CAITLYN + BABETTE
My name is Caitlin and I’ve been Type 1 Diabetic for 11 years. I never had much trouble controlling my blood sugar until 2014 when I got pregnant with our son. During the early part of my pregnancy I lost what is called hypoglycemia awareness and could no longer feel when my blood sugar was dropping low. Because of this, I would be very low before I realized anything was wrong and actually passed out a couple of times. My husband and I started researching alternative ways of helping me and came across some information about Diabetes Alert Dogs. Unfortunately what we found (although it sounded very helpful) were dogs that cost upwards of $15,000 and were on a 10 year waiting list. This was very discouraging since it sounded like a DAD could really help me. Then we found the Cadles at River’s Edge Dog Academy. They were so nice and helpful and quickly gave us all the information we needed. They also offered to train a dog that we brought to them and did so for a much more reasonable rate. They said they didn’t feel right cheating people out of their money just because it was a Service Dog. This was super encouraging and exciting! We found our dog, Babette at a breeder and shortly after getting her, brought her to the Cadles to begin training. They were absolutely wonderful to work with and we have been so pleased with all of the training Babette received. She has been a life line for me and the Cadles at River’s Edge Dog Academy made that possible! I am beyond grateful to them!
Shortly after Babette came home she woke me up in the middle of the night. I was drenched in sweat and my blood sugar was in the 30’s. Had she not woken me I know I would have dropped into an unconscious sleep. She very well might have saved me that night! She is so lovable and always on guard to help me! That is all thanks to the Cadle’s wonderful training!
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DELYLAH + LULU
Terry and Nancy Cadle of Rivers Edge Dog Academy are an amazing duo. They have set the bar high for other Diabetic Alert Dogs training facilities. From the first phone call they have been by our side providing information, training and full support. The dog choose for our daughter and her unique and rare condition was a meticulously selected candidate by Terry and Nancy. They made sure not only she would he successful in her job but a perfect fit to our family dynamics. Even after placement they have been there 110% behind us ready to support us, our daughter and our D.A.D. They are essentially heroes to our family. We are blessed to have been able to work with Rivers Edge Dog Academy.
HENRY + TAKO TACO
Henry Jensen is 9 years old and has been living with type 1 diabetes since he was 5. Although he has the technology of a continuous glucose monitor, the addition of Tako to our house has given him a more personal way to keep tabs on his blood sugar. She is a devoted companion who deeply loves her boy and enthusiastically alerts when he is low, even going to his parents when he does not respond. Having a dog to not only monitor his blood sugar but also for emotional support is wonderful.
Nancy and Terry are some of the most amazing people you will ever have the pleasure of working with. Not only are they the most kind of people but they also train amazing dogs. I’ve had Buddy with me for two months now and he’s saved me more than once. He was trained for not only diabetic alert but also for PTSD and anxiety and has done a phenomenal job. He’s even started naturally alerting to my migraines without any training.
Without Nancy and Terry, there is no way I could have gotten a dog as amazing as Buddy, no matter what program or trainer I chose. These two train amazing dogs and I am forever grateful for them.
EDDY + EMMA
We welcomed Emma into our home in August of 2015. Immediately, she was a calming presence and within a few short weeks, we could count on her for accurate alerts. Since then, Emma has been on several family trips with us and is a dream through airport security and onboard planes. She even went to Disneyland with us! She was a trooper all day, enduring big crowds and riding on rides right alongside Eddy.
We call her our family dog who can smell low blood sugar and we truly feel like she is. She has become a very important part of our family and is my blood sugar sidekick. I am most thankful for Emma in times when my attention is elsewhere and she brings me back to focus by alerting.
RUTH + MILO
I have been Type I diabetic since I was six years old. That has been 30+ years. For the most part my family and I approached this with great success. That is, until my nervous system suffered some loss over time and I no longer felt my blood sugar drop while asleep. After many scary seizures, I found Terry and Nancy Cadle and Milo. Milo is my diabetic alert dog who has saved me from many seizures. He is impressively trained and has become a true member of our family.Make no mistake, Milo takes his job very seriously! I love Milo!
