Diabetic alert (hypoglycemia)

About this task

Dog detects the scent of low blood sugar and alerts the handler before it becomes dangerous.

How it helps: Provides early warning of hypoglycemic episodes, allowing the handler to take action before losing consciousness.

Required foundation skills

Foundation obedience. Scent work basics. Alert behavior trained.

Training steps

1. Collect scent samples from handler during actual low blood sugar events
2. Pair scent samples with food reward through classical conditioning
3. Teach an alert behavior: pawing, nosing, or specific signal
4. Transfer alert to actual hypoglycemic scent
5. Proof with multiple samples from different low events
6. Practice in all environments
7. Teach dog to escalate alert if handler is unresponsive
8. Note: This task requires significant expertise to train reliably. Consider working with a professional medical alert trainer.

Proofing criteria

Once your dog reliably performs this task at home, proof it in these environments and situations:

1. Alerts to hypoglycemic scent samples reliably
2. Alerts 15-20 minutes before symptoms typically appear
3. Does not false alert frequently
4. Alerts in all environments and regardless of distractions
5. Alerts when handler is asleep
6. Escalates alert if handler does not respond
7. Verified accuracy tracked and documented over 6 months