Willow Service Dogs LLC: Celiac and allergen service dogs

07/03/2024

I had a wonderful meet up on Monday with client Deb Duvall and fellow dog trainer Kari Bastyr. Kari had a 5 hour layover at Detroit airport so Deb and I picked her up and we went to dinner at a bar on Belville Lake. The dogs did great checking our food and Luna (all white poodle) did her first mealtime check in public. Kari has been interning on Debs sessions for gluten detection with me for the last year while training her own dog Birdy. Kari is ready to start taking clients, I have attached a link to her website.
https://www.wagandtrain.com/kari-bastyr-wag-and-train

04/08/2024

Things to consider if taking your service dog with you to watch the solar eclipse for k-9 safety. This is a strange event for your dog and no matter how well trained, it could cause fear and anxiety in your companion that can lead to unexpected behavioral changes. Another thing to consider is if you have a dog that looks up, they can burn their eyes just like we can. I am taking Bodi with me to be in a location of totality so he will be crated in the van with his crate covered during the eclipse. I will also be watching him for stress signs during and after the eclipse is over. Some signs to watch for that can lead to unpredicted or abnormal behavior are:
-Panting
-Lip Licking
-Yawning
-Wail Eyes
-Furrowed eyebrows
-Face and Body Tension
-Avoidance
-Restlessness

I found this study that was done on zoo animals during the eclipse in 2017.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7222787/?fbclid=IwAR223zOKxaaliJf0ro2wneKE8OOvW8YO7coD5rbs6xnXueYVRvAgccD2oko_aem_Af2hpYAF2E_sECh5C5ozSs8unRKYwVxQOfFG8Zwc1Fet1SNCBooKVdgigk6_jl17VP9eFp1ImVR1ZPwqvPQb4UJk

Graphic created by Lina Wainiola Bodi's Breeder https://www.riversedgepoodles.com/

03/13/2024

This is a recorded Live I did with Suki PWD answering some of the most commonly asked questions about gluten detection dogs and training.
https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=730425215865369&extid=CL-UNK-UNK-UNK-IOS_GK0T-GK1C&ref=sharing&mibextid=cr9u03

12/01/2022

Aurita has taken over and will be lead trainer today. She is such a control freak.

05/08/2022

We had a great time going to Hell with Flaming Hot Moutain Dew and guest DJ Pauly D in Hell Michigan. Bodi did great working all day and into the night. The DJ music was loud and it did not bother him a bit. He is the first dog I have ever had that truly likes music. He had a good time.

04/15/2022

This is a great article on gluten detection dogs.. Luna the dog in the video was trained through the Willow Service Dogs program. Her owner already had nosework experience and has her own program now to train gluten detection dogs and is listed as a trainer who has completed the Willow Service Dogs internship program. The list of trainers is available on my website.

https://clubglutenfree.com/celiac-disease-service-dogs/

Celiac disease service dogs may not be as common as the well-known police and guide dogs - but they can help with a range of diseases, from mild to severe.

04/07/2022

Matrix is 14 weeks old training for gluten and oat detection. There are 2 people on zoom while I’m doing his training session. Normally the client would be doing the training, however Matrix is a rare board and train so we are doing a group zoom session. He started his controlled search trading on Sunday.

03/20/2022

02/05/2022

Norbert is waiting patiently for the Zoom link for his lesson in gluten detection. He will be graduating this month. He is proofing the new gluten and allergen test. He will be tested in the following areas
- Known Controls
- Blind Controls
- Hand Checks
- Public Product Check
- Meal Check
- Room Searches

01/07/2022

Being able to leave your service dog in the care of another person is important. Things can happen and you never know if another person may have to handle your dog for you. Such as when a person has a medical emergency. In this video Bodi is demonstrating being left with another person. The dog should remain calm and under control without show signs of stress fear or anxiety. The dog should also remain calm when the handler returns.

12/24/2021

Willow Service Dogs L.L.C. is wishing everyone a safe and joyous holiday season.

12/23/2021

When you spend an hour in line at the checkout. Yes Bodi that's how we all feel.

12/01/2021

Public Access
Learning to load into the mode of transportation is an important part of public access training. The dog should wait calmly until told to enter the transportation the remain calm and cooperative while it is properly secured for safe travel.

