Kendra Williams

Training Your Gluten Detection Dog: What You Need to Know Training is an intense process requiring total commitment to your dog. This means daily training at home and in outdoor environments, as well as weekly sessions with a gluten detection trainer who specializes in gluten detection. You cannot do this without a skilled trainer specializing in gluten and allergen detection. The top gluten-detection trainers in the country hire their colleagues to help them train their own dogs. Suki, my gluten detection dog checks all my food, medicine and personal care products. What questions do you have about training a gluten detection service dog? I am developing additional resources to help you prepare for training a gluten detection dog. For the latest updates, please subscribe to my newsletter on my website. I post practical tips for living life gluten free with Celiac Disease and a gluten detection service dog. Follow for more. What questions do you have? #glutendetectionservicedog #servicedog #glutenfree

How does a Nima Sensor Compare to a Gluten Detection Service Dog? This is just a fun video, but it does show how Suki works. She checks my food, medicine and personal care products for gluten. She raises a paw when she detects gluten and boops my leg if it is gluten free. The Nima Sensor is a device that checks for gluten in food. It fits in your pocket. Which would you choose? I post practical tips for living life gluten free with Celiac Disease and a gluten detection service dog. #nimasensor #glutenfreefood #glutendetectiondog #glutendetectionservicedog #celiac #celiacdisease #coeliacfood #coeliac

Can my gluten-detection dog detect the gluten on the knife? Gluten is transferred easily from handling. Knives are a very common source of cross-contact. A knife that spreads butter on gluten bread and transfers that gluten back onto the butter. It can then transfer gluten to a gluten-free slide of toast. Likewise just using that knife to cut a gluten-free sandwich can transfer the gluten. These tiny amounts can make people with Celiac Disease sick. My gluten-detection dog checks my food, medicine, and personal care products for gluten. She raises a paw when she detects gluten and boops my leg when there is none. To keep your condiments gluten-free, use separate containers for gluten-free. Squeeze bottles of condiments are a great option as well. Have you been sickened by cross-contact from gluten? What would you want people to know about it? If you would like more information about gluten-detection dogs, please leave it in the comments, and I will send you a link to more details. #glutendetectionservicedog #glutenfreelifestyle #celiac #celiacdisease #coeliac #coeliacdisease #coeliaclife

How does my gluten detection dog respond when she detects gluten? She raises a paw. Suki is a 4 year old Portuguese Water Dog who is a gluten detection service dog for her mom who has Celiac Disease. She checks food, medications and personal care products for gluten. She raises a paw for gluten and boops a leg if there is none. I post practical tips for living life gluten free with Celiac Disease and a gluten detection service dog. Follow for more. If you want to learn more about gluten detection, leave a comment requesting more information. #glutendetectiondog #glutendetectionservicedog #workingdog #workingdogsofinstagram #portuguesewaterdog

Can service dogs work without a vest? Yes, they can. Service dogs are defined by their ability to perform tasks to help their handler with their disability. They must also maintain standards of behavior. This night we went with friends who brought their dog, a super cute Frenchie who is not a service dog. Because it was more casual and it was a warm evening, I left Suki’s vest in the car. She still laid patiently under the table while we had drinks. Forrest, the frenchie visited the people around us. He was not behaving badly, he just was a normal pet dog. Even without a vest, people could tell who was the service dog. Because we train both with and without a vest, Suki performs her tasks regardless of what she wears. She was able to check my food for gluten. She cleared it and I enjoyed my meal. Were you surprised by this information or did you know it already? Suki is a gluten detection service dog. She raises a paw when she detects gluten and boops my leg when there is none. If you want more information on gluten detection dogs, leave a comment. I post practical tips for living life gluten free with Celiac Disease and a gluten detection service dog. Follow for more. #glutendetectionservicedog #glutendetectiondog #servicedogofinstagram #servicedog #servicedogs

Can my gluten detection dog detect small amounts of gluten? Yes. I often hear horror stories of people with Celiac Disease who eat a bowl of noodles and find a gluten noodle at the bottom of the bowl they ate. Maybe a stray crouton fell on the plate of food. In this training demonstration, I made 2 identical bowls of gluten-free noodles with broccoli and coconut aminos. I also had a cup of @goultima electrolytes. This simulated the work my gluten detection dog does in a restaurant. In one bowl, I hid a gluten crouton under the noodles. She boops my leg if it is gluten-free and raises a paw for gluten. She passed the test. I post practical tips for living life gluten free with Celiac Disease and a gluten detection service dog. Follow for more. What questions do you have? Share if you are amazed. #glutendetectionservicedog #glutendetectiondog #glutenfreelife #glutenfreelifestyle #workingdog #workingdogs

