Did you know that there are dogs that are trained to detect when a seizure is about to happen? Well, now you do. There are service dogs that are trained to detect seizures, alert their owners, and call for help.
But, are there any dog breeds that are better suited to this specific service dog role?
We intend to answer that question in this article. But first, we need to talk about what a seizure is, what can cause it to happen, and a few other things.
So, without further ado, let us get started!
What Is A Seizure?
We have all heard about seizures. But what are they exactly? A seizure is a sudden and uncontrollable electrical disturbance that happens in the brain.
When this happens, there are a few different things that can happen. You may notice changes in behavior, feelings, movements, or even lose consciousness.
If you get seizures more than once in a period of twenty-four hours, it is generally considered to be because you have epilepsy. But this is not always the case.
Seizures can happen after a person has experienced a stroke, head injury, or as a result of an infectious sickness like meningitis.
In many cases, however, it is unknown why seizures happen. But they can generally be controlled by medication.
What Can Cause A Seizure?
We have talked about the main reasons someone might have a seizure, but there are a few more common reasons that this could happen.
As we have said, the most common reason for repeated seizures is if a person has epilepsy.
But for interest’s sake, below are a few of the other common reasons that this happens to people:
- Epilepsy
- Stroke
- Heart Disease
- Head Injury
- High Blood Pressure
- Withdrawal from Addictive Substances like Alcohol
How Does A Service Dog Help?
Service dogs can be trained for a bunch of helpful tasks to assist someone that experiences seizures regularly.
The following are the most common things that service dogs do to help people that experience seizures:
- Bark to Alert Others for Help
- Press Buttons or Levers to Call for Medical Help Via 911
- Press themselves Against their Owner to Limit Flailing
Best Breeds For Seizure Alerts
The question now is what breeds of dogs are considered the best for seizure alerts? Is any dog breed suited to this role? There are actually a few breeds that excel at this role.
Below is a list of the best dogs for seizure alerts.
So, without further ado, let us get started!
German Shepherds
This breed of dog is one of the most common service animals. They are extremely smart, brave, steady, and relaxed. They are considered one of the best all-purpose working animals in the world.
It is little wonder that this fiercely loyal and intelligent dog is so well suited to being trained for seizure alerts.
They are quite large gods and can grow to be up to twenty-six inches tall and weigh up to one hundred pounds.
Golden Retrievers
This breed of dog is highly intelligent. They are also extremely trustworthy, loyal, and friendly dogs. Best of all they are easy to train and are always looking to please their owner.
They are super popular as service dogs because of their loving nature, intelligence, easy training and they are very adaptable to new places and situations.
Golden retrievers can grow to up to twenty-two inches in height and about fifty-five pounds in weight.
Samoyeds
This breed of dog is very intelligent and sociable. They were originally bred for hard physical work in extremely cold locations. This is why they are so agile and have such a strong work ethic.
This is why they make such good working dogs. They are reliable, eager to please, and hard-working dogs.
The Samoyed breed will typically grow up to twenty-one inches tall and weigh up to fifty pounds.
Border Collies
If you want a dog that is hardworking and super smart then look no further than the fun frenzy that is the border collie.
These dogs have endless energy and are well known as easily trainable, intelligent, and motivated dogs.
They are always happy working and eager to please. For these reasons, this dog is perfectly suited to being a service dog.
Border collies typically grow up to twenty-two inches in height and will weigh up to forty-eight pounds.
Irish Setters
This breed of dog is an even-tempered and friendly dog that was originally bred for sport.
They are exceptionally good with strangers and are always eager to please their owners. They are easy to train and will do very well with positive reinforcement.
The Irish setter typically grows to be twenty-seven inches tall and usually weighs up to seventy pounds.
Poodles
Poodles are well known as one of the most intelligent breeds of dogs. To top it all off, this dog is easy to train and is always eager to learn and help people.
They are extremely smart, people orientated, and very loving dogs. For these reasons, this breed of dog is perfectly suited to the life of a seizure alert dog.
Poodles normally grow to be ten and fifteen inches tall depending on whether you have a standard or miniature poodle.
They tend to weigh between forty-five and seventy pounds depending on the breed.
Labrador Retrievers
Labradors are one of the most popular breeds that are used as service dogs.
This is largely due to their extreme intelligence and people-pleasing tendencies. They are also very friendly and will cope well with strangers in public.
This breed of dog will typically grow to about twenty-three inches tall and should weigh seventy pounds at most.
Final Thoughts
We hope that you have enjoyed reading our article and learning about what breeds of dogs are considered the best for seizure alerts.
There are plenty of other dog breeds that will make excellent seizure alert dogs and not everyone will like our top pics.
So, if you would like to learn more about fantastic seizure alert dog breeds you can rest assured that there are plenty of other fantastic dog breeds out there.
Hopefully, you enjoyed our article and have learned everything you need to know.
The result of that was Bunny - a 5 year old labrador who follows me around everywhere and is trained to detect when I’m about to have an anxiety attack. Through our three years together, Bunny can even sense when I’m feeling just a little bit anxious and work to calm me down.
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