The days I watched Type 1 take her away...

Sean at diagnosis

Most of you know my teenage son is "T1." Some of you may know I lost my best friend to Type 1 diabetes, a month after our son came home from ICU with an A1C of 14.5...(He is now 6.5)

What only her close family, other friend and I share, is the last day of a 10-month DKA induced coma that took Heidi. A mother of four (like me), a wife, a confidant; a light to those who knew her. Her laughter was remarkable! Her smile, even more so. Over 40, she was still getting honks and cat calls from passers by. (God knows I'd never gotten that, they were DEFINITELY for HER)!

She had four daughter's of her own, but my youngest was her 5th!

On the anniversary of losing her, and my son's diagnosis, I nearly "lost it", too. I had an ultimate meltdown. I cried harder than I ever had in years. I wailed through the night, crying her name. (My husband told me that morning) This sounds dramatic, I know. But I choose not to describe her death, the life-support, and moments that cause nightmares because it brings no glory to her remembrance.

How could I walk through her (unlocked) door in my pajamas nearly every morning, sit down and watch her take her blood sugar, say "230-250" EVERY-TIME, and not know what that meant? I never asked. Well maybe I recall a "it's not good," from her. I also recall the weight and muscle that she lacked. And the clues from doctor appointments we either went to together (or I heard about after) in which she was told she had "dysmorphic....blah blah" Something in which her body perception was off. (another clue)

One night I got a text and then another from 2 of her daughters that she couldn't stop throwing up, and she didn't have the flu. I was there just as the ambulance arrived and took her. Nothing was ever the same. We spent HOURS in the ER the day her kidneys shut down. Her family spent hours/days a week driving to dialysis. My hubby and I were there when the cardiologist walked in and asked to sit down. She had heart blockage as well...

She said this would be our last pic together and it was.

I wasn't there for quite some months following most of this. I would dare say the whole 10months. Some friend I was. I had been told her death would be slow, awful and un-kind if she were not to "turn it around"...And maybe in some unthoughtful way I hoped my fighter friend would do just that. She was so stubborn! Her strength and weakness was that. I loved it, I hated it. 

6 months into her coma I was ready to go see her when my son, Sean, began throwing up. He had been to his doc the day before complaining of the top 2 symptoms of Type 1 diabetes; headache & nausea. He also mentioned his appetite had changed, and stomach kinda hurt. We were sent home. The next day he vomited profusely and I rushed him to the ER. Emergency appendectomy. 

He never seemed to recover. He was slow, and some mornings I feared him dead due to slow breathing and extreme lethargy. Still no worry from his pediatrician. 3 months later he had lost 22lbs and looked like death's door. I left my mother's birthday as she and my dad pressed, "Call us tomorrow after you take him to Urgent Care and tell us what's up," He wasn't keeping food down. So I took him in the next day and the reading was so high on the meter it didn't give a number. Our world has never been the same. God Bless Dr. Stone. (shout out)

Heidi sent a message via her daughter through text while Sean was in ICU for 2 days.- (From her ICU room). I cried reading it in the hallway alone. Rarely did I leave Sean's bed. For almost a week. I had to for that moment. I knew she knew. What I didn't know is that  I'd never see her again until the day she died.

Bev sent me Heidi's message from ICU to ICU

Sean came home so sick he didn't make a good return to school. His "honeymoon" period was intense, and daily (DAILY) the nurse called as he plummeted into the 40's and nearly collapsed. I never left home. I never left town. I talked to our Endo constantly. The day I finally left town and left him for school (with BIG PRAYERS sent alongside) was the day Heidi's daughter called and said, "Come say goodbye." That was Sean's first full day of victory being back at school. My other friend picked him up and met up to see Heidi as well that evening. 

Now it's as though I live every day I didn't pay attention to Heidi's life. Diabetes was her LIFE. We all recall the day her pretty pink mini-med pump arrived, we all recall her "butter with waffles" at IHOP as she punched buttons...but I never recall things that I know are now necessary for my son.

Heidi's glucose meter didn't seem to leave the house. She didn't "check" other than the morning. She took 3hr naps every afternoon (we called them her "life-saver" naps, as did she...) So as I learned about Type 1 with our son, you can IMAGINE how crazy control freak "DO IT RIGHT"/"BE ACCOUNTABLE" I was with our 11yr old Sean. It was insane, the high expectation I had of him. I thought of everything..."Carry your OWN bag, you left it WHERE?! You want your insulin to go bad, you take it out of the CAR, young man!" One day when he very honestly asked "Geez, why do you get this way?" His dad (way cool, takes it easier than me) answered bluntly, "You want to end up six feet under like Ms. Heidi?" 

