These folks really love their D.A.D. (Diabetic Alert Dog)
Life takes you places you never would have imagined.
When I was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes, back then it was called juvenile diabetes, I never thought that as an adult, I would be training dogs to alert people with diabetes when their glucose was out of target range.
When doctors warned me as a child that diabetes could really have devastating consequences if not kept under control, I shrugged it off like any kid would. For some reason we think we will live forever when we are very young. I was your typical immortal, mortal kid. I’m not saying I didn’t try to control my glucose levels, I’m just saying that puberty is not kind to young people with diabetetes. Too many changes made it very difficult.
Back then, there were no insulin pumps, sugar free gum was a first in the markets, and people really didn’t know much about diabetes. In fact, I remember one of my friend’s mom telling her not to hang around me anymore because I could give her diabetes. The school nurse would not allow me to run with the other kids because I may have an insulin reaction. I’m not writing this looking for sympathy, on the contrary, I was a tough kid. If I wasn’t, adults’ behavior toward me would have singled me out to bullies. Luckily, I was never a kid that bullies wanted to mess with because I didn’t take smack from anyone.
Diabetes is hard physically, emotionally, and it sure can break your spirit regardless of age. Never the less I am still grateful that it chose me as a child. It prepared me in many ways to align and empathize with those who are in the same boat I was many years ago. The difference is that I can help them avoid many of the difficult experiences and hard choices I’ve had to make. If they are willing to listen, of course.
What does this have to do with training a diabetic alert dog? Dogs have an amazing way of helping their owners feel loved and accepted. They also have an superb sense of smell. Children or teens gain confidence when learning to communicate with a dog. Not just any dog, but one who provides emotional stability and one that signals the owner when they need to eat a little before they turn into what my husband and I would call, the “drunk monkey”, when I was still a person with diabetes.
This is the point. Dogs, unlike humans can do this with out making the owner feel defensive. The dog never says, “Um, should you really be eating that?”, or “This is my diabetic relative so don’t offer her any of your famous cheese cake”. As if you had no idea how to balance your food intake, had no wlllpower or you forgot that you have diabetes. I have to admit, that stopped as soon as I started introducing those people the same way. “Meet my relative, he or she has irritable bowl syndrome and I’m fairly confident to say is lactose intolerant, so don’t offer him/her any dairy products or pasta.”
Diabetic Alert Dogs have become more popular, no doubt about it. They are a wonderful helping paw to their handlers in leading a more healthy, happy, and social life.
