The umbrella discipline for medical conditions not covered by a dedicated chapter: migraine, narcolepsy, adrenal insufficiency (Addisonian crisis), Ménière's/vertigo episodes, stroke response, severe chronic pain flares, and comparable episodic conditions. The certified core is always the trained response package; alerting is handled per the honest-claims policy (§0.5, §8.4).
8.1 Certifiable tasks (menu — at least 3 required)
| Task | Trigger | Standard |
|---|---|---|
| Medication retrieval ⚠ | Cue (or chained to episode recognition) | Retrieves labeled med pouch to hand ≤ 60 s (home); distinct pouches if multiple meds |
| Phone retrieval | Cue | Locates and delivers the handler's phone from its usual stations |
| Summon help ⚠ | Cue "get help" | Finds designated household member, attention behaviour, leads/returns — 100% in assessment |
| Alert-device activation ⚠ | Cue | Presses adapted emergency button / pulls cord; 100% in assessment |
| Wake/stimulate | Cue schedule or event (narcolepsy episode, excessive sedation) | Persistent licking/nudging until the handler responds and confirms |
| Timed medication reminder | Trained to a timer/device signal | Alerts the handler and persists until acknowledged; optionally chains to retrieval |
| Episode DPT / grounding | Cue | Deep pressure for the cued duration; calm release |
| Positional block/cover | Cue | Passive standing position giving the handler space or stability reference — never weight-bearing without Ch. 13 gates |
| Guide to exit/seat | Cue | Leads handler on a short known route to a seat/exit during a vertigo or pre-syncope episode |
8.2 Stroke response (explicit standard)
Families ask for "stroke alert." Service Paws' position, stated plainly:
- Prediction of stroke is not an established, trainable ability, and Service Paws does not certify or advertise it.
- What is certifiable and genuinely life-relevant is the emergency response chain for a collapse or sudden impairment event: recognize the event (trained on staged behaviour), then summon help / activate the alert device / retrieve the phone — fast, and without needing a cue from a handler who may be unable to speak.
- Event recognition is trained on scripted collapse/immobility scenarios (§8.5) so the chain triggers on the event, not only on a verbal cue.
- Letters and certificates for these teams read "Medical Alert & Response Service Dog (emergency response)" and describe the response chain. The dog's tasks complement — never replace — emergency medical care.
8.3 Candidate suitability
- Stable, initiative-taking dogs: several tasks require acting when the handler is unresponsive.
- Phone/pouch retrieval favours dogs with a soft, reliable hold; size mostly unrestricted (device activation may need size/reach adequate to the adapted device).
8.4 Alert designations
Where a handler reports pre-episode alerting (e.g., before a migraine), the documented alert behaviour standard of §7.3 applies identically: ≥ 10 corroborated logged alerts over ≥ 8 weeks, or the designation is not recorded. Odour-collectable conditions may instead follow the Chapter 6 sample/discrimination protocol where a validated collection method exists — assessed case-by-case by Service Paws.
8.5 Task test
- Each certified task: 10 distributed trials, ≥ 9/10, across 2+ environment classes; ⚠ tasks 100% (5/5 dedicated trials).
- Staged emergency drill ⚠ (for teams certifying summon/device/phone chains): 3 scripted events — including at least 1 where the "handler" gives no verbal cue (collapse simulation) — full chain completed 3/3, chain completion ≤ 2 minutes each.
- Wake/stimulate tasks: 2 staged sleep/unresponsive trials, 2/2.
- At least one certified task demonstrated in a public environment class.
8.6 Maintenance
Weekly task refreshers; monthly staged drill for emergency chains (logged); device batteries/placement checked by the handler as part of the routine.
8.7 Records for this chapter
Task sheets (§4.2) for each certified task; task-test scoresheet; staged-drill video when overseen remotely; §8.4 evidence log if an alert designation is claimed. On pass, Service Paws records the task testing date.