,2074,2386#msg-2386
Cathy and Michelle brought a tear to my eyes! Aidan is only 7 and I can't imagine sending him off to college :( I have many years before that happens- I can only pray Aidan will chose a college that is close to home!]]> kaneandaidan UPDATES FROM TEAMS Wed, 01 Sep 2010 23:26:21 -0700 http://diabeticalertdog.com/forum/read.php?14,2378,2385#msg-2385 http://diabeticalertdog.com/forum/read.php?14,2378,2385#msg-2385 Shana Eppler TRAINING Wed, 01 Sep 2010 16:05:41 -0700 http://diabeticalertdog.com/forum/read.php?14,2378,2384#msg-2384 http://diabeticalertdog.com/forum/read.php?14,2378,2384#msg-2384 NotAllThere TRAINING Wed, 01 Sep 2010 02:56:11 -0700 http://diabeticalertdog.com/forum/read.php?14,2184,2383#msg-2383 http://diabeticalertdog.com/forum/read.php?14,2184,2383#msg-2383
Now I don't have much time to train. Trying to get the housework up to date before my son starts on his pump next week. I'm sure that we will have more real time lows once he is on it.

They say that the first two weeks we will be doing a lot more night checks so that will be a good opportunity to get Zahra up to check him at the same time.

Will kept posting on how things are going]]> NotAllThere TRAINING Wed, 01 Sep 2010 02:52:47 -0700