Comments on: Hypoglycemic Alert Dogs http://www.battlediabetes.com/diabetes-alert-dogs/ Helping Diabetics with Support and Information on Diabetes Sat, 13 Mar 2010 04:18:32 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: George http://www.battlediabetes.com/diabetes-alert-dogs/comment-page-1/#comment-5135 George Fri, 05 Mar 2010 14:57:03 +0000 http://www.battlediabetes.com/?p=401#comment-5135 Let me say that Michele Keegan has a personal ax to grind against Ann & BethEden and is misrepresentling herself as being a spokesperson for many people. I believe, Alan, that I even saw her use your name as a very dissatisfied client of Ann's. She has also used my name in her diatribes against Ann in her postings and has fabricated quotes she has attributed to me. I recently sent her an e-mail demanding that she remove the offending posts using my name or publish the e-mail that I had sent and she responded that I owe her an apology. She doesn't have the balls to listen to anything, much less publish anything, that is contrary to what she wants to hear. I personally think that she is whacked, moreso because she is so incensed that her dog doesn't work (she fails to mention whether or not she continued the training) yet she refusesd to return the dog to Ann. This dog only cost her $500 and she managed to get Make a Wish to pay for the balance. Not bad for a person whi is gainfully employed, earning a good salary and who has a husband who is, I believe, a lawyer. She is pointing her finger at everybody else (life the baseball player who drops a fly ball and then looks at his glove trying to find the hole the ball went through ... not his fault so it must be the glove). What she fails to realize is that when she points her finger at somebody, 3 of her fingers are pointing back at her. I told her that if I was Ann I would sue her ass off until there is nothing left but a little, red, hole. I have garnered that in her opinion, the world owes her just for breathing the same air the rest of us do. Let me say that Michele Keegan has a personal ax to grind against Ann & BethEden and is misrepresentling herself as being a spokesperson for many people. I believe, Alan, that I even saw her use your name as a very dissatisfied client of Ann’s. She has also used my name in her diatribes against Ann in her postings and has fabricated quotes she has attributed to me.

I recently sent her an e-mail demanding that she remove the offending posts using my name or publish the e-mail that I had sent and she responded that I owe her an apology. She doesn’t have the balls to listen to anything, much less publish anything, that is contrary to what she wants to hear.

I personally think that she is whacked, moreso because she is so incensed that her dog doesn’t work (she fails to mention whether or not she continued the training) yet she refusesd to return the dog to Ann. This dog only cost her $500 and she managed to get Make a Wish to pay for the balance. Not bad for a person whi is gainfully employed, earning a good salary and who has a husband who is, I believe, a lawyer.

She is pointing her finger at everybody else (life the baseball player who drops a fly ball and then looks at his glove trying to find the hole the ball went through … not his fault so it must be the glove). What she fails to realize is that when she points her finger at somebody, 3 of her fingers are pointing back at her.

I told her that if I was Ann I would sue her ass off until there is nothing left but a little, red, hole.

I have garnered that in her opinion, the world owes her just for breathing the same air the rest of us do.

