How Dogs Can Help You Manage Your Migraine

Happy National Dog Day! This is Cocoa! My third child! She is a very sensitive dog. She knows when I'm not feeling well and does not leave my side when I'm resting with a migraine or any other illness. Cocoa is not a service dog but I really consider her one. She helps me both physically and mentally endure hard days when I have a hemiplegic migraine attack.

Service dogs can play an important role for migraine sufferers. Dogs are highly observant of their human companions. While it is not completely understood how, they have been known to alert their owners to a migraine during the prodrome phase. During this first phase, subtle changes are taking place in your central nervous system. This period can last hours to days before you become aware of any symptoms. Since dogs are intelligent and attached to their owners, they are likely to sense not only chemical changes in the body, but behavioral changes as well. Once they recognize any deviations in your emotions and the way you act, they can be trained to alert you.

In a 2012 study, data was collected from 1029 people with migraine who also lived with a dog. They found that nearly 54% of survey participants had noticed changes in their furry friend’s behavior prior to or during the early onset of migraine attacks. In addition, 36% said that these changes gave them the confidence to begin migraine treatment protocols before the symptoms of an attack were present.

Another way service dogs can help people manage their migraine is to help those who live alone and do not have someone to rely on when feeling sick. They can be trained to alert your family member if you need help. They can even be trained to dial 911 if you are experiencing more severe symptoms! If you are having an episode in public, service dogs can assist by guiding you to a safe place, stay with you to provide comfort, or notify a passerby about your condition.

Service dogs also help you stay active. Regular exercise can help reduce the frequency of migraine attacks, but staying motivated can be challenging. Dogs offer their human companions a reason to get up and get moving. Whether you are taking her to the dog park or out to a local hiking trail, their wagging tail and big smile may be all the motivation you need to get some fresh air and movement into your day. Taking care of a dog can lead to better self-care for ourselves, which leads to better overall well-being!

How to Get a Service Dog for Migraine:

You can contact a service dog training organization in your area and check their services. Often there are training packages available that combine different types of basic and advanced skills. If the group classes and board & train services that many organizations offer do not work for you due to your specific needs, you can contact a personal trainer or check with the organization for one-on-one training options.

Another option is to get a dog and train them yourself. The advantage of this option is that you will be able to teach the dog the tasks that will actually help you in your daily life. Also, you will not need to comply with the requirements, schedules, and fixed training packages of a professional organization. US-citizens can benefit from training their own dogs due to the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) regulations: “People with disabilities have the right to train the dog themselves and are not required to use a professional service dog training program”. However, you have to be prepared to invest time, patience and energy in this endeavor. If you do not feel confident enough to conduct training all by yourself you can enroll in an online course. This can be considered a good compromise, as you will have to pay for the course, but the price will be affordable, and you will not have to spend thousands of dollars in training organizations. Also, you will be able to adapt the training to your needs and benefit from the phone/email/chat support that many training schools offer.

What Breeds Are Recommended:

What breed will suit you best, depends on your personal needs. If you have severe symptoms that impede your mobility and general functioning, you may need a dog of a larger breed that will help you with various daily tasks and be a good balance dog as well. Golden Retrievers, Labrador Retrievers, German Shepherds, Standard Poodles, and Labradoodles are considered suitable options.

If you can handle your symptoms and will benefit more from the emotional support that dogs provide, you can consider smaller breeds as well, i.e.: Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, Pomeranian, Beagle, Poodle (Poodles come in the following variations: Toy Poodle, Miniature Poodle, Medium Poodle, and Standard Poodle, so you can choose the best option for you).

Regardless of the breed, you may want to be sure that your future service dog has a calm and stable temperament, gets along with other animals and people and is eager to please its owner.

Source: https://www.servicedogtrainingschool.org/blog/migraine-alert-dog