Remind Patient to Take Medication at Certain Time of Day
Success has been reported in making use of a dog?s internal alarm clock, to remind the partner to take medication on time. Training the dog to expect to be fed or to have a cookie break at the same time each day will train it to signal at that time. Many dogs will pick up their food bowl and bring it to the partner at the same time each day, as if they can read the clock. If doing so is rewarded, it can serve to alert the partner it is time to stop an ongoing activity and to take the prescribed medication.
This is one of the International Association of Assistance Dog Partners’s list of “Tasks to mitigate certain disabling illnesses classified as mental impairments under the Americans With Disabilities Act.”