]]> By: Michele Keegan http://www.battlediabetes.com/diabetes-alert-dogs/comment-page-1/#comment-5128 Michele Keegan Sun, 28 Feb 2010 15:34:56 +0000 http://www.battlediabetes.com/?p=401#comment-5128 Neither do I hide behind false names. This is not about attacking each other. It is about ensuring the WHOLE truth of this situation is made public for those seeking to buy a Diabetic Alert Dog in the future. I have never denied that some people are happy with the dogs they have gotten from Betheden. But the fact that many of us are not is JUST AS TRUE. Don’t be so nieve. It’s not our fault we have dogs that work. As you said yourself, until you’ve walked a mile in our shoes you need to stop the ‘bad talk’. You have no idea the truth of what we have been through with our dogs and in trying to work with Betheden and Ann. You only know what you’ve been told about us. Our stories are being posted on www.diabeticalertdogsthatdont.com and our complaints have been filed with the appropriate authorities. There is now a public record for the future. And it doesn’t matter who paid for our dogs. There is, in fact, a fundraising page on Betheden’s website in your name which implies that neither did you pay for the entire cost of your dog. You say you have your dog and it is working. I’m happy for you. They can be an invaluable tool for us when they have been screened for ability and properly trained, and a huge liability when they have not. And since you have your dog, the fundraising should have stopped by now…. Neither do I hide behind false names. This is not about attacking each other. It is about ensuring the WHOLE truth of this situation is made public for those seeking to buy a Diabetic Alert Dog in the future. I have never denied that some people are happy with the dogs they have gotten from Betheden. But the fact that many of us are not is JUST AS TRUE. Don’t be so nieve. It’s not our fault we have dogs that work. As you said yourself, until you’ve walked a mile in our shoes you need to stop the ‘bad talk’. You have no idea the truth of what we have been through with our dogs and in trying to work with Betheden and Ann. You only know what you’ve been told about us. Our stories are being posted on http://www.diabeticalertdogsthatdont.com and our complaints have been filed with the appropriate authorities. There is now a public record for the future. And it doesn’t matter who paid for our dogs. There is, in fact, a fundraising page on Betheden’s website in your name which implies that neither did you pay for the entire cost of your dog. You say you have your dog and it is working. I’m happy for you. They can be an invaluable tool for us when they have been screened for ability and properly trained, and a huge liability when they have not. And since you have your dog, the fundraising should have stopped by now….

]]> By: Alan Aycock http://www.battlediabetes.com/diabetes-alert-dogs/comment-page-1/#comment-5126 Alan Aycock Sat, 27 Feb 2010 04:35:55 +0000 http://www.battlediabetes.com/?p=401#comment-5126 I have a Diabetic Alert Dog from Betheden Kennels. I'd like to share my story in hopes of giving a fair and honest view of my experience with Ann Pulliam and Betheden Kennels. I was part of the June 2009 class that Michele Keegan and Minnesota Ann talk about. So, I'll start my story there ... This class had 12 people receiving their Diabetic Alert Dogs. I didn't know it at the time but this was Betheden's first group class. They had been delivering the dogs to people prior to this class and spending a week or so working one-on-one with the person and their new dog in the hometown of the person receiving the dog. As Ann will tell you the June 2009 class was a BIG miss - they (Betheden Kennels) simply bit off more than they could chew by scheduling 12 people for this class. They didn't have enough trainers there to work with everyone on the level needed. The result was that people receiving their new Diabetic Alert Dogs missed out on the individual, one-on-one training they needed. Once I got back home with my dog "Baylor" I did a superb job, at first, of keeping up the scent training I had learned at the class. But I probably didn't keep this up at the level I should as more time went by. This, although not fully, at least played a part in Baylor not continuing to alert like she had been at first. (more on this a little later) I had some obedience issues with Baylor that I shouldn't have had, again, I think this goes back to not getting the one-on-one attention I probably needed. These were minor issues but I feel like I should mention them to be fair. I had 2 options to resolve the issues; 1) contact Ann and go back out to Texas to receive additional help 2) contact a local dog trainer and at my expense get help. I opted for option 2. Mostly for my own convenience. I was able to find and work with a first-class K9 training company called Tarheel Canine. I really lucked out that this caliber training facility was so close to me. When Baylor and I went for our evaluation their exact words to me were, "Baylor is 95% where she needs to be ... it's you we'll help the most in learning to work and handle her." I was able to work with Tarheel Canine for a total of 6 hours to get where I and they felt like Baylor and I needed to be. I got in contact with Ann in the first part of November 2009 because Baylor had stopped alerting. Ann offered to (at her expense) pay for Baylor and I to fly out to Oklahoma City (they had moved from Canyon, Texas) and work with us until we got Baylor alerting again. Baylor and I were in Oklahoma City for 1 week and within the first day Ann had Baylor alerting again. She spent the week working with me on how to work with Baylor on scenting. We made tremendous progress that has continued to work to this day. Baylor alerts to highs and lows at about the 95% level. Ann has been honest and fair when dealing with me and I truly believe she wants her dogs to be successful. I've been honest with Ann about areas I thought she could improve and she seemed open to my thoughts. I know that she has made changes in the way she runs her classes. The most important of these changes I think is the reduction in the size of the class - allowing people to get the one-on-one time they need. I have a very successful Diabetic Alert Dog from Betheden Kennels. I hope that sharing my story - the entire story - will be helpful to folks. I have a Diabetic Alert Dog from Betheden Kennels. I’d like to share my story in hopes of giving a fair and honest view of my experience with Ann Pulliam and Betheden Kennels.

