I started a ten week on-line Diabetic Alert Dog training course with Bailey the day after we bought him home. This course involved doing practical training sessions as explained in each weeks video two or three times daily (minimum of 20 minutes total training each day). These early days were a huge commitment but incredibly rewarding and so much fun.
It was the only on-line course directed at Diabetic Alert Dog training that I know of in the world. I was their first successful International student. Unfortunately, the on-line course lacked the funding to deliver the entire program but luckily, the areas of most importance to us (initial scent imprinting and teaching the alert signal/alert chain for lows) where covered.
And the hard work started to pay off early. Incredibly, Bailey gave his first spontaneous alert whilst in the car travelling back from our Christmas holiday. He was three months old and was three weeks into the training. He gave his second, third and forth spontaneous alerts in the next couple of days following this.
It was the only on-line course directed at Diabetic Alert Dog training that I know of in the world. I was their first successful International student. Unfortunately, the on-line course lacked the funding to deliver the entire program but luckily, the areas of most importance to us (initial scent imprinting and teaching the alert signal/alert chain for lows) where covered.
And the hard work started to pay off early. Incredibly, Bailey gave his first spontaneous alert whilst in the car travelling back from our Christmas holiday. He was three months old and was three weeks into the training. He gave his second, third and forth spontaneous alerts in the next couple of days following this.