How Can You Trust That Your Gluten Detection Dog Is Actually Detecting Gluten?

This is one of the most important questions that I get asked because if the dog doesn’t detect the gluten, you get sick. If there's no third-party lab test happening in real time, how do you know your dog is really finding gluten and not just guessing? The answer is the training, and why I recommend training with a trainer who is specially trained in gluten detection and who understands the risks of getting glutened.

Q: What makes the training reliable?

The training is a long process, and as you and your dog train your dog develops the skills to detect smaller amounts of gluten, and you develop the confidence in your dog’s ability as well as the ability ready your dog’s body language. 

At the core of the training is the controlled search. In a controlled search, you're not working with store-bought gluten free products. You're starting with foods you know for a fact do not contain gluten because they are naturally gluten-free. You add the gluten, and as the training progresses, you add more foods and more complex situations.

Proper handling of the scent is very important because cross contact can happen quickly. That is why it is important to work with a trainer who understands. Learn more about proper scent handling.

Q: Why not just use gluten-free products off the shelf to train a dog?

You can’t start with foods off the shelf because you don’t know how much gluten they contain, and you don’t know that the dog is alerting to something other than the gluten. You cannot start with complex foods or grains. If a trainer tells you start out training with gluten free bread from the grocery store, or if they have you train with grains or loose flour, you are putting your health at risk.

Q: How long does the training actually take?

It is a 2 year process. You start with the basics and then build up the complexity. Gluten detection dog trainers watch your progression and give you the next steps to take with your dog. Some steps are quick like in early stages, but then as you add more complexity, it is harder for the dog, and the process slows. It gets more challenging as you add complexity and then you decrease the amount of gluten down to trace amounts.

At the end of training, you train on packages and then plates, bowls and cups of food. Once we started training with food in packages, I thought we would never finish. For Suki that was the equivalent of the AP Calculus test I struggled over in high school. It is not something you can rush if you want to be safe.

You as the handler are also training too. I had to learn how I handled the controls, how I rewarded Suki. I had to make sure my movements didn’t inadvertently signal her. I also needed to learn how to read her body language, and to develop trust in her abilities. Every time I eat out, I must determine if I trust the way she sniffed the food and the confidence in her response. She is a dog so she can make mistakes, but after years of training, I know when she is really working or when she is distracted or tired and not giving a trustworthy response.

Q: What are blind controls training sessions and why do they matter?

My Celiac Service Dog early in our training journey.

Blind controls are when the controls we train with are completely unknown to the handler and the dog. The handler presents the control the dog, the dog provides the alert and the handler checks what was in the container before giving the reward.

This was a very frustrating part of training for both of us, and it took weeks and weeks. It was a real test of my confidence in Suki and her ability to work. Blind controls test that the handler isn’t inadvertently signaling the dog. It was also a test of her trust in me that I would provide the reward, even if it was delayed. Once she passed the blind controls test, I gained such a boost in my confidence in her ability.

Q: Why do you specifically recommend owner training with a specialist trainer?

Because this is for your health. That's the thing that makes celiac service dog training different from a lot of other dog training. You need to be confident that the methods are correct, that you're actually teaching your dog what you think you're teaching, and that over time you understand your dog's body language well enough to read what they're telling you. It isn’t just a trick or behavior you train you dog to do. If your dog doesn’t always roll over when you ask him, there are not consequences. This is an important skill that if done wrong means real damage to your health and time off work or school.

A trainer who specializes in gluten detection knows how to train in a way that a general dog trainer just doesn't. I always recommend owner training under the direction of someone who specifically works with gluten detection dogs, not just scent detection or service dogs in general.

Q: Where do I start if I want to learn more?

I have a quick start guide that walks you through the beginning of the process. I also have a trainer interview guide to help you know what to ask when you're looking for a trainer. Both are available at celiacservicedogs.com.

And if you want to see what day-to-day life actually looks like living gluten free with a gluten detection dog, make sure you follow along on social media.

Learn more about how I can actually trust my gluten detection dog to detect gluten

Have a question about getting started with a celiac service dog? Drop it in the comments.