# Diabetic Alert Dog



## Burnt-orchid 15 (Jan 7, 2016)

Hi all, 
I've been reading through this forum and the information here is amazing regarding these dogs! I was hoping someone here would be able to help/provide information.

I have decided (about 97% sure anyway) I want to get a Vizsla as a diabetic alert dog for my 3yo son. I would like to know a few things before committing to a new dog though.

1. Has anyone trained a Vizsla to be a diabetic alert dog? If so, how did you go about it?
2. How would it get along with a smaller dog? I have a Maltese Shih Tzu.
3. I have a 3yo (diabetic) and a 21 month old, would these bouncy larger dogs be OK with the kids if brought up around them?

If anyone has any useful links (I'm in Australia) that would be super. Thanks for reading!


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## emilycn (Jul 30, 2013)

I've never heard of specifically a diabetic alert dog, but these guys are called versatile vizslas for a reason, so I don't see why it would be impossible. 

The main question I have is who trains the dog for this skill, and how do they do it? My second thought was, what will your 3 y.o. do when the dog needs to go out for some exercise that a toddler can't keep up with?


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## Burnt-orchid 15 (Jan 7, 2016)

Diabetic alert dogs are a relatively new concept but getting more and more popular as people see the benefits of it. 

There are special organizations that provide training which can be done at home. It does take a long time to get certifies but I'm willing to do what's necessary to ensure my son has a 'back up' as such.

I will be the main exercise giver, my children go everywhere with me at the moment so I am able to commit to large amount sof exercise. We have a reserve within walking/kids riding distance that would be great to run around on!


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## dextersmom (Oct 29, 2013)

Burnt-orchid said:


> 3. I have a 3yo (diabetic) and a 21 month old, would these bouncy larger dogs be OK with the kids if brought up around them?


This would be my only concern. Especially if the training requires that you start with a younger dog. My V *loves* children (so much so, that if he hears a crying baby, his tail starts wagging and his whole body is full out wiggling). He gets very enthusiastic and excited, especially when the kids engage him in play. He most certainly knocks them over... and that's even when I'm being super vigilant. Heck, he knocks me over on a regular basis! It's also hard to carry babies with him around - search the archives here and you'll see how hard it is to discourage them from jumping when they want your attention. 

I'd see if you can find a breeder nearby so you can spend some time with younger V's and see if they would be too much for your kids. I think a lot of it is how comfortable you are with the dog physically interacting with the kids. Some parents are much more cautious (my V would scare my sister in law to death around her baby) and others (like myself) grew up with big dogs and don't see it as much of an issue.

And I'm not talking about puppies... if you are considering a puppy... well, people that can raise human babies and Vizsla puppies at the same time should qualify for some sort of sainthood in my opinion!


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## Burnt-orchid 15 (Jan 7, 2016)

From what I've researched a younger dog is the best if we want to get it certified as an assistant dog (one where we can take it to all public places such as shops/schools etc).

My SIL has a larger dog (a beagle x cavalier) and my kids absolutely adored it, the size didn't phase them at all. A V is bigger however but having grown up with dogs the children do know to be gentle with pats and to not go near them while they are eating . I think k I'd be more than happy to let my kids near a larger dog, especially if we got one from a puppy and they all grew up together.

I've had tiny dogs before and found them too snappy because of their size. I've always wanted a larger dog and fell in love with a V I met and have wanted one for ages! 

I found a breeder about an hours drive so might contact them and let them know my intentions and see if we can have a visit. Who knows, maybe if we don't end up training it to be a proper alert dog, it might still be able to detect levels at home or when we are at the park perhaps. I've heard there sniffers are excellent! 😊


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## texasred (Jan 29, 2012)

You might want to read through the puppy section of the forum. These pups are known to be mouthy, to the point they rip clothes, break the skin, and I've had more that my share blood blisters from them. We affectionately call them little red sharks. People new to the breed, have sometimes thought their puppy was aggressively attacking them, but its just a vizsla puppy at play.
It doesn't last, but you are looking at a minimum of 2-4 months with lots of No Bite, and bite inhibition training.
This pup would have to be extremely well socialized, and would require you to take it to classes on a regular basis. Then there is their exercise requirements, and a walk on leash does not fulfill that requirement. Even after you do all of this, you still will not know if the dog will alert you if your son needs help. 
If the dogs main purpose is for diabetic alert, I would look in a different direction.


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## Burnt-orchid 15 (Jan 7, 2016)

That's the other thing I guess I'd be concerned about, would an energetic dog such as this be capable of an alert dog at all considering how much energy they have. Turns out one of my friends owns a 9yo vizsla so we might take a trip soon to see what its behavior is like. She did mention that they haven't fully trained it so he can be a little rough, but hey have 2 children also (very similar age to my own) and she says her dog absolutely loves them.

Its all great information though, and what a better place to ask what owners think than here. 😊 I'll continue to do some more research and maybe we can just get one anyway as a family pet, and if it does happen to detect glucose changes, well that's a small bonus too 😊


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## einspänner (Sep 8, 2012)

I have the same concerns others mentioned, but in the interest of providing a well-rounded view, I will say that if you can meet a well-trained vizsla you might get a better sense of their potential. I have a wirehaired vizsla, which are generally more laid back than the shorthairs, but I've met almost a hundred vizslas altogether, so I'd like to think my observations are somewhat valid for both breeds! Give these guys a job and they transform from crazy, spastic, goofy, balls of energy to hyper-focused and serious little workaholics. You'll see a change in their eyes when they're on the job. It's so cool to witness. Once my girl knows what is expected of her, nothing brings her more joy than working for my approval. 

If they were only capable of being the uncontrollable monsters we sometimes present them as to encourage suitors to think twice, than they wouldn't be so good as hunting dogs. It just takes a lot of work, maybe more than with other breeds, to get them to that point. So while I know a vizsla is more than capable of doing this sort of work, it's more a matter if you can honestly meet their needs on top of meeting those of your little ones.


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## Burnt-orchid 15 (Jan 7, 2016)

That's a very valid point too! I know that a well trained dog (possibly regardless of breed) could perform the function it was trained for. As you mentioned, and from what I've read, they do aim to please and thoroughly enjoy completing tasks they are asked to do.

I think I'll take a drive to visit the breeder I found in SA and see what they think also, their recommendation on if this breed is suitable for what I'm looking for, and if not maybe how it would fare as a pet.

I am willing to do whatever training is necessary if they are a suitable candidate, because I do truly believe an alert dog would be of a great benefit to our lives. Maybe a Vizsla is it, perhaps not too! Everyone has helped me out a lot to decide whether it would be suitable, and I think some in person (or dog) contact will he our next step in making a final decision.


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