About our Dogs - FAQ Can I train my own dog to be a Medical Alert Assistance Dog? We would love to support you to train your pet dog to become a Medical Alert Assistance Dog if you meet the criteria set out here: Medical Alert Assistance Dogs What happens to the dogs when they retire? Medical Alert Assistance Dogs stay with the client or a family member in most cases; they remain as much loved family members who simply retire from active duty! Bio Detection Dogs live as part of the family with volunteers who love them, so usually, they live out their retirement with these volunteers. In rare cases, this isn’t possible, so we have a robust rehoming process to find another loving home for these life savers: Rehoming Do any dogs fail their training? Despite the best efforts of our staff and volunteers, a small number of dogs simply aren’t meant to be superheroes – some are destined to be Very Important Pets instead. This might be due to a health complaint, a sensitive personality which isn’t suited to accompanying a client to busy environments, or a less acute sense of smell, for example. If you’re interested in rehoming one of these wonderful dogs, further details can be found here: Rehoming Do your dogs live in kennels? No, we believe dogs thrive in loving homes, so we have a wonderful team of volunteers who look after our dogs as a part of their families. How long does it take to train a Medical Detection Dog? The initial training to be a Medical Alert Assistance Dog begins at 8 weeks and takes approximately 18 months, which is followed by further training once matched with a client, to learn the odour which indicates a medical episode is imminent. Bio Detection Dogs complete their initial training by approximately 12 months old, and are then trained on the specific odour they need to detect for a project they’re allocated to, such as Malaria, Cancer, E.coli etc. Can I rehome one of your dogs which is no longer working? Yes, please see our rehoming page for further information on how to apply to rehome one of our amazing dogs: Rehoming How do I apply for a Medical Alert Assistance Dog? If you’re affected by one of the conditions for which we train dogs to alert, you can apply for a dog sourced by us, or to train your own dog to be a Medical Alert Assistance Dog. Details of conditions we support, and the application process can be found here: Medical Alert Assistance Dogs Do your dog's alert strangers if they have an illness? You can rest assured that if you meet one of our dogs, and its client or handler is happy for the dog to greet you, the dog’s interest in you isn’t a sign that you’re unwell – they’re just being friendly! If one of our dogs is working in the community on a project (such as detecting UTI’s in vulnerable people at a care home) we would obtain your permission first to be checked, and the dog is trained to only “search” for their target odour when instructed by the handler. Can my dog tell if I have cancer? Accounts of dogs alerting their owners to previously undiagnosed cancer were the inspiration for the foundation of Medical Detection Dogs. Following our CEO’s experience of this with her pet dog Daisy, Claire Guest was motivated to understand how dogs could detect illness, to test their accuracy, and ultimately harness this ability to save lives: Daisy's Gift Book Our Cancer Detection Dogs are trained to detect the odour of specific cancers in samples obtained from patients, rather than a human in their presence. We are working with Medical and Technological experts to use what we have learnt from our dogs to develop accurate, early detection of cancer and other illnesses through less obtrusive means than are currently available: Cancer & Bio Detection Dogs Do your dogs enjoy working? Work = play for our puppies in training and Cancer & Bio Detection Dogs, as training and scent work are positive interactions including their favourite rewards, whether that’s affection, a tennis ball or some delicious treats: Amazon Wishlist For Medical Alert Assistance Dogs, alerting their client becomes an extension of the close bond they have, and whilst their noses are always on duty, they live happy lives with all the joys that a well-loved pet dog experiences, like games, fusses and running free in the park – with the bonus of accompanying their favourite human everywhere they go! Can I help by training a puppy? We’re always looking for volunteers who can offer a loving home for our pups and train them to become lifesavers with the support of our staff: Volunteering Manage Cookie Preferences