Things I have Learned Through out the Process

Bringsel

             When I first got my DAD ( Diabetic Alert Dog) I learned quite a few things most people should know. A DAD can take up to a year to establish a steady night time alert and some will never alert at night. I know most parents want a dog to do night alerts but there is not guarantee. I know my DAD does do night alerts since day one,but I have very few lows at night. My dangerous period is from 4-8 most mornings and through out the day. I have most of my seizures in early mornings or right before bed for some reason even as a kid. There is also another thing you learn is that they can alert in different ways. A large percentage of people use a bringsel for alerts. The dog holds this in its mouth to alert you but I know myself all to well I honestly would miss that especially when I am in the midst of doing something important. I think each team needs to think not about what most teams are doing but look at what will work for them. I work Duchess to create alerts that work for me. There is also other aspects when I first got my DAD I did not think about such as boots to protect my service animals feet. a rain jacket, warm coat or sweater for when it's colder and supplements for joints.

                 I have heard from quite a few angry parents who thought a dog would automatically alert at night on a regular basis Duchess did, but I modified the hours she gets up to check on me to focus mostly on my most dangerous periods of time. Even with purchasing a trained dog there still is a great deal of work to keep up a DAD's training.There is quite a few expenses I had not thought about such as the boots and essentials Duchess needs for her work. I know I think constantly about her safety and how a simple incident could cause her to stop working. I know through my learning experience I also learned that a service dogs also have a need to be keep really clean. I also bathe Duchess weekly brush her at least 3 times or more a week. I knew that there was standards for service animals but it does take quite a bit of time to keep her up to service dog standards. I also have learned a great deal about fighting for my rights to have access. I have learned as I experienced things and it amazes me that on August 15th of this year I am celebrating two years with my life saving best friend.