Dog Service
Dog Service
How does a Seizure service dog know that their owner is going to have a seizure?
How does a Seizure service dog know that their owner is going to have a seizure?
No one knows for sure, though theories abound. The most popular theory is that they detect small biochemical changes in the blood stream by scent. This is probably the most popular theory because we all know a dog's sense of smell is several thousand times better than ours and they can detect a great many things we cannot. However, I suspect that if this were the case researchers would have been able to identify the chemical in question.
Some think the dogs are able to detect the electrical activity, much as sharks are able to detect electrical activity. However, scientists have identified the organ (the white line) used by sharks to detect electrical activity. I would think they would have found such an organ in dogs as well if it existed.
Personally, I think the dog is recognizing minute changes in behavior. We know that dogs are very good at subtle body language. Perhaps they are seeing very tiny tremors we don't notice. Dogs are much more attuned to tiny movements and expressions than we humans are because this is their primary mode of communication.
I do know that the ability to alert to seizures is not breed dependent. I know from a study in Canada that about 15% of dogs are naturally able to alert, and that the selection criteria used to pick service dog candidates is partially able to select for this ability because the rate among service dogs goes up to 50%. I have myself had some success in selecting candidates who later alerted based on how they observe and problem solve. In talking to others who also work with training dogs who happen to seizure alert, this is what I'm hearing from them as well.
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Service Dogs for People With Limited Mobility
