Dogs can now detect epilepsy

This article I came across appeared in the NY Times on October 31st of this year. It examines whether dogs are really as smart as people think or is it just a figment of their imagination.

The dog they are looking at here is called Jet and is an extraordinary dog. He is classified as a seizure alert dog.

What this means is that he is able to detect epilepsy, phobias, depression and anxiety. He obviously has his hands full as his owner suffers from all of the above.

What I thought was really cool was the fact that when his owner is having  a fit the dog will go and grab a cushion and put the cushion under its owners head so as to protect her from cracking here head  against any object.

Armies all over the world are investing huge amounts of resources into training their dogs. A lot of this has been primarily for search and rescue. Think of all the earthquakes that have happenned across the world and you will see the huge roles that dogs have to play in saving peoples lives.

The army also see the significance of looking after their veterans when they return from active war duty. Dogs like Jet can learn to look after the soldiers who suffer from post traumatic stress disorder. This means that the soldies lives will have improved immeasurably.

You can only begin to guess the horrors they have witnessed in wars

Here’s the full story…….

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/01/weekinreview/01kershaw.html