Not Your Average Seizure Monitor: This One Has a Tail...

Last Wednesday, the team had the privilege of visiting Support Dogs in Sheffield. As a team of self-confessed dog lovers, it’s fair to say we were excited, but this was more than a chance to pet a few pooches. We were there to understand their work in more depth, particularly the process of training and placing seizure alert dogs, and to explore where our two very different disciplines might just meet in the middle.

Who are Support Dogs?

Support Dogs is a UK-wide charity that trains specialist assistance dogs to support people with complex health conditions. Established in 1992, the charity works across England, Scotland, and Wales, offering services completely free of charge to those who need them.

They focus on three life-changing programmes:

• Seizure alert dogs for people with epilepsy, trained to give up to an hour’s advance warning before a seizure, offering safety, privacy, and control.
• Autism assistance dogs for autistic children, to increase safety and reduce anxiety in public spaces.
• Disability assistance dogs, trained to help people with physical disabilities complete daily tasks safely and independently.

Support Dogs is currently the only organisation in the UK that trains and provides seizure alert dogs. Each dog costs around £36,000 to train from start to finish, and the charity receives no government funding, relying entirely on donations and fundraising.

They’re also committed to giving dogs a second chance, one in four of their dogs come from rescue centres or was a pet that required rehoming.

What we learned about seizure alert dog training:

We started our visit by speaking with Katie Howson, Training Manager at Support Dogs, who walked us through the process behind their seizure alert dog programme. The amount of time, care, effort and detail that goes into training these dogs quickly became clear.

Unlike guide dogs or assistance dogs trained to respond to visible cues, seizure alert dogs are trained to respond to something science still doesn’t fully understand. Some dogs naturally begin alerting to seizures, it's thought that they could be picking up on subtle changes in scent or behaviour, and that instinct is then shaped, reinforced, and formalised through structured training.

We were surprised to learn that, once trained, these dogs are 100% reliable in their alerts, a level of jaw-dropping consistency that tech-based seizure monitoring simply cannot match.

We also had the chance to meet some of the dogs currently in training, alongside their trainers, including Debbie, Ruby, and Lizzie. Watching how calmly and attentively the dogs responded to their handlers gave us real insight into the bond that underpins this kind of work. The focus isn’t just on obedience, it’s on building a consistent, trusting partnership that can hold up in unpredictable situations.

Who’s eligible for a seizure alert dog?

We were particularly keen to understand more about who qualifies for a seizure alert dog, especially with our own clients in mind.

We learned that, on average, only one or two people out of every 100 who attend a Support Dogs information day are likely to meet the criteria to move forward in the process.

To be eligible, applicants must:

• Be aged 16 or over
• Have a confirmed diagnosis of epilepsy
• Experience at least 10 major seizures per month (tonic-clonic, atonic, or focal onset seizures)
• Have had no changes to their epilepsy medication in the previous six months
• Be able to track and record seizure activity reliably
• Be capable of caring for a dog
• Not have another pet dog or household member with epilepsy

Applicants also need to complete seizure diaries, attend an initial information day, and take part in assessments (including home visits and dog-handling evaluations) before potentially being matched with a dog.

One of the reasons applicants don’t progress is a lack of reliable records about seizure presentation, which is something that we recognise from our own day-to-day work. For many of our clients with epilepsy, seizure activity can go undocumented or be recorded inconsistently, making information sharing, picture-building and risk assessing difficult.

With our own clients, we're already considering ways that apps such as Epilepsy Journal, Seizure Tracker, EpiDiary & Epistemic could assist with record keeping and information sharing and began wondering whether any of these might help make the process a little more frictionless. Our Director, Mike Thrussell, was particularly interested in understanding more about the specific data requirements for the seizure alert dog programme. He’s already exploring whether there’s scope to develop something more bespoke, clinically relevant, and as seamless as possible for both user and supporting team... so watch this space...

Lynn and Barnby: the difference a dog can make

One of the most powerful parts of our visit was meeting Lynn and her seizure alert dog, Barnby, who by staring at or nudging her, reliably gives her between 29 and 34 minutes warning before every seizure.

Before having a support dog, Lynn told us that leaving the house often meant taking a risk. If she had a seizure in public, strangers would call an ambulance, and she’d wake up in hospital. Her mum would get a phone call, and Lynn would have to find her own way home. The window of time that Barnby gives Lynn has changed everything. It means she can sit down somewhere safe, make herself comfortable, and avoid injury, embarrassment and unnecessary hospital admissions.

Now, with Barnby by her side, she has the confidence to be out and about. She told us he’s a lifeline, not just because he keeps her physically safe, but because he gives her back a sense of control.

Lynn can now enjoy everyday things again. She goes to football matches, is active in her community, and told us she’s looking forward to an Oasis gig later this summer, something that would have felt impossible before.

On the same day as our visit, Calendar News was filming for a segment about Support Dog's new premises and plans for expansion. They spoke to Lynn and Barnby- you can see Barnby in action here!

A big thank you

Huge thanks to Nicola Wood (Business Operations), Katie Howson (Training Manager), Rita Howson (CEO), the brilliant team of trainers and pooches, and of course Lynn and Barnby, for such a fantastic visit. We were made to feel so welcome, and we learned a huge amount.

I’ve always quietly believed that dogs are better than humans, now it's been confirmed - they’re better than tech too...

You can find out more about Support Dogs, dog sponsorship and ways to donate here.