About M.D. Dogs Inc

Who runs it

M.D. Dogs is a nonprofit, not a commercial training school, and says so: "We are just a small nonprofit with a passion for bringing transparency to the field of Medical Alert Dogs." It was founded by Libby Rockaway — "As a Service Dog trainer and researcher, Libby realized the lack of public information and understanding surrounding Diabetic Alert Dogs… This idea prompted her to found M.D. Dogs Inc in 2017 and create the step-by-step training book and video series." The board also lists Grace Long, a NICU nurse at Vanderbilt Children's Hospital; Kathy Burgess, a breeder who donates puppies to be trained as service dogs; and Emily Sexton, parent of a child with type 1 diabetes.

What they do

The scope is narrow and stated: "M.D. Dogs helps individuals with type 1 diabetes train or obtain Diabetic Alert Dogs." Three routes are offered.

A free learning library: "M.D. Dogs founder, Libby Rockaway, wrote a book for training your own Diabetic Alert Dog. The 1st edition is available for free and is accompanied by a video series demonstrating all the steps of the training process."

Online classes: "we offer online live classes which we call MD Dogs University. These meet weekly and include training sessions and demos in real time."

Trained alert dogs: "Each year we train 2-4 Diabetic Alert Dogs and match them with individuals with type 1 diabetes. These dogs go through hundreds of hours of training and alert to blood sugars of 80mg/dL and below, and high blood sugars of 180mg/dL and above."

The method

"M.D. Dogs' methods utilize positive reinforcement to teach the dog that specific scents result in treats, praise, and excitement. The dogs are then taught to perform a specific behavior, such as pawing their handler's knee, when they detect the scent to receive their exciting rewards. The entire process is a game, resulting in the dogs being happy and confident when they work."

The mission, in three numbered aims

"1. To teach disabled individuals how to train their own medical detection dogs for a low cost. 2. To bring transparency to the field of Diabetic Alert Dogs. 3. To educate those who are wanting to purchase a trained Diabetic Alert Dog so they are able to ask relevant questions and determine the most reputable organization to purchase a dog from."

Why self-training

"In addition to being less expensive than purchasing a fully trained dog, a benefit to training your own medical detection dog is that the dog will often begin helping you long before they have completed training."

The caution they publish themselves

"DIABETIC ALERT DOGS ARE ANIMALS PRONE TO ERROR AND ARE NOT MEANT TO REPLACE YOUR GLUCOSE MONITOR OR ANY OTHER MEDICAL DEVICE OR DIABETES-REGULATION MEASURES RECOMMENDED BY YOUR ENDOCRINOLOGIST OR OTHER QUALIFIED HEALTH PROVIDER."