I was part of the June 2009 class that Michele Keegan and Minnesota Ann talk about. So, I’ll start my story there …

This class had 12 people receiving their Diabetic Alert Dogs. I didn’t know it at the time but this was Betheden’s first group class. They had been delivering the dogs to people prior to this class and spending a week or so working one-on-one with the person and their new dog in the hometown of the person receiving the dog.

As Ann will tell you the June 2009 class was a BIG miss – they (Betheden Kennels) simply bit off more than they could chew by scheduling 12 people for this class. They didn’t have enough trainers there to work with everyone on the level needed. The result was that people receiving their new Diabetic Alert Dogs missed out on the individual, one-on-one training they needed.

Once I got back home with my dog “Baylor” I did a superb job, at first, of keeping up the scent training I had learned at the class. But I probably didn’t keep this up at the level I should as more time went by. This, although not fully, at least played a part in Baylor not continuing to alert like she had been at first. (more on this a little later)

I had some obedience issues with Baylor that I shouldn’t have had, again, I think this goes back to not getting the one-on-one attention I probably needed. These were minor issues but I feel like I should mention them to be fair. I had 2 options to resolve the issues; 1) contact Ann and go back out to Texas to receive additional help 2) contact a local dog trainer and at my expense get help. I opted for option 2. Mostly for my own convenience. I was able to find and work with a first-class K9 training company called Tarheel Canine. I really lucked out that this caliber training facility was so close to me. When Baylor and I went for our evaluation their exact words to me were, “Baylor is 95% where she needs to be … it’s you we’ll help the most in learning to work and handle her.” I was able to work with Tarheel Canine for a total of 6 hours to get where I and they felt like Baylor and I needed to be.

I got in contact with Ann in the first part of November 2009 because Baylor had stopped alerting. Ann offered to (at her expense) pay for Baylor and I to fly out to Oklahoma City (they had moved from Canyon, Texas) and work with us until we got Baylor alerting again. Baylor and I were in Oklahoma City for 1 week and within the first day Ann had Baylor alerting again. She spent the week working with me on how to work with Baylor on scenting. We made tremendous progress that has continued to work to this day. Baylor alerts to highs and lows at about the 95% level.

Ann has been honest and fair when dealing with me and I truly believe she wants her dogs to be successful. I’ve been honest with Ann about areas I thought she could improve and she seemed open to my thoughts. I know that she has made changes in the way she runs her classes. The most important of these changes I think is the reduction in the size of the class – allowing people to get the one-on-one time they need.

I have a very successful Diabetic Alert Dog from Betheden Kennels. I hope that sharing my story – the entire story – will be helpful to folks.

