Peanut allergies are on rise affecting about 3 million Americans. Peanut allergy can cause mild symptoms such as stomach ache, runny nose, skin rash to severe fatal reaction known as anaphylaxis. Apart from reading labels, being cautious, there is a new solution to prevent your contact with peanuts- a peanut detector dog! These dogs can detect peanuts or traces of it and alert the owner of the danger.
A dog’s sense of smell is 1000 times better than that of human beings. Dogs were used to assist the blind, detect bombs, narcotics etc. There are now facilities available which train dogs to detect peanuts. These peanut detector dogs are also known as peanut dogs.
How these dogs can help you?
A peanut-free diet is manageable by being careful. However, food can get laced with traces of peanut accidentally. This is enough to cause an allergic reaction to a person with a peanut allergy. Peanut detector dogs can prevent this by detecting even the slightest trace of peanuts. These dogs are even trained to scan persons and detect traces of peanuts.
Peanut detector dogs are trained for about six months and they can detect peanuts, peanut oil, peanut dust, peanut butter etc. Poodles, Labrador retrievers, German shepherds and Golden retrievers are the breeds used to detect peanuts. These dogs are trained to socialize and be obedient. Hence they can even be taken to restaurants and public places to detect peanuts.
Apart from being your best friend, a peanut-detector dog can help you prevent an allergic reaction to peanuts. Peanut detector dogs are new and there is still speculation to what extent these four-legged friends can help us. In a short period of time these dogs may as well save many lives.
