Teaching dogs to dial 911?

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Missfeisty

Boxer Pal
Has anyone done this? I know it's be done with dogs trained to assist (guide dogs, etc), but has anyone been able to do it with a "regular joe" house dog?

My mom has leukemia and really shouldn't be left alone, but she's been insisting on it - sending her nurse home early, refusing to go stay at my brother's, etc. So when a family member checked on her, she was napping on the couch with Lucy sleeping directly below her on the floor.

The thought crossed my mind that maybe I could teach Lucy how to dial 911? But wouldn't I also have to teach her WHEN it's necessary...maybe a verbal cue from mom?
 
harlie'smom

harlie'smom

Boxer Insane
If i were you i would contact a trainer and see what they say....Maybe they can teach her that. Im sorry to hear about your mom. Lots of boxer hugs and kisses
 
bustermom

bustermom

Boxer Insane
When it comes to such an issue of personal safety and peace of mind, I'd suggest looking into a medical pendant, one that the user wears and has a button to push which automatically contacts local authorities. A quick google search turned up this pretty cool site:

http://www.medicalmonitoringusa.com/

Training a service dog is a fairly involved, complex process and if Lucy fails to respond properly at a critical time then it could result in heartbreak. I know I sure wouldn't trust my doofus of a boxer to do much more than drown me in slobber if I collapsed and needed help!

If I were you, I'd contact the municipal clerk in your mom's town and they can put you in touch with the local elder care / senior citizen gov't agency for more info.
 
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Missfeisty

Boxer Pal
I agree that relying on Lucy isn't the safest method. It was an idea that popped up and I thought I would look into it further, just was curious if anyone else did it. I even thought maybe I could teach her to hit the medic alert thingie in exchange for a treat, but then I quickly realized that she would spend her day smacking the button cause she wants another cookie! LOL

We are looking into the alert systems that Mom can wear around her neck. But I think she's also starting to realize that sending her nurse home and being alone isn't such a good thing after all.
 
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