]]> By: Shauna http://www.battlediabetes.com/diabetes-alert-dogs/comment-page-1/#comment-5125 Shauna Thu, 25 Feb 2010 21:09:55 +0000 http://www.battlediabetes.com/?p=401#comment-5125 Ann trained a dog for me not a dog I gave her and has done so for many people with very good results. Ann is more than happy to work with people to make sure they get a well trained dog that alerts. Maybe you have no clue what you are doing have you thought of that? If you think you know it all and what needs to be done then train your own dog and see how well it comes out without the knowledge you need to be sucessful. Until you have walked a mile in their shoes you need to stop the bad talk. Those of us that have dogs form Ann and other Kennels that work hard to train these dogs really appreciate all their hard work. And this is my real name i don't hide behind false names. Ann trained a dog for me not a dog I gave her and has done so for many people with very good results. Ann is more than happy to work with people to make sure they get a well trained dog that alerts. Maybe you have no clue what you are doing have you thought of that? If you think you know it all and what needs to be done then train your own dog and see how well it comes out without the knowledge you need to be sucessful. Until you have walked a mile in their shoes you need to stop the bad talk. Those of us that have dogs form Ann and other Kennels that work hard to train these dogs really appreciate all their hard work. And this is my real name i don’t hide behind false names.

]]> By: Shauna http://www.battlediabetes.com/diabetes-alert-dogs/comment-page-1/#comment-5124 Shauna Thu, 25 Feb 2010 21:03:08 +0000 http://www.battlediabetes.com/?p=401#comment-5124 Its people like you making commments that are not true makes it so difficult for people to find alert dogs. I know a lot of people that have gotten dogs from Betheden Kennels and have had no problems. The only one I have heard really bad things about is Heaven Scent Paws that have multiple lawsuits pending agianst them and that is public information. One of these so called unhappy people with Behteden Kennels did not even pay for their dog it was through the Make a Wish Foundation and they sent both Ann and the Make a Wish Foundation emails about how well the dog was doing so its not the dog its the people. You need to stop and think before you post ugly comments on the internet. No one these days wants to take responsibiltiy for their actions and blame it all on someone else. Take a moment and look at yourself and stop posting ugly comments that you have no proof of in the first place. Its people like you making commments that are not true makes it so difficult for people to find alert dogs. I know a lot of people that have gotten dogs from Betheden Kennels and have had no problems. The only one I have heard really bad things about is Heaven Scent Paws that have multiple lawsuits pending agianst them and that is public information. One of these so called unhappy people with Behteden Kennels did not even pay for their dog it was through the Make a Wish Foundation and they sent both Ann and the Make a Wish Foundation emails about how well the dog was doing so its not the dog its the people. You need to stop and think before you post ugly comments on the internet. No one these days wants to take responsibiltiy for their actions and blame it all on someone else. Take a moment and look at yourself and stop posting ugly comments that you have no proof of in the first place.

]]> By: Shauna http://www.battlediabetes.com/diabetes-alert-dogs/comment-page-1/#comment-5123 Shauna Thu, 25 Feb 2010 20:57:32 +0000 http://www.battlediabetes.com/?p=401#comment-5123 Ann at Betheden Kennels is a good one to talk to. She trainded my dog and is currently training my cousins dog that they took to Ann. Her number is 806-674-6068. She is located in Piedmont, OK She also has dogs available and takes a lot of time to make sure things go good for you. She also will help if you have issues and figure out what you need to do to correct it. Most of the time it is something the person is doing not the dog. I have heard a lot of good things about Ann and that is why I choose Betheden Kennels. Ann at Betheden Kennels is a good one to talk to. She trainded my dog and is currently training my cousins dog that they took to Ann. Her number is 806-674-6068. She is located in Piedmont, OK
She also has dogs available and takes a lot of time to make sure things go good for you. She also will help if you have issues and figure out what you need to do to correct it. Most of the time it is something the person is doing not the dog. I have heard a lot of good things about Ann and that is why I choose Betheden Kennels.

