Diabetes Alert Dog/Service Dog Lodging with Education (Lw/E)- a component of the DAD/SD Progression Training Program. Puppies under 6 months $200/Night; Dogs over 6 months $175/Night. Each two week plus block of Lodging with Education includes 1 Private Go-Home Lesson, 1 Private Follow-Up Lesson, and *1 Month Group Class Membership. The book “Lead or Be Led 2.0” and a *cot or *Klimb come with the initial training block. (*Must be 3+ weeks.)

* Recommend sequential participation in Group Classes at a discounted rate. Must immediately follow completion of L w/E or B&T Program or upon approval of trainer.

Diabetes Alert Dogs (D.A.D.’s) are specially trained to detect dangerously low or high blood glucose events in a person. This is done by teaching the dog to detect and alert to significant blood glucose changes, generally below 70 and over 300 BGL. When the BGL drops, the chemical Isoprene rises, while undetectable by human, the scent can be smelled by dogs. When the BGL rises, they are detecting ketones in the body, which also effect the breath, giving off a sweet smell. It is much easier to teach the dogs to alert to highs than lows, because the odor is much more predominant. At A Canine Experience Inc., we work as a team with you and your endocrinologist to determine the appropriate levels. 

Our Type 1 D.A.D. Progression Training Program is dedicated to meeting each individual’s unique needs. The application process is designed to predetermine specific provisions, assess viability of requests and develop a team strategy to reach goals. 

To start the Type 1 D.A.D. Progression Training Program process, you must fill out the on-line application and submit it to us.

Upon acceptance of the application, we will contact you to set up a phone conference with your endocrinologist.

Following the phone conference, we will schedule a planning meeting to develop a training strategy including goals, action steps with a timeline, financing, choosing the right dog and other considerations.

If you have a dog you are considering as a D.A.D., we will schedule an evaluation to determine suitability. 

Preferably, we work together to find a suitable dog capable of learning and performing essential tasks as determined in the application process. We consider breed traits, health, age, temperament and drive when choosing an appropriate dog. 

Puppies from a trustworthy breeder give us opportunity to learn about the health and behavior of the ancestors, perform puppy temperament testing to evaluate tendencies, begin imprinting at a young age and provide early exposure to a variety of surfaces, sounds, sights, smells and stimuli. We only choose responsible breeders who administer standard health screenings, plus any additional testing recommended for the specific breed.

Selecting a puppy or adult dog from a rescue possesses additional challenges, but great dogs can come from these sources. Through temperament testing and health screening, we can often find healthy, suitable canines with in the rescue community. This process of selection can be very emotional because you must be prepared to turn down a dog if the health screening results aren’t good. The cost of any health exams, tests and screenings are the responsibility of the adopter and are non-refundable whether you choose to adopt or not.

Our D.A.D. Progression Training Program will consist of a combination of Boarding and Training in the home of one of our trainers, Private Lessons and Group Classes. Throughout the puppies early days, it will spend time with us during critical training phases and will return home with the owner to practice those skills. Private lessons and group classes will be incorporated to continue the progression. This training rotation will continue until the puppy has developed the required skills to perform reliably.