Whoa. Stop. We all got it. I came home and soon after cried to her daughter for the guilt in using Heidi's name that way... But it worked. It just did. He misses her just the same. She was another mom to my crew.

Becca and my Clara

(L)Melissa and Amanda (R)

 Sean was vomiting and bordering an ER visit the day of Heidi's funeral. My hubby stayed home with him and the littler children while I took his brother. I barely made it on time. Great friend moment #2. During the pastor's moment on her life and when he said, "This disease has no respect, etc..." I literally shook so hard my teeth chattered slightly. That was one of the hardest days to confront. 

At funeral in Temecula

Now every day I see it. I know what the numbers mean. I know what foods "count as"...and I know what is expected. And days when my son forgets (because he is human) to put his pump on after a swim in the pool with friends, I have been known to go a little cooky and shout, "WHO WANTS TO TAKE SEAN TO THE ER WITH ME TONIGHT?" His friends look up like "Wha..." And I go on to explain the severity of his disease to them... (Now they are his accountability!) 

• I have threatened to pick him up from play dates if he gets distracted and doesn't check. And I have followed through.
• I have nicely educated my best friends, left emergency meters, kits and insulin at their residences, and in one year this came in handy.
• I have also picked him up from sleepovers because I've called like a nut-ball mom and checked and realized things weren't going "to code" food-wise or checking-wise. 
• Friends now bring over carb counts if they bring food
• Last year, Sean's friends collaborated to sneak his life-saving glucagon shot around for him at school if they searched his bag (that was a fun one, he felt like a total bad-donkey!- lol) 

I have heard that diabetes HAS NO RESPECT. That you can do all you can do, and that maybe accounts for 50% of the outcome. The other 50% is a crap-shoot. 

Well then WE WILL DO 100% of that 50% is what I tell people. I'll be darned.

That is the gift Heidi gave me that is ongoing. Awareness. The passion and desire to let the loved ones in my life, and in my son's life, KNOW THAT HIS LIFE IS IN THE BALANCE HOURLY. And we all HAVE GOT to be aware of that.

What I had been doing...

What I spent all night doing...

The night I said good-bye to the most amazing mother and friend I did not sleep. I came home and began creating. It was like therapy. I had been making cake-pops for many months by then, but that evening, I took them to a whole new level of "wow." Over that first year of Sean's Dx and her death my other friend and I pumped out 3 orders a week (if not more) and stayed BUSY being "The Cake Pop Queens.' It was a blast. It was distracting.

Just as that year anniversary passed, I landed in a psychs office and he asked, "Who referred you here?" I answered, "MYSELF!" He laughed. I cried. I cried for my son. I cried for Heidi. I cried in gratitude that my marriage and family were strong enough to handle it all, but I needed HELP with the level of anxiety I was encountering ON THE DAILY. 

We had been researching DADs and were fully committed to an org after fundraising our tails off. I already knew what it looked and felt like to almost lose my son, then WATCH my friend die of this very disease! Good God, give me a LIFE-SAVING ANIMAL! I want sleep! I want...Oh wait. Does my son want this, too? That was a better place to start. I had been selfish long enough.

Not long after getting back on track and of sound/calm mind, we had a "falling out" with our DAD org anyways, so it was REALLY time to evaluate if a DAD was a good direction for us to pursue. "YES MOM, I want to do this," was Sean's reply to a very serious "sit-down." He went on to explain that he was also excited to move forward with another organization if it were possible. The one we had been with was not a good fit, and he felt it and knew it long before I figured it out. He's a smart one. 

So here I had been losing so much (We also lost our dear sister, Sharilyn, at Christmas time that same year. Sean said "My best friend is gone.")

Heidi and Sharilyn

• Lost my son's health
• lost my best pal 
• lost my own health (Dx'd w/ Lupus 4mo after Sean) 
• lost my one sister, (and my other had melanoma removed by John Hopkins D.C. and is thankfully cancer free...) 
• my kid's other "Auntie," her hubby had a brain stem stroke and is "locked in." Bed ridden, four kids my family all considers cousins...Closest people in my life, all suffering.TOUGH YEAR.

