I just wanted to give a quick update as a follow to on the last post.
Filly definitely is live alerting! She gave her first live alert on July 9 and her next was on the 16th. Her third live alert was today, July 19th. But so was her 4th and 5th live alert! Today she has alerted me 3 times to my personal low blood sugar! I am so proud of this girl!
The first live alert today was partially prompted. We've been on vacation the past few days and I thought to get her back on track (not that she was off track, but vacation is over so I need to work too ha!) I should set up a live alert. It was before lunch so I thought I would check myself, it turns out I was 72 with zero symptoms. I sat down next to her and dangled my hands just being near her. The combination of the scent and me having just checked my bg, caused Filly to take a sniff of me and alert. We had a party with lots of excitement even though it was prompted. I had to make lunch and my bg wouldn't come back up before then, so I encouraged her to realert, but then she rerealert about 3 more times after that, once she realized she kept getting cookies for realerting every few minutes! I think this may have hit home for her as she learned that as long as that scent is around, she should alert.
The next two live alerts today were unexpected and completely unprompted. For the second one, I was in the middle of working on place with her. So I would tell her "Place" and point to her bed, then give her a treat by tossing it off the bed and releasing her. Then we would repeat this a bunch of times. It's a pretty active exercise but I told her to place one time and she came in front of me, sat, and pawed my leg. I checked and was 74! Woohoo!
The third live alert was not quite as crisp but still unexpected. I was pouring some food for her to use as training treats, when I noticed she was staring at me (not unexpected as I am pouring kibble!). But then I noticed my hand shaking slightly as I was pouring the kibble. I thought maybe she's trying to tell me something. I left the room and she followed, then laid down and continued to stare at me. Then she let out a piercing bark while still staring at me. I had stopped walking at this point, and just looked down at my phone, thinking if she was trying to alert I don't want to correct her, but if she's trying to alert I am not by any means going to respond to a bark! But after a few seconds of thinking, she sat up and pawed my leg. 77! Excellent demonstration of how to let the dogs think, because most likely now that she had to think through that process, she won't get in the habit of barking - she understands that barking gets nothing but pawing gets the cookies.
Excellent progress made by Miss Filly - I think she is really catching on and doing great for less than 4 months old!
Filly definitely is live alerting! She gave her first live alert on July 9 and her next was on the 16th. Her third live alert was today, July 19th. But so was her 4th and 5th live alert! Today she has alerted me 3 times to my personal low blood sugar! I am so proud of this girl!
The first live alert today was partially prompted. We've been on vacation the past few days and I thought to get her back on track (not that she was off track, but vacation is over so I need to work too ha!) I should set up a live alert. It was before lunch so I thought I would check myself, it turns out I was 72 with zero symptoms. I sat down next to her and dangled my hands just being near her. The combination of the scent and me having just checked my bg, caused Filly to take a sniff of me and alert. We had a party with lots of excitement even though it was prompted. I had to make lunch and my bg wouldn't come back up before then, so I encouraged her to realert, but then she rerealert about 3 more times after that, once she realized she kept getting cookies for realerting every few minutes! I think this may have hit home for her as she learned that as long as that scent is around, she should alert.
The next two live alerts today were unexpected and completely unprompted. For the second one, I was in the middle of working on place with her. So I would tell her "Place" and point to her bed, then give her a treat by tossing it off the bed and releasing her. Then we would repeat this a bunch of times. It's a pretty active exercise but I told her to place one time and she came in front of me, sat, and pawed my leg. I checked and was 74! Woohoo!
The third live alert was not quite as crisp but still unexpected. I was pouring some food for her to use as training treats, when I noticed she was staring at me (not unexpected as I am pouring kibble!). But then I noticed my hand shaking slightly as I was pouring the kibble. I thought maybe she's trying to tell me something. I left the room and she followed, then laid down and continued to stare at me. Then she let out a piercing bark while still staring at me. I had stopped walking at this point, and just looked down at my phone, thinking if she was trying to alert I don't want to correct her, but if she's trying to alert I am not by any means going to respond to a bark! But after a few seconds of thinking, she sat up and pawed my leg. 77! Excellent demonstration of how to let the dogs think, because most likely now that she had to think through that process, she won't get in the habit of barking - she understands that barking gets nothing but pawing gets the cookies.
Excellent progress made by Miss Filly - I think she is really catching on and doing great for less than 4 months old!