KELLY + WONDER
My name is Kelly. My husband and I dropped off my female 5 month old German Shepherd for diabetic alert scent training at River’s Edge. We picked her up 4 ½ months later. We dropped off a puppy and picked up a much more mature dog than we had anticipated. A few weeks after returning home with Wonder she and I went through a very traumatic experience of witnessing my husband take his own life. She did not panic. And since then I have also been diagnosed with PTSD and often have panic attacks. She continues to grow in her diabetic scent performance and has also stepped up to be an amazing PTSD dog. She can detect panic attacks before I know it is coming. Most likely she knows what my triggers are more so than me. She can even guide me to the basement when a loud storm has knocked out in the middle of the night. She has saved my life on so many times. I have also taught her to bring me dextrose to raise my blood sugar. All because of the amazing start she received. Without the training training she received at Rivers Edge my quality of life would be substantially diminished. Wonder will be 2 years old in November. Terry and Nancy gave me my dog back with a very eager and well rounded mind and willingness to learn more and she continues to learn more every day.
We have had our DAD from Terry and Nancy for 6 months now and she’s fabulous. She has been trained for lows for our 9 year old and catches nearly every one now (as well as any other diabetics we may have with us visiting). She beats dexcom on fast drops and has even taught herself to alert to highs and fast rises. It has given us the time to treat and avoid serious lows and highs. Not only is she amazing at keeping our daughter safe but she is a fabulous family dog. We have a toddler and another older dog as well and she has fit right in. Can’t say enough wonderful things about Terry and Nancy and all the continued support they offer once you have the dog to make sure everything is going smoothly.
SHELLY + ODIE
Living with Diabetes doesn’t prevent me from living a full, active life but it certainly does make it more difficult. I’ve been a Type I Diabetic for 29 years. I don’t always feel my lows. There are times when my blood sugar readings are above 100 but then drop low without warning. I have slept through lows which led to seizures only to be woken up by paramedics surrounding my bed. I have passed out in front of my small children. Writing this brings tears to my eyes because it has affected my family, NOT JUST ME. My husband hadn’t slept for more than 2 hours at a time for years and my children were terrified to stay alone with me at night when my husband was out of town. This was my life, well, our life until now…enter Terry and Odie (my diabetic alert dog).
In late 2015, my dear friend told me about her relative who had gotten a DAD and was doing very well. Needless to say, I was very interested. I had so many questions: how do they detect lows, who does the training, where can I get one, and on and on and on. Right then and there, she texted her relative who happily passed along the name and number of the dog trainer along with an offer to speak about her wonderful experience with this dog trainer and her DAD. I knew this was a good sign and this dog trainer was the person that would help me. I called the number and Terry Cadle answered the phone and the rest is history.
Driving to pick up Odie was one of the longest drives ever because of the insecurities I was feeling concerning this dog. “Is he going to like me, Can he really help us, Do I have what it takes to take care of a diabetic alert dog?” The answer to all my questions is most definitely “yes!” Odie is extremely loyal which in my mind means he really “likes” me! He follows me everywhere. The first live alert happened in Terry and Nancy’s home. The first nighttime live alert happened a few days later. This is what we had been hoping for and we didn’t have to wait long for it to happen. Terry and Nancy have been there every step of the way. I can call or text them anytime and they are always there to help. They want to hear about it ALL. And, if I don’t call them, they call me to make sure all is good. So, yes, my DAD takes care of me and I have what it takes to take care of my DAD because Terry and Nancy will make sure of it!
My experience thus far has been amazing, life-changing!!! I have Odie, which in itself has a calming effect on me. My husband and children are happy knowing I am safe and that it doesn’t all have to fall on them to keep me that way. They have a helper in Odie. I now wonder what I ever did without Odie and, if I was granted one wish come true, it would have to be that all Type 1 Diabetics have a dog like Odie.
TRISHA + MAGGIE
When we finally made the decision to take our new puppy to a trainer, we knew we wanted a trainer who understood that Maggie was part of our family. Terry and Nancy took great care of our new puppy, but more importantly provided effective, lasting training. Maggie entered training as crazy puppy with no manners and would not come when called. By the time we got to take her home, she was well mannered, obedient and returned when called. We will definitely be bringing our next puppy to River’s Edge Dog Academy!
Nancy and Terry have changed my daughter’s life. Buddy the DAD is (literally) a life saver.