How are dogs trained to alert to symptoms of psychiatric disorder in the handler?
The answer to this question is that dogs are both trained and not-trained to alert. We do not yet know how to screen dogs for alerting ability. Indeed we are dependent upon a dog to naturally demonstrate alerting behavior with his/her handler, before we can shape the behavior through training. Alerting behavior does not look the same in every dog. Some dogs alert by pawing their handlers leg. Others alert by misbehaving. Still others alert by barking or nibbling on toes or fingers. Alerting behaviors are unique to each dog. Determining whether or not your dog alerts to your condition may take some time. Be patient and attentive to your dogs every move. Perform a check-in with yourself whenever you think your dog might be alerting you. How do you feel right now? What is happening in your environment? Jot these notes down, and over time, a pattern may emerge. Within a few months of bringing your dog home, you should be able to ascertain whether yours is an alerting dog, or not. If your d
