Scent boxes for dog training.

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My husband has type 1 diabetes and was working to train one of our dogs to alert when his glucose levels were low (or high).  These were boxes that were used to train her to react to the scent of low glucose.  He would collect saliva samples on cotton swabs when his glucose was low.  One sample with that saliva swab would be in one box and plain swabs in the other two.  She would get rewarded if she went to the correct box.  This was just part of the training.  All three had to be the same, with a spot to put the cotton swab and an opening for the dog, and a lid to access the inside.  

16 Comments

Very cool BB!

Dogs are such good hounds with their powers of smell and the glucose sensing is a much better application for them then their natural instinct to sniff butts!
Who’s a good dog?

Looks like they’ll do the job, Barb! Hope you can get some canine help taking care of your guy.

May you have the day you deserve!

Love the working dogs.   Sorry for the husbands diabetes but great the dogs have a job.    They love to work.

Ron

Cool idea Barb
Hopefully the Shepherd will do better than our 2 would.

King Charles - clueless, couldn't pick out a box containing steak.

Labrador - Evil genius, will solve it and pick whatever brings in the most food for the dog - I can guarantee that he'd find low glucose every 20 mins after he'd trained you up (Actually trained SWMBO to give him a biscuit on threat of eating the coffee table - put his jaws on it and stared at her until she gave in).
Good detection animal and a real friend to-boot.

-- Soli Deo gloria! ( To God alone be the Glory)

thats so cool. i know theve worked with beagles training them to find termites in houses and even cancer in people.

working with my hands is a joy,it gives me a sense of fulfillment,somthing so many seek and so few find.-SAM MALOOF.

never heard of this before but i do know dogs know we are not feeling well GR8 JOB PUP 😍😎👍

*TONY ** Reinholds* ALWAYS REMEMBER TO HAVE FUN

Thanks everyone!
Splintergroup - the one he worked with had the right personality (although she does also sniff inappropriately!)

Dave - my husband got a glucose sensor and dropped off on her training.  She still does alert sometime (thankfully he doesn't have too many lows).  

Ron - you are so right that working dogs like having a job.  She was really relentlessly when she sensed he was low -her response was to put her paw on his arm.  

Mike - sounds like you have an interesting pair!!  Lab would be sad as in real situations, only get rewards when the human is actually low.

Oldrivers - she is a faithful dog and may be the most "in touch" with us.  Always knows if someone is sad or upset.  

Pottz - dogs are amazing.  She would actually beat his technology with alerts before it would show up on his monitor.  

GR8HUNTER-dogs have some real gifts!
That is cool barb, and a great to have the pup give you alerts on the lows. You have trained them well. Well done.

Main Street to the Mountains

Eric - I wish he had kept up with her training.  As time passed and the technology improved (linking the glucose sensor and insulin pump), he let up on working with her.  Still great pup. 
This is a cool idea. Type 1 here with a good but clueless dog.  I use an insulin pump  that the glucose sensor talks to.   I tried to train dog to talk to the pump, but her paws are too big for the little buttons. ;)
Swirt- yes, their noses are better than their paws 🐾 😁
my husband got a glucose sensor and dropped off on her training.  She still does alert sometime (thankfully he doesn't have too many lows). 

That’s a shame, Barb. The dog doesn’t need batteries. ;-)

May you have the day you deserve!

Dave - there are a lot of steps to get a dog fully trained and then "certified" (not sure the correct terminology).  Having her as a backup at home would be good though!
Steve - the whole process is very interesting.  Trained dogs are very expensive, thus our attempt at training our pup (not so expensive!).

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