11/16/2021

This is Norbert and Sami Rowe-Tillinghast. Sami is working with Norbert in the store preparing to take the Gluten and Allergen test prior to graduation.

My lifesaver. My service dog.

11/11/2021

11/10/2021

A Big Congratulations to Annie Englehardt- B.S. in Animal Behavior, Carroll University, CPDT-KA
Annie was a joy to work with, I look forward to working with her as a fellow professional and friend for many years to come. She has been a light in my day She is the owner of Medi-Dogs
https://www.medidogstraining.com/

11/10/2021

One of the best ways improve odor recognition is to have a dog search for it. The plus is that the dogs LOVE it! This is Teak 1 year old searching approximately 1.25 gm of gluten. A slice of gluten containing bread contains approximately 5 gm of gluten.

11/04/2021

It is important that service dog's are able to move up and down stairs and elevators. In this video Bodi is assisting me with mobility up the stairs

11/03/2021

Willow Service Dogs L.L.C has created a page on the website with a complete list of those who have completed internships or are in the process of earning one. All interns receive a certificate of completion when they meet the full internship requirements to display on their website.
https://www.willowceliacallergenservicedogs.com/about-3
Internships are offered in the following areas.
-Gluten/Allergen Detection
-Medical Detection
-Tracking
-Obedience

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10/30/2021

Our little Jedi's are ready!
Every year at Halloween people ask me to check their kid's candy for them. I do not have any little celiacs in my home but I am always ready to help others.

10/24/2021

WE HAVE AN OPENING
Willow Service dogs have graduated over 30 gluten detections and medical alert dogs that have been evaluated by an outside evaluator through ODOR Service Dogs Inc. and we have an opening. These are the current dogs in training in our program.

10/21/2021

Place training is important for every dog. This is where my Muppets spend their time while I am working.

10/15/2021

Even when your Mom's service dog you still need to make sure all your people are ok. This is Bodi arriving at the ER, checking Dad out at after Dads ambulance ride due to a hypertensive crisis event. Dad is home doing fine and follow-up testing.

10/13/2021

The Switch Witch
I just learned about this concept and so cool for kids with celiac and allergies allowing them to trick or treat like any other kid and have, then when they get home they have the extra excitement of leavening all the candy they can not eat with the Switch Witch before they go to bed, who will change all that candy into a surprise gift.
https://www.switch-witch.com/

We help food allergy, and type 1 diabetic families celebrate a healthy Halloween.

10/12/2021

The end of summer/beginning of fall is my favorite time of year to get out and work on leash skills, The weather is cooler and more comfortable for both me and the dog not to mention the beautiful fall colors in a few more weeks.

10/05/2021

Do you know the difference between a double-blind study and blind controls we use for training purposes? This is teak working with blind controls for the first time. He paws for gluten and freezes for Gluten Free. He also needs a little more work before he is ready for testing. He spent his summer doing hunt training and has only been back to gluten detection for 4 weeks.

Blind Controls-disguised; concealed; hidden

“Double-blind” means that neither the handler nor anyone else nearby knows the solution ...

Both are used to reduce handler bios He got all his blinds correct and missed the know control barley. Time for some barley searches.

09/07/2021

The bananas brought home had gluten on them. No problem. Just more work for Bodi which he loves to do. We just separated the bananas in half. He cleared one half then indicated on the other. From there we separated each of the 3 bananas from the half he indicated on to have him check individually and found the one culprit banana and pulled it out to be eaten by a gluten eater in the house. (Most likely cross contact on the peal of the banana) Bodi pictured proud of his find.

07/04/2021

Willow Service dogs is wishing everyone a safe and joyful independence day with a reminder that the 4th of July can be very stressful for your four legged friends. We recommend using a back up strap on leashes and giving pets with anxiety a safe space to be.

05/31/2021

Today we want to honor all of our veterans who have fought for our freedom. That includes are canine companions who are not in the history books. Here is an interesting article on Stubby. We in the working dog world have him to thank for what we all can accomplish in the dog world.
Stubby, is one of great service, trust, and loyalty. It began in Connecticut, crossed the Atlantic into the battles of World War I, and returned home to a hero's welcome. After a lifetime of honors at the side of his owner, James Robert Conroy, Stubby died in 1926
https://www.militarytimes.com/2017/06/07/stubby-s-story-all-about-the-iconic-world-war-i-war-dog-and-star-of-an-upcoming-animated-film/