FAQs

What does an allergen detection dog do?

Dogs learn to harness their powerful sense of smell to detect the scent of peanuts, trace peanuts or other allergens, in products, meals and on surfaces (such as chopping boards or picnic benches). They then learn to communicate what they smell clearly, to assist in managing allergies.

You may have seen the inspiring videos online, such as those shared by the owner of Harley Detective F.A.D.D on Youtube or TikTok. Your pet dog can learn these kinds of skills through our online course. For safety, we recommend that a family member or friend trains the dog on behalf of the person with the allergy.

Check out these amazing dogs in action:

Our own dog, Milan, during training.

Harley F.A.D.D. (Disclaimer: We are inspired by Harley and the videos his owners share, but we did not train Harley).

Peanut Detection Dog Demonstration. (We didn't train this dog).

For general information on dogs' incredible sense of smell check out this TED-ED talk.

Remember: You must always carefully read labels and continue your usual precautions. Allergen detection dogs are only another form of support and insight.

Is it safe to train a peanut detection dog at home?

To train your dog, you will have to expose your dog to the scent of peanuts, or your target allergen. We give you tips in the course to do this in contained ways. However, safety is ultimately your responsibility. You will adapt the tips for your situation. Preparing the scent boxes in the home of a neighbour or friend can help reduce the risk of cross-contamination.

Can I train a dog if I have the allergy myself?

For safety, we recommend that a family member or friend trains the dog for the person with the peanut allergy.

Does my dog have to be well-behaved to join the course?

Not necessarily! Police, customs and search and rescue dogs are often highly energetic. Even an unruly dog can help you in your home. We encourage you to work on your dog's general training alongside the course. Our own philosophy is to train well-behaved pets with the additional super power of peanut detection. These are dogs you can play fetch with and who can also check each item you buy from the supermarket, or a prepared meal, for trace peanuts or peanut cross-contamination. Our Allergen Detection course focuses specifically on allergen detection skills. However, working through the course activities will give your dog an added sense of purpose and build your bond with your dog, which might help with general training and obedience.

What is the difference between a service dog and a peanut pet?

We have trained both service dogs and pet dogs in peanut detection. The service dog part takes several years but the peanut detection skills can be obtained much more quickly (within several months in some cases). Therefore, we developed our Allergen Detection course to focus specifically on the allergen detection skills, as these are so important and valuable.

While your pet may not have the same access right as a certified service dog, your trained pet dog can:

check all groceries, every time for cross-contamination;
check other products, toys and people coming into your home;
check takeaway meals;
accompany their owner to picnic areas;
to outdoor public events;
to pet-friendly / outdoor restaurants and cafes; and,
the houses of pet-friendly friends and relatives.

In this way, allergen detection pets, can potentially offer added freedom, peace of mind, inclusion, and safety for individuals living with allergies. And, the training process is considerably faster and more focused.

However, if it is your goal for your dog to become a certified service dog, you can also do this yourself, but you will need to combine our Peanut Pets Allergen Detection course with general service dog training (such as through Adolescent Dogs). Our course will give your dog their mitigation skill - their reason for being an assistance dog - which are needed to progress through the assistance dog certification levels.

How accurate are allergen detection dogs?

It is important to remember that dogs are not machines and they can sometimes make mistakes. Different factors, such as illness, tiredness and distractions, might impact on their scent detection at a given moment. Our course will help you work towards reducing this through building your dog's endurance and training your dog in different locations, with distractions. It is important to remember that dogs offer another form of information / another line of safety, but you must always carefully read labels and continue your usual precautions.

In our course, you take on the roles of both instructor and examiner for your dog. As you develop trust and connection, you'll be able to determine when your dog is ready to move forward through each phase of the course. This will give you the confidence to know when they're ready to offer real-world allergen detection support. Your dog's accuracy will depend upon the time and dedication you are able to put into the training.

Can an allergen detection dog support my child?

Depending on where you live there may be a legal age to be an assistance dog handler (often around age 14). However, pet dogs have more flexibility. As a parent, you decide, when your dog is suitably trained and your child is appropriately responsible to handle your dog. If you wish your dog to accompany your child to school, you'll need to check the regulations with the school Principal.

For our Allergen Detection course, we recommend that an adult undertakes the training of the dog (perhaps alongside a teenager). Remember that training a dog will require handling peanuts, so this should be done by the person without the allergy.

I have other allergies too, can a dog support me?

Yes, through our Allergen Detection course you can train your dog specifically for your needs (such as to detect peanut and sesame). Let us know when you sign up and we will guide you in adapting the course activities for different or multiple allergens.

Any other questions?