Some Seizure Alert and Seizure Assist Dogs are Shelter Rescues

Aug 25, 2010
Joy Butler

Shelter Dogs Make Great Service Animals - JButler

A variety of dogs have the somewhat rare natural ability to predict seizures. Training encourages this behavior and teaches other assistance responses.

Seizure alert dogs have been referred to as an early warning system for individuals with a seizure disorder. Support Dogs in Great Britain and the Epilepsy Institute in the US are studying this phenomenon but have been limited due to a lack of funding.

How Dogs Predict Seizures

Seizure alert dogs have a natural ability to detect an impending seizure and warn the person moments or hours before it occurs so that precautions can be taken. There is no scientific explanation of exactly how some dogs can predict a seizure, although experts generally agree that the dog may be picking up on the scent of a chemical change.

Seizure Alert vs. Seizure Response

Alerting behavior often varies from one dog to another and identifying an individual dog’s method, such as nudging, staring, pacing, or pawing may require patient and careful observance. So far, this alerting behavior has not been taught but it can be identified and positively reinforced in dogs who display it naturally. This ability is also enhanced by including training to go for help or activate an alarm or assist in other ways as the seizure occurs. This is called seizure response or seizure assist.

Best Kind of Dog for Seizure Alert or Seizure Assist

According to the Delta Society, a service animal organization, this skill in dogs is somewhat rare but has not been isolated to any particular type of dog. Any dog that is people-oriented and responsive to human emotions and feelings has potential for alerting and/or assisting the owner with a seizure disorder.

Seizure alert dogs must also be friendly and not aggressive, shy or nervous in a public setting. Some of the dogs who have worked as seizure alert dogs have been German Shepherds, Golden Retrievers, Setter mixes, Samoyed crosses, and Border Collie crosses. Support Dogs describes their dogs as ranging from Jack Russells to St. Bernards. A number of seizure dogs have come from shelters.

When a shelter dog is chosen, a life is saved while offering greater independence, higher self esteem, and more social acceptance to the person with a seizure disorder. Some individuals have even reported a decrease in stress-triggered seizures due to the confidence gained from having a service animal.

Training a Seizure Alert or Seizure Response Dog

For good results, dog and owner must be carefully matched. In a few cases, owners with dog training experience have been able to train their own assistance dog, however a private trainer or service dog training program may be able to aid in the selection of an appropriate dog with seizure alerting potential. A seizure alert or seizure response dog must also have basic obedience training and socialization in order to behave properly in a public setting.

After spending considerable time with the person, the dog may exhibit its own unique alerting behavior which can then be positively reinforced. Training methods for seizure alert dogs are still developing. With few guidelines and credentials available for trainers, an individual searching for a seizure alert dog should be careful of any offers or guarantees that seem a little too good to be true. Some organizations offer seizure response training which does not necessarily involve alerting but rather responding and assisting once the seizure occurs.

The Gifted Animal Placement organization seeks out shelter dogs who have potential for special service uses.