Do antibiotics affect a dog's sense of smell?

I was told just yesterday by an experienced search and rescue trainer/handler that antibiotics can affect a dog's sense of smell. Wow, this was news to me. I haven't found a resource to confirm this but I trust experienced dog people and will be watchful for this phenomenon in my own and other's dogs. 

I did find this in an article by a trainer who I don't know personally:

"In some cases, tracking dogs have been depleted from helpful bacteria found in their nasal lining which helps them track better and catch scents, as they are supposed to. When this occurs, tracking dogs may lose some of their sense of smell during their second week of antibiotic treatment."

Be mindful of this with your diabetic alert dog. Does he seem to lose interest in scent training when he's on antibiotics or does his alerting seem a little off. If you have experienced this with your dog or do in the future, please leave a comment and tell us about it.

If you can't get enough about a dog's sense of smell, here's a good article from the Whole Dog Journal. 

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Do you want to train your own service dog?

Coming soon! 

A guide to choosing and training your own service dog.

The second in my service dog series, this book will help those who want to train their own service dog understand what they are getting into. There are huge challenges: 

• Where should you get your future service dog? Do you work with the family pet? Take a donated dog? Find a dog at the local rescue or pound? Buy a puppy?
• How much does it cost? Can you afford it?
• How much time will you have to invest in training a service dog? 

This and much more will help you think through the process and answer the question: "Can I train a service dog?" If the answer is yes, my book will get you started down a path that will lead to success.

Let me know if you want to know the very day it publishes. 
Here's the link to make that happen.

Ellie the Labrador Speaks Up

The first email I read this morning was from Ellie, a chocolate Lab. At nearly two years old, she is a certified diabetic alert dog. She is in college with her 19-year-old handler, Caitlin. And she has apparently learned how to type.

Dear Dee 

I have been such a good puppy! Today mom thought i should try walking off leash by myself. So we took a walk for mommy to go get her lunch from the dining hall. We walked all around the dining hall an i didnt even try to eat anything off the floor. Then while mommy was standing in line to get her wrap i sat and then laid down in my down stay for five whole minutes then mom told me to follow her up to the next spot in line. I got to lay down and listen to mommy tell a whole crowd of people about what i do and even go into details with her fellow diabetic who works in the dining hall. I even got to get petted ( i was very happy about that). Then we walked all the way back to the dorm still with me not wearing my leash. I was so focused on my mommy( she had tasty treats to give me so how could i not focus on her) I think i did well and mommy even took pictures of me and how good i did even with people tellling me to come to them and those pesky birds teasing me( and did i forget to say SQUIRREL!) So i thought i would hijack moms computer and send you this email to see how proud of me you were. Well i have to go get my bath now cuz mom says i stink so i hope i get to talk to you soon. 

Love Ellie :) 

P.S . Ellie took over the computer but i am permitted to type a few words. She did really good and im attaching a few pics of her off leash. I should be getting her hands free leash by Friday and am still trying to get the booties video and am hoping to send it to you no later than the end of the week.

The back story
Caitlin got Ellie as a 10-week-old puppy the summer she was 17, just before starting her senior year of high school. I am Caitlin's service dog trainer. Caitlin is Ellie's trainer. The two of them are simply amazing. They fast tracked everything they did, passing their public access test when Ellie was only a year old. In the fall of 2012, when Ellie was 18 months old - still very young for a service dog - they started college together. And because of Ellie's ability to alert on Caitlin's fluctuating blood sugar levels ... because Ellie can keep Caitlin safe ... that college is out of state. They are away from home, away from family. And they are not just succeeding, they are excelling at everything they do. Together.

To Caitlin and Ellie: Do you remember the ride home after you passed your public access test? What a great day! That's you guys below in the back seat of your Mom's van. How about your first day together in high school? And visiting your college campus last summer? That's you "checking" your blood sugar (above) during your orientation. And then there was October, when you had to stand up for your rights as a service dog team. I am so very proud of both of you!

