Attempting to repost because Reddit took it down as soon as I clicked post
Hello! I'm putting this out here because I'm having a bit of trouble finding a reputable program to get an allergen detection dog from, and I also had a few questions about how the training works. I'm referring to Allergen Detection Dogs as ADD in this so my post is shorter
I am a junior in high school currently and have been lightly researching ADD's recently for when I move out for college. I am hoping to go into a Nuclear Medicine Technologist AD program, however it will make me move out of state because there are none that I have been able to find in Michigan. I am hoping to get an ADD to calm my anxiety of going to unfamiliar markets and restaurants in a new state. I have a fatal tree nut allergy with makes me nervous about going anywhere new.
There have been very few leads on the internet about ADDs that are close enough to my area. I also do not want a lab because of their double coat and I also have a light dog allergy towards them (however its manageable with allergy pills as needed). I'm looking for a smaller breed that would do well in a college dorm or apartment with exercise daily. My family currently owns a 5yo Doberman that I train and work with.
My top two questions about ADDs are about training and cost/insurance. Are ADDs able to detect ALL tree nuts effectively? Do they all have a similar smell or have they been successfully able to differentiate all of them? And for cost/insurance, how common is it for an insurance company to cover at least partial cost of a service dog, since they are technically medical devices? The programs that I have been able to find online range from 10-25k, and my family nor I would be able to afford that out of pocket.
If anyone has referrals please comment or DM me directly! The closer to southern MI the better. Thank you in advance!!