GRIEF. It's a B. Period. But it comes. You can't hide from the stages of it.

1. Denial
2. depression
3. anger 
4. forgiveness (to self or others) 
5. acceptance, then freedom. 

Most of us get STUCK. Someplace in depression or anger. We want a "fix" (I know I do)!

What do I take away from this year? I look FORWARD. I ACCEPT. I think of Heidi's gift to me, and I thank God for her beautiful daughters that still share their lives with me (and permission to share her story). I thank God for the people that fundraise, ride, bike, and RALLY for the CURE. They believe. And that was Heidi's phrase: BELIEVE. It was written on her arm, and is on both our mantels at home.

(L-R) Becca, Melissa, Nolan, Amanda, and Beverly

Will her story bring light to a loved one you know that is suffering? Share it. Do you have anxiety about your child being diagnosed? SEEK HELP. 

Are you getting a DAD for YOU or for your child? Who is going to benefit...?

These are all tough questions, but you know I'm nosy and all up in your stuff like that... It's Heidi's way! 

How much does a DAD cost? Raise 15k in 5 months.

Did the heading spark your attention?

It's not only possible, it was done. By us, and with the financial support of loved ones who heard our story. How would you do the same?

• Leave your fears BEHIND
• Tell EVERYONE you know what is going on, EARLY on. Neighbors, carpool, teachers, co-workers, pastors, school people, youth leaders, etc.
  

If you can't communicate, that's not good. But there IS hope. You have the option to alter your ego, or "hire" a PR person, a family cheerleader/best friend, or go with an organization like Heads Up Hounds or Drey's that offers fundraising support and ideas alongside your journey with them.

• know the answer to this: WHY do you want a diabetic alert dog?

THEN...

• Consider your best way to GET A DAD... and research HERE for Top 10 resources on DAD info!  books, popular blogs and videos here!
• Scour the internet for ideas, or find them ALL in one place HERE
• Become a spokesperson for TYPE 1 DIABETES AWARENESS.
• This is the time to educate. If you're not educated on the disease you need a service dog for, you will sound confusing and silly.
• So GET EDUCATED on ADA! Read this article HERE It'll help!
• Write your story and needs in Full Length but be able to present in lees than 30 sec (no business or stranger will pay attention longer).
• Be open to new ideas and networking with people outside your norm.
• Think about events, what is realistic and within reach. Ask for sponsors.
• Set up a website for $5/mo to direct people to so you have all your info and PAYPAL in one place. http://www.wix.com is great.
• Social Media is your new part time job. Example of website HERE and also start a FACEBOOK page for your cause, to keep all your contacts updated via photos, etc. like THIS ONE
• Share via your email address book via www.youcaring.com or www.gofundme.com
• Make T-shirts/Logo Graphic and use at local events in your town. Have people commit to the purchase before the shirt is made! i.e. http://www.customink.com/events/fundraising-ideas

Never under-estimate the POWER of SNAIL MAIL!

• Every Christmas card you ever received. Write them now.
• Also high-jack your parents and grand-parents lists!
• Include a self addressed/stamped envelope. Make it easy. It IS going to COST MONEY TO RAISE MONEY (budget $150 in printing and supplies which averages $2-$3 per letter for 30/40 letters)
• Encourage responses back to YOU, but checks to your org, trainer, person, etc. This ensures your book-keeping and thank you cards being done well!

