For handlers with POTS, dysautonomia, syncope disorders, arrhythmias, and related conditions. The certified core of this discipline is the trained response package (§7.1B) — tasks that protect the handler around an episode. Alerting ahead of an episode is recorded as documented alert behaviour when the individual dog demonstrably shows it (§7.3); it is never promised.
7.1 Certifiable tasks
A. Alert (documented behaviour — see §7.3)
| Task | Trigger | Standard |
|---|---|---|
| Pre-episode alert | Physiological change before syncope/tachycardia episode | Persistent passive alert until acknowledged; evidence log required |
B. Response package (trained, tested — at least 3 required for certification)
| Task | Trigger | Standard |
|---|---|---|
| Guided descent support | Cue at onset ("down with me") | Dog moves into position and holds steady stand/down beside handler as they get to the ground safely — positional only, not weight-bearing unless Ch. 13 gates are met ⚠ |
| Episode DPT | Cue or trained onset recognition | Deep pressure across lap/legs for the duration cued; calm release |
| Retrieve medication/water/phone | Cue | Labeled pouch/bottle to hand, ≤ 60 s in home environment |
| Summon household member ⚠ | Cue "get help" | Finds designated person, performs attention behaviour, leads or returns |
| Alert-device activation ⚠ | Cue | Presses/pulls adapted button or pull-cord; confirmation behaviour |
| Post-episode brace for rising | Cue | Only under Chapter 13 weight-bearing gates (age, orthopedic clearance, size ratio) |
7.2 Candidate suitability
- Calm, handler-oriented dogs with strong settle; the work is proximity-heavy.
- Size: response-only teams have no size gate; any bracing/counterbalance triggers Chapter 13 gates.
7.3 Documented alert behaviour standard
Some dogs, after long proximity to their handler, begin alerting before cardiac events — the mechanism (odour/behavioural cues) is not fully established, and Service Paws does not claim trainability on demand. To record "with documented alert behaviour" on a cardiac dog's file:
- Evidence log: minimum 10 corroborated pre-episode alerts over ≥ 8 weeks. Corroboration = a subsequent measured event (HR monitor/wearable data, BP reading, witnessed syncope/near-syncope) within the entry.
- Log entries: date/time, alert behaviour observed, corroborating data, outcome.
- An alert-shaping program (capturing and reinforcing the dog's precursor behaviour into a clear alert chain) is encouraged and documented, but the designation rests on the corroborated log, not the training plan.
7.4 Task test — response package
- Each certified response task: 10 distributed trials, ≥ 9/10, across at least 2 environment classes.
- Staged episode drill ⚠: 3 scripted onset scenarios (handler follows a script: sits/lowers, gives the trained cues). The dog completes its full certified chain (e.g., DPT → retrieve → summon) in each — 3/3.
- Summon and device tasks are safety-critical ⚠: 100% in assessment (5/5 dedicated trials each).
- Public variant: at least one staged scenario in a public venue (quiet corner acceptable) — the dog must work the chain amid ambient distraction.
7.5 Honest-claims note
Certificates and letters for this discipline read "Cardiac Alert Service Dog" only when §7.3 is on file; otherwise the dog certifies as Medical Alert & Response (cardiac) under Chapter 8 naming. Letters describe the alert as "documented alert behaviour, corroborated by the handler's monitoring data" — never as guaranteed prediction.
7.6 Maintenance
- Weekly task refreshers; monthly staged-episode drill (logged).
- Evidence log maintained if the alert designation is held; the designation lapses if the log shows the behaviour has stopped (reviewed at any re-assessment).
7.7 Records for this chapter
Response-task scoresheet; staged-episode video when overseen remotely; §7.3 evidence log if the alert designation is claimed. On pass, Service Paws records the task testing date.