Service dogs have been used for years in a variety of ways, as animal training has helped create guide dogs to help the blind and K-9 police dogs that help sniff out drugs and explosives. But USA Today recently reported on a new animal career for service dogs: allergy testers. According to the story, it’s now possible to train dogs to use their keen sense of smell to spot potentially harmful or even fatal traces of peanuts – a common and very dangerous allergy with small children.
A non-profit organization in Colorado called Angel Service Dogs has taken on the task of training dogs to be highly responsive any time they sense even a trace of peanuts in food or in the air. The main dog being used is a Portuguese Water Dog, because it has hypoallergenic fur and most children with severe peanut allergies also are allergic to dogs.
