LIVINGLIVING
NEWS
REPORT
DOG'S BODY
A busy year for Moby, the medical detection dog
Moby is the dog sponsored by Accu-Chek
to be trained by Medical Detection Dogs
in order to become a partner to a person
with diabetes who has extra needs, such
as having no hypo awareness.
Claire Pesterfield who has Type 1
diabetes and has her own hypo dog,
called Magic, is also a registerd diabetes
nurse and works with Medical Detection
Dogs, a charity based in Milton Keynes,
to help match trained dogs with the right
partners.
Pesterfield told us how Moby's
training has been going over the last six
months since we interviewed her in a 'My
Diabetes Kit' story for this magazine. She
told us, "Moby has been out and about
as she continues her assistance dog
apprenticeship, travelling as far afield as
London, Bournemouth, Coventry and
Leicester."
While most year-old doggies are
learning to catch balls in the garden
Moby is learning the art of being a Medical
Detection Dog and has so far mastered
superb behaviour while out shopping,
visiting cafés and riding on public
transport with her trainer.
"Moby has all the basic behaviours
well-rehearsed," says Pesterfield, "and
is now moving on to some of the more
advanced training, such as retrieving to
hand, off lead control and recall away from
distraction. Now we are now particularly
focusing on Moby's motivation as this is
where additional work is required, she
has never been a particularly foodie dog!
She is now nearing final stages of her
public access training and is joining the
socialisers with all their daily activities,
whether that's a walk in a country park,
the cinema, theatre or a restaurant. Moby
very much enjoyed her recent trip to
Bournemouth where she played on the
beach using her new-found confidence
with water, dashing in out of the sea
fetching her ball."
At this stage of her training, Moby
is being assessed to determine what
age and lifestyle of client would be most
suitable to match her with.
We'll follow up with another update in
a few month's time.
Moby's training is being sponsored by
Accu-Chek Mobile.
Moby as a very young puppy (below), and at about six months
(top right) and Claire Pesterfield with her dog Magic (right).
www.medicaldetectiondogs.org.uk