Get rid of the gluten-free myths and misinformation. Which myth do you want to bust? What is a myth we forgot? ➡️Contrary to popular belief and a recent rumor, Sourdough bread is not safe for people with Celiac Disease. It contains gluten, and people with Celiac Disease must avoid gluten. ➡️The fermentation process in sourdough does not kill gluten. Gluten is still present in the bread, and people with Celiac Disease should not eat it. ➡️It is not safe to eat bread made from gluten in Europe or in any country around the world. Gluten is gluten,. no matter the geography. ➡️If you have Celiac Disease, you can not eat gluten anywhere, not in Europe, not in Asia, not in South America or Antarctica. Gluten is gluten, no matter where you eat it. If this were true, Italy would not be testing its population for Celiac Disease. They wouldn’t have dedicated gluten-free grocery stores. Please share this so these myths are destroyed and people with Celiac Disease do not harm themselves by believing these myths. #celiacdisease #celiacdiseaseawareness #celiacliving #celiac #sourdoughbread #sourdough

As we near the end of Disability Pride Month, I want to share that I am thankful for the protections I have under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) that protect me. Celiac Disease is classified as a disability under the ADA. The ADA defines a person with a disability as: “someone who: has a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities, has a history or record of such an impairment (such as cancer that is in remission), or is perceived by others as having such an impairment (such as a person who has scars from a severe burn). “ You can read more about it at ADA.gov. ➡️Comment how the protections of the ADA have helped you or what we need more help with. Celiac Disease impacts almost every aspect of life. Although it is very much a hidden disability, it is a disability. I didn’t realize that for years into my diagnosis. It wasn’t until training my detection service dog that I saw people see my disability. It made me feel different, and I didn’t like it. The reality is that I am different and I am allowed to take up space and ask for safe gluten-free food. Social media made it very clear to me that there is a very strong bias against people with disabilities in the United States. I also have encountered it in real life. If you have Celiac Disease or another disability, I encourage you to take up space and advocate for your needs. I also encourage you to connect with others who have Celiac Disease or another disability. If you are a friend, family member or just someone who cares, I encourage you to speak out when you hear negative comments spoken. Speak up for those who are fighting. They are tired, and your voice of encouragement is a gift. I post practical tips for living life gluten free with Celiac Disease and a gluten detection service dog. Follow for more. Comment how the protections of the ADA have helped you or what we need more help with. #celiac #celiacdisease #celiacdiseaseawareness #ada #celiaclife #celiaclifestyle

Which meal did I eat? When you are medically gluten-free attending events is challenging. Often there may not be options or the options may be very limited. As a someone with Celiac Disease, my health is most important. Since I have a gluten detection dog, I know I won’t eat anything that will make me sick, but there may not be great options. My gluten detection dog doesn’t change the food options. Here is my strategy for events. 1️⃣ Come prepared - I always bring a meal I will enjoy and that will leave me satisfied. If the party food is not good, my meal may even be envied by gluten-eaters. 2️⃣ Bring more than snacks - In this case, I made a layered Mediterranean salad with quinoa, chicken and chickpeas for maximum protein and lots of veggies. 3️⃣ Be thankful for options - In this case, they went to great lengths to order me a special meal of plain grilled chicken, lettuce and a fruit tart. They also found gluten-free dressings. I was so touched by their thoughtfulness, and I was very thankful to be included. 4️⃣ Do what is best for you - I tried the salad they provided, but I knew I would feel deprived sitting at a table with people who were eating Hawaiian chicken, Macaroni salad and soft rolls. Instead of eating the plain chicken salad, I ate the meal I brought because I knew it would make me feel good. It would also fill me up. Comment what would you have done in this situation? I post practical tips for living life gluten free with Celiac Disease and a gluten detection service dog. Follow for more.

Get rid of the gluten-free myths and misinformation. Which myth do you want to bust? What is a myth we forgot? Here are the truths: ➡️Heat does not kill gluten. Food cooked in a shared fryer is not safe for people with Celiac Disease. A hot oven will not destroy gluten. The only way to remove gluten is through cleaning with lots of soap and water. ➡️ No, someone with Celiac Disease cannot eat a bite. Even a crumb can make someone with Celiac Disease very sick for weeks. It will also cause damage to their small intestine. ➡️Celiac Disease is serious autoimmune disease. It has been tracked back to the first century AD. Celiac Disease causes over 200 symptoms that impact all body systems. If it is untreated (the treatment is a strict gluten free diet), people can die. ➡️ No, they are not doing this for attention. Gluten-free isn’t a fad; it’s a medical necessity for those with Celiac Disease. What myth do you want to add? Share this to raise awareness. I post practical tips for living life gluten free with Celiac Disease and a gluten detection service dog. Follow for more. #celiac #celiacdisease #celiacdiseaseawareness #coeliac #coeliacdisease

My gluten detection service dog, Suki is a 4 year old Portuguese Water Dog. She checks food, medicine and personal care products for her mom who has Celiac Disease. She travels with me across and gives me a peace of mind that I will not knowingly eat gluten. I post practical tips for living life gluten free with Celiac Disease and a gluten detection service dog. Please follow along for more. Check out additional videos to see Suki in action. Leave a question if you want to learn more. #glutendetectionservicedog #glutendetectiondog #celiacservicedog