When I think of dogs, I think of cute, fluffy animals that you just want to hug and play with all day long. However, dogs can be so much more than that with the proper training. Service dogs are specially trained dogs that perform specific tasks for people with disabilities, including physical, sensory, psychiatric, intellectual, or other mental disabilities. They are different from emotional support animals because their work is a direct and trained response to their handler’s disability, such as retrieving items, providing stability, or alerting to medical episodes like seizures or panic attacks.

A service dog can save your life if you have a disability. And it all leads back to their extremely developed senses. There are numerous components that lead to a dog being able to detect a seizure:

• Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs): Seizures release unique VOCs into the air, breath, and sweat of the person experiencing them. Dogs can smell these VOCs, which may indicate an impending seizure. That way, they can quickly indicate to their owner that they need to stop what they are doing and sit down.
• Electromagnetic Fields: Some research suggests that seizures generate electromagnetic fields that dogs may be able to sense. However, research is still being done to figure out what exactly dogs are able to sense.
• Behavioral Cues: Dogs are a lot more perceptive than you might think. They can observe changes in their owner’s behavior or body language that even a person can miss! Dogs observe this behavior that precedes a seizure, such as restlessness, anxiety, or unusual smells and are able to warn their owner on time.

Dogs are not born with this training. They need to be trained for hours on end and understand the severity of their owner’s disability. Their training involves exposing them to the scents and behaviors associated with seizures and rewarding them when they correctly identify these indicators. While studies have shown that dogs can detect seizures with a high degree of accuracy, the reliability of individual dogs may vary. Factors such as the dog’s breed, training, and the individual’s seizure pattern can influence their ability to predict seizures.

Dogs are absolutely amazing because they catch so many differences that we miss. So please, when you see a service dog, even if you are tempted to pet it or play with it, remember that any distractions could become a problem for their owner. They’re not only our furry friends but our furry fighters who fight for our well being and keep us safe.