DAD organizations (like ones featured here on this blog) range from 6.5k-20k for a DAD. The average appears to be somewhere around 15. Ready to begin your search? Click HERE for Top 10 resources on DAD info! 
Heads Up Hounds has challenged the market at the lowest end, (6.5k)! Read their story HERE and follow their training moral compass as they SAVE dogs (using shelter only) ON THIS BLOG HERE Others like BFF- best friends furever offer military discounts and are on the lower end than most. You also have the option to REMOTE TRAIN with accountability which is a bit like DIY (do it yourself) with a scent imprinted pup. On the other end of the spectrum, National Institute for Diabetic Alert Dogs price their fully trained DADS @ 15-30k. So if fundraising isn't your fear, don't hesitate to investigate EVERYONE. (On choosing a DAD org to work with ) Lily Grace, of NIDAD carries the opinion, "If I had one piece of advise for everyone looking to acquire a DAD it would be this - Spend the time to actually compare and see for yourself the TRAINING RESULTS of the different providers. Anyone can say anything (great sales people). Anyone can provide a flashy website (hire a marketing designer). There are a number of reasons providers get into this business,, 1) Want to make a money. 2) Want to help people. 3) Like to train dogs. 4) Ego and perception of helping. 4) SCAM. Everyone I have ever met in this industry falls into one of these categories. With the exception of the scam, who cares WHY they are here as long as they can provide a highly trained DAD. What everyone of you need is a DAD that works..... Which equals training results. There is ONLY one way to find it and it is in actually seeing for yourself which providers actually deliver what they say. If the provider is legit, they should be able to provide you with at least 20 names and contact info for clients/dogs they have placed. Spend the time to talk to each and everyone of them. Every situation is unique and every DAD team has stories good and bad to share. This should provide a realistic idea as to what to expect from the company/trainer as to the training quality (results), follow-up support. This takes time and energy on your part. You do need to educate yourself before diving in or you will be taken (scammers) (poor trainers). Know what you are buying. There are new companies popping up daily. Many in my opinion couldn't train there (DAD) way out of a paper bag, let alone provide a Service Animal. Basic economics 101 - If someone spends 18 months - 2 years raising and training a dog for you, it will not be cheap. How many of you would spend that long every day of the year working (dogs are a 24/7 job) and not get paid even the federal minimum wage. Figure it out! Yes I'm screaming here. It takes HOURS, MONTHS AND YEARS to produce a fully trained DAD. There are people who will sell these dogs (half trained) or only partially trained ( a few months) for a fraction of the cost of a fully trained DAD and if that's ok with you, and your willing to put in the work to finish the dog, then by all means save your money. If however you want a fully trained dog it is going to not be cheap. You will get what you pay for. The training results speak for themselves."

editor's note: If you follow my blog, you know I aim to give a rounded perspective of the industry. I do not get paid, nor have received any type of creative or straight compensation for links, quotes, or viewpoints noted. At the end of the day, Your DAD is only as good as you are. And that is my full blown opinion.

Top 10 resources for DAD info

Plain and simple, here's the info you want to begin with...

http://dadsfordummies.blogspot.com...do-your-research. by me. Bringing you a well-rounded perspective (to the best of my abilities) of different organizations/testimonials of how it is done, and the topics along the journey that arise...

http://dadsfordummies.blogspot.com/...top 20 list of things "most organizations won't tell you" that is a must read

www.diabetesalertdogalliance.org Among my fav resources. Period. Includes National database of trainers and breeders. And lots of information for the newly introduced/curious parent researching DADs.

http://www.chilbrook.com/books.html Debby Kay from Chilbrook Labs speaks nationally and holds conferences on how to scent train your dog. Her pro advice and techniques are here is these books. 

http://www.clickincanines.com/site/choose.html Rita Martinez who wrote This BOOK HERE "How to Train Your Diabetic Alert Dog"

http://www.diabeticalertdog.com a popular resource where one may go to forums for discussion. Started by a mom of a T1 and DAD provider Rachel Thornton.

http://blackdogsrule.com/.../ purely a testimonial webshare blog from a dad/father and advocate whose daughter is T1 and has 2 black DADs.

http://viassistancedogs.blogspot.com/2012/12/how-to-choose-service-dog-trainer-to.html Helps the "self-trainer" learn how to pick a service dog trainer to partner alongside them.

http://darwinthedad.com Another great blog follow by a CA mom who's young daughter is Type 1.

http://www.assistancedogsinternational.org provides non-profit accredited organizations to choose from.

Suggested Resources:
"Diabetics Best Friend Training Guide" by Veronica Zimmerman 2013

"Gage's New Friend: A boy's Wish For a Diabetic Alert Dog" Super awesome, written by 10yr old and illustrated by his mother. Type One Awareness included (and doggie treat recipes!)

"Think Like a Pancreas" by Gary Scheiner

http://www.seansjourney.org again (if you haven't gotten enough of me), Our website from a newly diagnosed perspective. How we began our DAD journey, why, the resources we found, & includes news stories, videos, and "Just Diagnosed" section PLUS How we raised 15,000 in 5 months on THIS PAGE HERE.

FREE RESOURCES:

http://www.nidadvideo.com/ includes videos on scent, picking a shelter dog for DAD work, vet care, pet insurance, public access and nutrition.

Of course you also have FB groups (i.e. listed below) to join and ask questions alongside trainers, organizations, etc... But then you may come full circle back to this list! 

