Cheryl Heppard of Front Street PR Announces Michael Burkey, President of Michigan Dog Training MDT LLC, is Presenting a Diabetic Alert Dog Training Workshop
Plymouth, MI (PRWEB) September 26, 2013 -- The instructor will be Linda Cree owner of BFF Dog Training in Dodgeville, Wisconsin. She is a professional Diabetic Alert Dog Trainer and nurse who specializes in diabetic health and awareness.
As reported in the Detroit News on September 2, 2013 http://www.detroitnews.com/article/20130902/LIFESTYLE03/309020017 by Allie Shah writer for the Minneapolis Star Tribune; the use of Diabetic Alert Dogs is a growing trend to help alert Diabetics that their blood sugar is dangerously high or low. It is not a replacement for blood sugar monitors but it can be an early warning device as the dogs can detect the change in their owner’s blood sugar in real time. Many times patients are unaware that there has been a change in their blood sugar which would prompt them to check it with a monitor. Dogs can detect the scent change in their owner’s breath that occurs with high or low blood sugar and thus alert their companion.
Unfortunately, there are not enough Diabetic Alert Dogs available for those who would benefit. Shah reports there are, “an estimated 23.6 million Americans, or 7.8 percent of the population, have diabetes. Of that number, 10 percent have Type 1 diabetes - the most severe kind.” And, one source estimated there are only 150 Diabetic Alert Dogs nationwide to serve that population.
This is where MDT steps up to the plate. With their experience in training scent detection dogs, they are the perfect host for this “train the trainer” workshop. It will provide dog trainers with the ability to add this type of service to their dog training programs and thus serve the Diabetic population.
There is already one dog, Oakley a Standard Poodle, being trained at MDT to be a Diabetic Alert Dog. Oakley is trained by Kalin Turri of Canton, Michigan with help from Burkey for her husband who is diabetic. Oakley has already alerted on her husband when his blood sugar dropped low but he was not yet aware of his level dropping. A blood sugar monitor confirmed Oakley was correct and thus a possible medical emergency was prevented. Interestingly, Oakley was once a homeless stray dog whom Turri adopted from a local shelter and now is also a Champion Trick Dog as reported in the Observer and Eccentric News on August 9, 2013.
Dog trainers interested in attending the seminar with their dog or to audit without a dog should contact Michael Burkey, President of Michigan Dog Training LLC at 734-634-4152.
Michael Burkey, Michigan Dog Trainging, 734 - 634 - 4152, [email protected]
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