In my program, you are the one training your dog—with my support every step of the way! I guide you through each phase, providing expert coaching, training plans, and hands-on advice to make sure you and your dog succeed together. By learning to train your own gluten detection dog, you not only build an incredible bond but also gain the skills to reinforce and maintain your dog's training throughout their life.

You can, but it's not effective for those that may be more sensitive than what can consistently be tested for in foods. Read more about the FDA gluten free labeling criteria.

The first step is to fill out a questionnaire to give the Gluten Free Dog Trainer a little bit of information about you. After that Mo will reach out to schedule an interview. The interview is just as much for you as it is for her. She can answer any questions you may have. You'll go over common information in the world of gluten detection dogs to help set a realistic expectation of training and owning a service dog. As long as you are a good fit to work together, then the next step is either start looking for a prospect or temperament assess your current dog. Based on the temperament assessment you may be accepted into the program and we will schedule a weekly time for lessons.

Gluten odor moves differently. Not only does a dog need to have a stable temperament to work in public, but they must also have the drive and willingness to use their nose and work with you. The temperament assessment is designed to show who your dog is based on their reactions to certain exercises, ideally done with an unfamiliar person in and unfamiliar place. This assessment also looks at what a dog does between exercises. Will they stay focused on the person or put their nose to the ground and start sniffing? Every moment the dog is on screen helps to show different traits that go in to being successful at the training, as well as finding the best fit dog for a handler.

The assessment is not a pass fail test with check boxes that may or may not be exactly what the dog did during a given exercise. As are many assessments out there in dog world. This assessment takes a look at how a given dog behaves in certain exercises that are designed to illicit some type of response. This assessment also looks at what a dog does between exercises. Is the dog staying engaged with the person in the assessment or are the following their nose and finding a container of treats? As long as there are no red flags in the stability of the dog and there is a desirable amount or drive to train and use their nose, dogs are accepted into the program. Ideally a temperament assessment is done by a person unfamiliar to the dog in an unfamiliar location where the dog can be safely off leash and on screen. More details will be sent out after the completion of an interview with Mo.

The time it takes is dependent on each individual team. On average it takes about 2 years.

If you assume training on average takes 2 years it would cost roughly $12,000 USD. That is for specialized training alone. That does not factor in the cost of owning and caring for a dog. As a gluten detection dog it would be best if they were also on a gluten free diet.

Unfortunately, yes. To be able to train a dog to detect gluten, they will have to sniff many odor samples that will contain gluten. Precautions can be taken, but the person who is training the dog should be comfortable handling containers with gluten samples.

No, we avoid using powdered gluten in training because it poses significant risks. When powdered gluten is used, tiny particles can become airborne and spread, potentially exposing both the dog and handler to gluten through inhalation. For individuals with high gluten sensitivity, even trace amounts inhaled in the air can trigger health issues just as consuming gluten would. Airborne gluten particles can also lead to cross-contamination, which makes it challenging to maintain a clean training environment. Additionally, these particles can stick to the dog's coat, training surfaces, and equipment, causing lingering contamination that impacts accuracy in training.

Ideally, yes. As long as the food rewards used during training are gluten free, there are ways we can work with a dog eating gluten in their meals. However, most teams feel more comfortable with less risk for cross contact with their dog's food.

At this time the Gluten Free Dog Trainer does not offer any type of board and train option.

Short answer: Yes. Meeting through video meetings can have its limitations for some teams. If teams are unable to send in videos or have another set of hands to work in public with a camera, they may benefit from working with a trainer in person as well to help with public access training. The Gluten Free Dog Trainer can help you find a trainer in your area that has a similar methodology so that training transitions smoothly between any trainers the team is working with.