Diabetic Alert dog advice from PROFESSIONALS Closed & Admin is service dog provider Terry McCormack
Diabetic Alert Dog Advice Closed & Admins are (handlers) Melissa B. & Tori B. 
Diabetic Alert Dog Q & A Open & Admin is DAD provider Donna Wrabiutza
DADs for Dummies Open & every blog post here is posted there if you're not on blogger.
Diabetic Alert Dog SELF TRAINING support group secret, so Friend ME HERE on FB so I can add you! Only members know who is in the group when it is secret. But all must have a 1st or 2nd degree connection. To help decide if you wanna friend me, read our personal 2yr journey sorting through DAD orgs, and how we concluded it HERE


Make sure you explicitly trust and understand the trainer/organization you are with. Look for the "4 C's":

1. Credibility 
2. Competency
3. Chemistry
4. Character (takes the longest to get to know, but is most important!)
5. INTEGRITY (yea, I know I threw that in there!)

Don't get seduced. 

Impressive results do NOT equal character!

Character + skills carry WEIGHT.

Honesty is strength. 

the tips above are from an excerpt HERE "Your DAD is only as good as you are" 

*I look forward to this list growing! Have we missed a valuable resource you are aware of? Comment below...(I'll update blog)

A DAD is a Best friend fur-ever!

Linda Cree, RN, CPT of BFF Dog Training has been working with dogs since she was a child. Linda started training dogs as an adult for fun on the side while working as a RN. Pretty soon the training took up more of her time, so she quit nursing full time and decided to make a business out of it. Cree attended National K9 Learning Center (NK9) in Columbus, Ohio.

Linda points out,

“At that point I felt I was making the right decision, I loved being at NK9, and learned a lot of valuable information. I wanted to somehow connect my nursing and dog training but did not know how other than therapy dogs.”

She started training DAD's years ago, when the National Institute for Diabetic Alert Dogs (NIDAD) contacted her & asked if she would be interested in learning to train DAD's. Cree recalls,

“I had never heard of DAD’s and thought it was a joke; I did some research and discovered it was a beautiful thing! So I signed up to learn the skill, and felt it was a great way to combine my nursing and dog training skills. I love helping people, so this was perfect!”

During Linda's Michigan conference.**

Linda only trains 2-4 dogs per year and prefers to live with the dogs in her home before placing them with a family. She likes how that helps her match them with a compatible diabetic person.

Though her training process is the one  taught by NIDAD, Cree also attended a conference by Debby Kay  and Brent Brooks* (both DAD trainers and Lab breeders). She claims, “They use very similar methods with the same tools. So I believe that I am using some of best techniques that are out there for training DAD’s. I also enjoy teaching workshops for other trainers and families to learn how to train their own dog(s).”

Currently the wait for a dog is about a year, and they are full until Spring 2014 with dogs in training.

Linda’s dogs come at a lesser price than a lot of organizations, because she feels, “That way I can help people that normally could not get one. I also offer discounts for military personnel and veterans. I am a veteran myself, 8 years in the United States Air Force. And I work with families for the life of their dog. Anything from follow up phone calls, emails, and visits if needed.” Linda openly shares that,

“Not everyone that applies for a dog gets one, they are not for everyone. It is a lifestyle change, an added responsibility, another expense, and a commitment of time. But if someone is open to the responsibility, they will definitely be getting a New Best Friend Furever (BFF)!”

Linda has been placing DADs since 2010 and is realistic about training dogs. She explains that no two dogs train the same. They may look the same, but no, they won't train exactly the same way. She understands the client and finds the dog, and mostly works doodles due to low shedding. Poodles are also on her list because of the hypo-allergenic benefit. She finds good breeders NATIONWIDE and goes from there! Every client receives a puppy packet with thorough training and Linda is one among many trainers finding the value in providing conferences. 2-3 day conferences for handlers, and 1-week events for FAMILIES. She recognizes the significance and affect that DADs can play on the whole family.

http://www.bfftraining.com

located in Dodgeville, WI USA

"My service dog finally arrived!!!

Today was an amazing day. We did training, went over a lot of information, and he got a lot of cuddles! Such a smart dog. He alerted me 3x today for low blood sugar. I am feeling truly blessed to have him here with me!" -FB post Aug 20, 2013 by Malisa Phillips. (Happy Client)

**-----> FOLLOW UP ARTICLE on her MiCHIGAN conference dogs where Linda says, 

"It is amazing how the dogs picked up on the low blood sugar scent so quickly, in just two days of training." It takes about four months total to train a DAD dog, six weeks for the scent training in various environments and four months total to complete the public access obedience training. However, during and shortly after the seminar, three dogs alerted on two participants who were not aware that their blood sugar had gone low." (read full story!)

