Service dog for diabetic child fails at job

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Northerner

Northerner

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HOUSTON?Have you ever heard of a dog that can alert a diabetic when their blood sugar gets too high? Earlier this year KHOU 11 News told you about a little boy in Cleveland who got one of those service dogs but things didn?t turn out as planned.
Back in March, little Wesley Webb was thrilled to get his black lab puppy to be a diabetes alert service dog. His family named the $20,000 dog Prixsee because they said she would prevent Wesley from needing so many finger pricks to test his blood sugar. The dog came from Warren Retrievers? Guardian Angel Service Dogs facility in Virginia.

That was then.
?I do not want her here,? Wesley?s mom Amber Herrin now says.

Herrin said Prixsee does not alert them, is disobedient and she is violent too.

http://www.khou.com/news/local/Family-Service-dog-for-diabetic-child-fails-at-job-173993281.html
 
Reading that I doubt any dog would be any good for them. It sounds as if even basic traing of the dog has not been done.
There's no bad dogs just bad owners imho.
 
Northerner said:
I think the company selling them have been discredited - I'm sure I read about them over a year ago on the CWD US site defrauding people as the dogs were not properly trained.

In fact it was this:

http://forums.childrenwithdiabetes.com/showthread.php?t=70731

:(
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Fair enogh the company is discredited but.................. If you buy an 8 week old pup then YOU have to train it from day one. House traing and basic commands and right from wrong. Puppy training is a lot of hard work.
The detection is another matter for hypos. The happens when a dog or any other pet has a close bond with the owner.
From reading the the article it would appear there is no bond and the dog is rulling the roost.

Another point who in their right mind would pay $20,000 dollars for a pup in the first place. The money would have been better used for private education for the kid and parents to control his diabtes plus a CGM.
 
Pumper_Sue said:
Fair enogh the company is discredited but.................. If you buy an 8 week old pup then YOU have to train it from day one. House traing and basic commands and right from wrong. Puppy training is a lot of hard work.
The detection is another matter for hypos. The happens when a dog or any other pet has a close bond with the owner.
From reading the the article it would appear there is no bond and the dog is rulling the roost.

Another point who in their right mind would pay $20,000 dollars for a pup in the first place. The money would have been better used for private education for the kid and parents to control his diabtes plus a CGM.
Click to expand...

I think the charities that provide the dogs here work with the families as the dog develops its skills over a year or two - they also don't charge ?20k! Like you say, really it's just about the animal's bond with the owner, but I think the charities enhance this by providing specific training, as with things like hearing/guide dogs. 🙂

The thing is though, that the CWD stuff is 3 years old, so why is the company still managing to get away with it - don't these people read the internet? 😱 🙄
 
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