Is your service dog safe in your car?

Read more on this subject on my Puppies chew shoes blog

and more about DADs on my website.

The cost of that puppy you want to train as a service dog

AS YOU RESEARCH DIABETIC ALERT DOGS, it is helpful to have an idea of costs involved in acquiring them in a variety of ways. One way to get a DAD is to buy a puppy and train him yourself. What follows are estimates but I hope they will help you make an informed decision about the best road for you and your family.

I start with a Lab puppy because it is the breed I've worked with most ... not because it is the only breed that can do the job. The cost of a Labrador retriever  puppy from a reputable breeder will be between $1,200 and $1,500. This price will usually include the first set of shots, de-worming, and sometimes micro-chipping. It will not include delivery. 

The first year of a puppy’s life is very expensive. The chart below is an estimate of costs for that first year, which vary considerably depending on where you live. The estimate does not include the cost of a fence for your puppy or emergency medical costs if your puppy gets sick or is injured. The first chart does not include diabetic alert dog training. You will find that estimate further down the page.

Annual Costs for a Large Breed Dog
Food (premium dry kibble)	$235
Recurring Medical (exams, vaccinations, heart-worm and flea/tick preventative)	$260
Toys/Treats	$175
License	$15
Health Insurance (Some policies cover spay/neuter, vaccinations and heart-worm medication. Deductible will also vary depending on the policy.)	$225
Annual Total	$910
ADDITIONAL FIRST-YEAR COSTS
Initial puppy wellness examination	$125
Spay/Neuter (may be covered by insurance)	$220
Collars/Leashes	$75
Service dog vest	$65
Crate	$125
Obedience Class	$110
First Year Subtotal	$720
Puppy	$1,500
TOTAL FIRST-YEAR COSTS	$3,130

That $3,130 does not include service dog training. Here is an example of training costs associated with a family training a puppy to become a DAD. These are first-year costs only.
 

EXAMPLES OF UNIQUE FIRST-YEAR COSTS FOR DAD PUPPIES
DAD training manual	$325
Phone consultations with DAD trainer – 1 per month x 12 months	$900
Three 2-day in-home visits from DAD trainer	$1,800
DAD trainer travel expenses for three 2-day visits. These costs depend on location. Airfare is the biggest variable in the list of travel expenses.	$2,400
Total unique first year costs	$5,425

Estimated cost of year #1 with

your DAD puppy:

$8,555

Please understand that training does not end after the first year. You will continue training your DAD pup through his second birthday and beyond. In future posts, I will address the kinds of training your puppy needs (obedience, scent, public access) and some of your other questions, including:

• Do I have to have the help of a service dog trainer?
• Can I train my family dog to be a DAD?
• What other breeds can be DADs other than Labs?
• Can my DAD be a rescue dog?
• Do I really need health insurance for my dog?
• I've never had a dog. How do I know if I can train one? 
• Can I hire a local obedience trainer to help me?
• If I don't want to train my own puppy, what are my other options?

For now, continue your research. Engage in conversation with people who have DADs, train them, and breed them. Take your time. Make an informed decision - the right one for your family.

Note: Fees vary among service dog trainers.

App can assist in training the Diabetic Alert Dog

Do you need to track your diabetic alert dog's responses to blood sugar fluctuations? There's an app for that!

For DADs in training, this information is invaluable when communicated to your DAD trainer for evaluation. An evaluation can help you get past being stuck in your dog's scent training. And now ... there's an app for that! It's available for iPhone, iPad, and Android and looks promising. Notes can be added by the user and records can be emailed to your dog trainer (or your doctor if you don't have a diabetic alert dog). How totally cool is that?

* * *

There are other apps available for glucose monitoring including Glucose Buddy, a free download for iPhone and Android. Do you know of other apps like this? Have you tried any of them? If so, please share your experience.

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If you need your DAD's scent training evaluated, contact me to schedule a phone call. That first get-acquainted call is free. The evaluation and subsequent consultations are $75/hour.