For our May support group in Chattanooga, Mrs. Jean Ann McAfee, with Paws with a Cause, spoke to us about seizure alert dogs. Her demo dog, Sheba, was the crowd favorite. Here are some frequently asked questions that we covered during her session.

What is a seizure dog?

A seizure dog is a dog that has been trained (or has learned), to respond to or warn of an impending seizure in someone who has epilepsy.

Is seizure dog the official name?

It's the one that's most often used. Some people distinguish between dogs that respond to someone who is having a seizure (seizure response dog) and dogs that appear to know when a seizure is going to occur (seizure alert dog).

What do seizure dogs do?

A response dog might be trained to bark when a child has a seizure so that family members know what is happening, or might lie next to someone having a seizure to keep them from harm, or might even be trained to activate some kind of pre-programmed device such as a pedal that rings an alarm.

A seizure alert dog might go through a number of actions that are different from its usual activities if it senses that its owner is going to have a seizure. Pawing, running in circles, coming and sitting close by, even barking directly at the person have been reported.

Can any dog do this?

Dogs that are easily trained as companion animals can probably be trained to respond in a certain way during or after someone has a seizure. Only a few dogs seem to be able to sense a seizure before it begins. Until there is further research there's no way to tell whether some breeds are better at this than others. For the most part, an organization such as Canine Assistants will not train the dog you already own. They train dogs that they have raised since puppies, most often larger breeds such as labs or golden retrievers. Once you have been accepted into the program, they match you with a dog and you go to their training facility for a few weeks to train with the dog.

How do people teach a dog to recognize a seizure in advance?

One research report describes developing this skill in some dogs by pairing them up with people who have frequent seizures and then giving a reward to the dog every time its human partner has a seizure. After a while, if the dog has the special sense, it will start looking for its reward before the seizure happens, thus warning the individual. Other dogs seem to develop this skill on their own, just by being in the company of an owner who has seizures. Canine Assistants, another company that does similar work states, "We cannot train our dogs to alert to oncoming seizures. Yet, once a recipient and their dog develop a strong bond, many seizure response dogs (about 87%) do go on to PREDICT or react in ADVANCE of a seizure, usually with an unusual behavior, such as whining, pawing, pacing, jumping, barking, etc. This may happen a few to several minutes before a seizure, which can be quite helpful for individuals who do not experience an aura or feeling that the seizure is coming on."

How does a dog know that someone is going to have a seizure?

Nobody knows how the dog is able to detect an oncoming seizure. Some people have suggested that there may be a change in the owner's behavior or scent before a seizure happens and that is what the dogs are responding to, but it's still a mystery.

How can someone get a seizure dog?

It depends what your goals are. If you are looking for a seizure response dog, you can discuss what you want the dog to do and work out a plan with a trainer. Getting a dog with the special skill of recognizing seizures in advance is another matter. Any claims by trainers that they can produce this type of behavior in a dog should be looked at very carefully, especially when the training is expensive. While some people report success, others have been disappointed. More research is needed to further learn what dogs can and cannot do, whether there are differences between breeds, and how best to develop this unique skill. At this time, getting a dog for companionship and seeing whether the skill develops may be the least expensive route to follow.

How much does a seizure dog cost?

Nothing! Organizations such as Paws with a Cause does not charge for any of their services. The lifelong care for each of their dogs is well over $20,000 so they create sponsorships to cover the medical, food and training costs for the life of every dog placed. They use the support of individuals, foundations and corporations to fund our sponsorships and programs.

If you are interested in getting more information about Paws with a Cause, please call our offices at (423) 634-1772 and we'd be happy to refer you or check out their website here.