Guest Post: What are seizure alert dogs?

The article below by Bolt Burdon Kemp gives an insight into seizure alert dogs, their skill set and how they can help sufferers from traumatic brain injury. 

Seizure alert dogs are a special type of guide dog. They are particularly helpful for people who have suffered traumatic brain injury. Seizure and traumatic brain injury sadly often go hand in hand and not only may traumatic brain injury suffers suffer emotional distress but physical side effects are often quite complex and many sufferers will never be the same person they were before an accident occurred. 

Guide dogs can help with mobility issues as well as daily tasks that brain injury sufferers may have problems with. Many guide dogs can help with the opening of doors and getting dressed which are just small tasks but have a huge impact on improving someone’s quality of life. 

These dogs also make really good friends. Their gentle nature will create a calm environment for their owner that helps them relax and face the challenges in their daily lives a bit better. 

The training of a guide dog is not straight-forward. Charities often take on the task of training assistance dogs and the training can several years. Guide dogs often meet their potential owner during the training and train together so that they become perfectly suited to each other’s needs and are a good match. 

Source: http://www.flickr.com/photos/midiman/70866665/ 

Guide dogs can be used for people you may not expect to be teamed up with a guide dog. Former military personnel can often benefit from a guide dog in their lives and it will help them reintegrate into society if they for example got wounded in battle. 

The needs of sufferers from traumatic brain injury are complex and what they need a dog to be able to do will vary so it helps that charities make sure potential owners and their dogs meet early on as well as help them through the process. 

A traumatic brain injury sufferer will often be glad to have a guide dog in their life. If you see one out and about, why not make conversation with their owner and show your interest in these special dogs?

* This is a guest post

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