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Service Dog Learns How to Respond to Owner’s Blood Sugar Levels

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A service dog can provide assistance to people with many different conditions, such as diabetes. For Sam, having a diabetic alert dog totally changed his life. It has brought her peace of mind and security knowing that her dog Korey is taking care of her.

“He’s my type 1 diabetes service dog, so Korey can smell when my blood sugar goes up or down, and he Alert me so I can better control my diabetes. “

A service dog trained to detect blood sugar can alert its owner in a number of ways. Korey was trained to “slap” Sam repeatedly to warn him of high or low blood sugar. For Sam, he has been a lifesaver and a cuddly companion to have around him.

Sam says this:

“I got Korey two years ago from a breeder here in Germany, where I now live. Korey is a purebred labrador retriever. It comes from what they call the Labrador line of work, so they are a little slimmer, a little more athletic, a little smaller than you normally think of when you think of a lab. “

Sam has had a lifelong battle with type one diabetes. She received this diagnosis when she was only four years old, but it was much more difficult to manage in her early 20s. At that time, you only noticed a problem when your blood sugar level went dangerously low or high.

So, she decided to seek help to better manage her condition. You got your first CGM (continuous glucose monitor), which alerts you when your blood sugar reaches a certain level. However, her CGM wasn’t always working properly, and she and her boyfriend often didn’t hear alerts at night.

In fact, on several occasions, her boyfriend Michael was unable to wake her because her blood sugar level had dropped too low. Fortunately, each time he was able to get enough sugar into his bloodstream for him to regain consciousness.

After several of these scares, they decided to get a service dog.

After talking with their endocrinologist, Sam and her boyfriend made the decision to have a Diabetic Alert Dog (DAD). They got Korey in July 2019 when he was only two months old. However, they had been knowing him since he was born.

They were fortunate to find a breeder who specialized in breeding “working” Labrador Retrievers. The breeder assured him that the dogs had a history of good olfactory training and would make wonderful dads.

Sam and Michael also enlisted the help of a professional trainer who specialized in service dogs and Dad training. They started working with her in August 2019, just a month after adopting Korey. The training program takes 1.5 to 2 years, although the pandemic has slowed things down a bit. However, they have made great progress so far, and Korey is set to graduate from the program by the end of 2021!

“It alerts me to my blood sugar changes, wakes me up in the middle of the night, which is the most important thing to me, and helps me that way. I am eternally grateful. I love him so much, ”Sam says fondly of Korey.

Korey even inspired Sam to become a dog trainer herself!

Sam has been a dog lover her entire life and has owned dogs from a young age. Since he was so successful training Korey, he decided to take the plunge and get his dog training license. She says in your website that becoming a dog trainer is one of her proudest accomplishments.

It now offers affordable online dog training programs to help people train diabetic alert dogs. Pre-trained dogs can be very expensive, so the only option for many people is to train their dog themselves.

Korey is happy to be able to contribute to the Type One community with his online training programs. She knows first-hand how difficult it is to control the disease, so she wanted to make the lives of others a little easier. Sam offers various programs, from basic consultation and training to more specific training for diabetic alert dogs.

Other positive contributions Korey makes in Sam’s life

“It makes me laugh and smile every day. He is just a very stupid dog; He has a very silly personality like most labs, and it really saves my life, ”says Sam.

“Since he’s my service dog, Korey comes with me more or less everywhere. Then, We are always together. He comes to work with me; I am a kindergarten teacher and the kids love it. He loves being at school. “

When Korey isn’t working with her, they usually curl up on the couch or go for a walk. Korey also seems to like trips to the hardware store, for some strange reason. It is his favorite place, indeed! He also loves to travel and explore new places with the couple.

“His favorite activity is playing fetch, without a doubt, walking and eating. He loves food, he’s obsessed with cheese, and he also loves to sleep. He’s definitely a snuggle and snuggle dog, ”says Sam.

He couldn’t imagine life without Korey now. Not only does it help you manage a life-threatening condition, it also helps you unconditional love and support.

“I think the most rewarding thing about owning a dog is that they bring you so much joy in life. They bring so much happiness, excitement, so much friendship. He’s really the best. “

His advice to anyone wanting a service dog or general pet:

“I would definitely recommend that you prepare yourself before having any type of pet so that you know how to attend to their basic needs. Definitely do some research, but it’s worth it; I mean, they enrich our lives a lot. “

Final Thoughts on the Service Dog Helping a Woman Manage Type 1 Diabetes

Service dogs can be trained to do all sorts of things, like alert someone to low blood sugar. For Sam, his service dog Korey has also made life much easier and more rewarding. He is always by your side to let you know when your blood sugar is dangerously rising or falling. He goes pretty much everywhere with her and is an amazing addition to her life.



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