Seizure-alert dogs are service dogs with a special talent and training to detect seizures before they happen. Not all dogs have the ability to become seizure-alert dogs. Seizure-alert dogs are rare and require extensive, specialized training costing up to $25,000 before they are ready to be placed with a handler. To find a seizure-alert dog, contact organizations that train service dogs or, if you're an experienced dog trainer, consider training your own service dog.
Instructions
Finding a Seizure Alert Dog
1. Assess your specific needs. Some people with seizure disorders do not need seizure-alert dogs, which have the rare ability to warn their handlers of seizures before they happen. Seizure-response and seizure-assistance dogs do not alert to seizures before they occur, but can help their handlers during and after a seizure. Seizure-response and seizure assistance dogs are more common and easier to train than seizure-alert dogs.
2. Contact organizations that train seizure alert dogs and pair them with human handlers. Organizations in this field, reports Epilepsy. com, include Canine Partners for Independence, Assistance Dogs International and Paws with a Cause.
3. Research the organizations that interest you. Use the internet to search for reviews from people who received seizure-alert dogs from these organizations. If you find a negative review that worries you, ask the organization for an official response.
4. Apply to be partnered with a seizure-alert dog. This will typically require an application, application fee, essay, references and proof of your ability to care for a dog. If you are accepted, you will need to attend training with your service dog and pay a fee that may range anywhere from a few hundred to tens of thousands of dollars.
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