*editor's note: Linda would love nothing more than for a client who desires a Brooks labrador to come along and request her train one for them!

How waiting for a DAD saved my life

Meet Emmalyn G.*

Diagnosed at 9, it's been 24yrs of pricks and injections, totaling over 150,000 needles in her lifetime.

Emmalyn grew up with separated parents, in a time when diabetes was not on the forefront of anyone's mind, let alone hers. She almost died at diagnosis, with a blood sugar over 1860.

Her local elementary did not a have a school nurse, and she independently checked levels in the office by peeing on a stick at first, and months later the meter came out (hundreds of dollars out of pocket.) It took a couple minutes for each finger prick. One day, in sixth grade, when low and needing to eat right away, Emmalyn was directed to eat her lunch with Kindergartners.

She kept her disease a secret from most friends and told only those who needed to know. Boyfriends, employers, etc. Emmalyn successfully married, attended college, and had two children. One day at work she couldn't understand a customer. This was abnormal for Emmalyn. She had never experienced this problem before and was unusually confused and disoriented. At that point her boss (who knew of her Type 1 diabetes) had her check her blood sugar level which was mid-30's.

A year later at home after another frightening low of 24 without warning or anticipation/signs she learned of diabetic alert dogs and finally decided to begin researching and applying to various organizations.

It wasn't until she was invited to meet up with families from "SD's for T1D's"* that her life began to change. She saw parents and kids acting normal.

"They were unashamed to be themselves. And weren't concerned about what people thought about them, she says. Their confidence was inspiring."

Emmalyn began opening up about her Type 1 diabetes. She began checking her blood sugar without being sneaky about it or waiting until getting in the car or at home to take insulin. Emmalyn observed how carefree and easy-going these children were, and though her waiting time for her DAD is longer than most but average to some, this perspective from her DAD family is priceless. And she has been forever changed.

*editor's note names and photos have been altered by request though this story is true!

Your DAD is only as good as you are.

Ever get a FANTASTIC hair cut and fear going home and styling it yourself the next day?
So you:

• Buy the products
• Swear to memorize the technique
• ... inevitably end up going as long as possible without a wash because you know it's not gonna happen.

How this relates to Diabetic Alert dogs:

You hire a trainer. Their skill is at its best. And then real life comes into play. The dog becomes yours, the environment alters, and the handler changes as well. So does the level of professionalism and skill. 

SO LEARN. Many successful teams go at it themselves. (Handlers self-taught, and now have a successful DAD). Some leave it up to "the pros" and give thousands to organizations. There are even those hoping to walk away with "robots" (ahem* please read ---->DADS are Dogs, too!)

At the end of the day, and as any professional will honestly tell you:

• They are dogs, afterall
• They will make mistakes
• No amount of training will undo "the dog thing" in every one of them.
• The permanent handler has a lot of consistent maintenance training. For the lifetime of the working DAD.

Become the hair-stylist or make sure you explicitly trust and understand the trainer/organization you are with. Look for the "4 C's":

1. Credibility 
2. Competency
3. Chemistry
4. Character (takes the longest to get to know, but is most important!)
5. INTEGRITY (yea, I know I threw that in there!)

Don't get seduced. 

Impressive results do NOT equal character!

Character + skills carry WEIGHT.

Honesty is strength. 

• Review their contract before "getting in" via application or finances
• In their contract look for the place they are protecting themselves from your ability to get sue-happy should there be a devastating situation with your T1 while being in possession of one of their DADs...*
• Ask about protocol/look for info in contract on if your DAD should arrive ill (it happens), need vet service, or  need surgery/meds for life, etc. Think of what options would suit you...
• Think about the longevity of your DAD. How many years will you get from your working dog before retiring it as a pet? Will you bring in another dog? Will you insure your DAD via means other than pet insurance...?

*(as much as I care about protecting consumers via education/info on DADs I also care about the future of organizations providing them)

CLICK HERE for article on "Family Ferrari" addressing high drive dogs...

What other insight do you as consumers and trainers/organizations have for us to consider? Do you cover these above issues with your clients? Please comment below!