Did you know that some dog breeds have noses far superior to any medical technology and can detect changes in your body that you can’t feel? The reason behind this is that dogs have about 220 million scent receptors while humans only have 5 million.
These receptors help dogs detect substances at concentrations as low as one part per trillion, which, according to AKC, equals a teaspoon of sugar diluted by the water in two Olympic-size pools.
This gives dogs the ability to notice the slightest change in their owner’s scent caused by disease due to shifts in hormones or volatile organic compounds.
Breeds from these dogs have been trained to detect health problems, including changes in blood pressure, breast cancer, malaria, COVID-19, Parkinson’s disease, predict low blood sugar events, and upcoming epileptic seizures or migraines.
Such dogs are perfect for people with hypertension, anxiety, chronic illness, disabilities, or those needing emotional support.
Dog Breeds That Smell Changes in Blood Pressure
Trained dogs can detect breast cancer and lung cancer with high accuracy. They can even predict low blood sugar events in diabetics by detecting isoprene levels in human breath.
Moreover, these dogs are able to alert their handlers about migraines by detecting serotonin levels before symptoms manifest. Last but not least, these dogs were trained to recognize the distinct odor of COVID-19 in urine samples with high accuracy.
The following list helps in understanding how dogs can detect various medical conditions, including changes in blood pressure, and the potential benefits of having a dog that can alert them to health issues.
1. Poodle
Characterized by their signature curly coat and three different size varieties, i.e., toy, miniature, and standard, Poodles are consistently ranked among the best therapy dog breeds.
Owing to their small size, they are able to fit in various places depending on their variety. This makes them perfect for people living in small spaces such as apartments.
Highly Intelligent
According to PetMD, Poodles are amongst the most intelligent dog breeds, and this makes them forever ready and excited to learn new tasks.
Their high intelligence levels also help them to stay extremely focused while training to become therapy dogs. Trained dogs from this breed obey commands with great consistency, and so, they are fit for people needing a reliable service dog.
Emotionally Sensitive
Poodles are emotionally sensitive dogs with people-pleasing personalities, which makes them perfect for people with anxiety, autism, or children.
2. Beagle
Originally bred to hunt hares and rabbits using their sense of smell, Beagles are ranked among the dogs with the best sense of smell. Their olfactory area in the brain is 40 times larger than that of humans. This makes their sense of smell a thousand times better than ours.
Naturally Curious
Despite their small size and consistent grooming needs, Beagles are not the divas that they seem to be. They are surprisingly alert and aware of their surroundings. This makes them reliable for detecting changes in health signs.
Compact and Family-Friendly
Beagles are usually small in size, and so, they are fit for the elderly and for hospitals because their compact size makes it easy to stroke them and cuddle with them.
They have a bouncy and friendly nature. This friendliness, paired with a calm and well-mannered personality, makes them perfect for families and children with autism.
3. Labrador Retriever
Known for being one of the most popular dog breeds in the U.S, Labrador Retrievers are ranked among the best breeds for a cardiac alert dog.
Several studies have proven that these dogs are able to detect early signs of breast cancer and lung cancer in individuals by sniffing their urine samples and breath, respectively.
Friendly and Sociable
Labrador Retrievers form strong bonds with humans. In addition to being social, they are also sensitive to human emotions, so they can quickly pick up on emotional and physical cues. This makes them a good choice of pet for people with anxiety issues.
High Trainability
The friendly and people-pleasing personalities of these dogs make them really easy to train. Their large build makes them ideal for physical tasks like guiding patients. All these traits make them fit for settings such as hospitals and nursing homes.
4. Newfoundland
Characterized by their long and shaggy coat, Newfoundlands are included among the best therapy dog breeds.
Gentle Giants
Newfoundlands are also known as ‘Gentle Giants’ due to their protective instincts paired with their large size. Due to their soft temperament, they are trained to become therapy dogs. This soft temperament has also earned Newfies the title of ‘Nanny Dogs.’
Overall, Newfoundlands are calm but vigilant, and these qualities make them a good choice for senior citizens and children.
Excellent Swimmers
Newfies are natural swimmers, which makes them good lifeguards. They were originally bred for their swimming and retrieving skills. Their history of being great swimmers makes them hardwired to predict when and where swimmers might need help.
5. Golden Retriever
Alongside Labrador Retrievers, Golden Retrievers are considered among the best breeds for a cardiac alert dog.
Highly Intelligent and Energetic
Originally bred to be sporting dogs, Golden Retrievers are highly intelligent. They are very energetic as well and enjoy long walks and playing with their toys.
Happy-go-lucky Nature.
Golden Retrievers are literally sunshine in dog form because of their sunny and happy-go-lucky nature. With their golden fur and equally golden personalities, Golden retrievers are a good choice of therapy dogs for young adults and children.
These dogs adore people of all ages equally, and so, they are fit for being adopted by every and all kinds of people.
6. Cavalier King Charles Spaniel
The King Charles Spaniel can have heart issues (e.g., mitral valve disease). However, this does not stop these dogs from being devoted and alert when it comes to helping out their owners with their mental health problems.
This makes the King Charles Spaniel to be ranked among the best therapy dog breeds for anxiety, autism, and mental health problems.
Small Sizes with Big Hearts
King Charles Spaniels are small-sized dogs with affectionate and loving personalities. They love to cuddle in their owner’s lap. This makes them ideal for apartment living and becoming companions for the elderly.
Adapt Easily
These dogs are quite low-maintenance because they do not have high exercise needs. They do fine with one or two walks a week. They are happy as long as they stay close to you to stay alert about your health condition.
7. Bichon Frise
Known for having an appearance similar to teddy bears, the Bichon Frise is also a good choice for a therapy dog and can detect changes in its owner’s blood pressure levels.
Uplifting Presence
The Bichon Frise has the habit of bringing joy to every room it enters. Thus, these dogs have the magical ability to make gloom go away. They are a good choice of pets for people with anxiety and high stress levels.
Travel-Friendly
Due to their small size, it is quite easy to take them along on flights or during overall traveling. Although they need lots of grooming but overall, they are easy to care for.
Conclusion
For humans, dogs have always been more than companions covered in fur. They are amazing breeds that don’t just offer loyalty and unlimited cuddles; instead, they also have the ability to become life-savers with proper healthcare awareness. Although many other animals are trained to acquire these abilities, no one can surpass dogs in this field.
The dog breeds listed above can become a living and breathing safe place for humans. Owing to their superior sense of smell, they play a huge role in their owner’s emotional well-being and physical health. If given proper training, they can become ideal therapy and service dogs.
Thus, when you invest in such a dog, you’re not just investing in a pet but in a loyal and reliable health caregiver.