]]> By: Shauna http://www.battlediabetes.com/diabetes-alert-dogs/comment-page-1/#comment-5122 Shauna Thu, 25 Feb 2010 20:45:14 +0000 http://www.battlediabetes.com/?p=401#comment-5122 Cut up socks or tight t-shirt that you have worn and use them by placing on you in a pocket or in your shirt etc. and reward your dog for finding them. Get up in the night and check your blood sugar and make sure your dog is a part of that so it knows to get you up at night. The smae type of things the trainer does and also reward your dog with its favorite treat or toy whatever makes your dog happy so they know they are doing good. Make sure your dog is always invovled when you check your blood sugar. They need to be allowed to sniff at it and make sure everytime your dog starts acting unusual to check your sugar cause you never know and most of the time bacause these are such well behaved dogs that is usually there problem. You have to trust your dog. Cut up socks or tight t-shirt that you have worn and use them by placing on you in a pocket or in your shirt etc. and reward your dog for finding them. Get up in the night and check your blood sugar and make sure your dog is a part of that so it knows to get you up at night. The smae type of things the trainer does and also reward your dog with its favorite treat or toy whatever makes your dog happy so they know they are doing good. Make sure your dog is always invovled when you check your blood sugar. They need to be allowed to sniff at it and make sure everytime your dog starts acting unusual to check your sugar cause you never know and most of the time bacause these are such well behaved dogs that is usually there problem. You have to trust your dog.

]]> By: Shauna http://www.battlediabetes.com/diabetes-alert-dogs/comment-page-1/#comment-5121 Shauna Thu, 25 Feb 2010 20:25:29 +0000 http://www.battlediabetes.com/?p=401#comment-5121 How right you are. I have heard of some people that had very good things to say about thier dogs and even sent emails stating their dog was alerting most of the time then turn around and say they don't alert. I am getting a diabetic alert dog from Ann at Betheden Kennels which is now in Peidmont, OK and when I went to the kennel to pick out my dog my dog alerted to a high and she did'nt even know me. She has had diabetics who got dogs from her come back for additional training and they discovered that it was not the dog not alerting but mistakes they made and once they changed what they were doing the dogs began alerting again with no problemm. You need to have a good Kennel such as Betheden Kennels that will continue to work with you and help you when you have problems. These dogs are very sensitive and people usually don't realize that they are the cause for the dog to stop alerting such as not letting the dog be invovled when you check your blood sugar. The scent is all over the meter and when you tell them no then you are telling them not to alert to that scent and then you have problems. Also the way some dogs alert people may not be realizing they are alerting and just think the dog is misbehaving when usually the dog is trying to tell you there is a probelm with your blood sugar and if you correct it the dogs behavior will also change. Instead of people always blamimg the trainers they need to take a look at their actions and behaviors and see if they are the ones making the dog not alert. People are to fast to blame others for their mistakes. I am aware they may not realize they are doing these things but any reputable trainer will wrok with you and assist you in getting things straight. I thank God everyday for peolple like Ann at Betheden kennels. There is few trainers for alert dogs in the US and most only train for peolle in their area which leaves out most of the diabetic population that could benefit from these dogs. Thank you for listening, Shauna How right you are. I have heard of some people that had very good things to say about thier dogs and even sent emails stating their dog was alerting most of the time then turn around and say they don’t alert. I am getting a diabetic alert dog from Ann at Betheden Kennels which is now in Peidmont, OK and when I went to the kennel to pick out my dog my dog alerted to a high and she did’nt even know me. She has had diabetics who got dogs from her come back for additional training and they discovered that it was not the dog not alerting but mistakes they made and once they changed what they were doing the dogs began alerting again with no problemm. You need to have a good Kennel such as Betheden Kennels that will continue to work with you and help you when you have problems. These dogs are very sensitive and people usually don’t realize that they are the cause for the dog to stop alerting such as not letting the dog be invovled when you check your blood sugar. The scent is all over the meter and when you tell them no then you are telling them not to alert to that scent and then you have problems. Also the way some dogs alert people may not be realizing they are alerting and just think the dog is misbehaving when usually the dog is trying to tell you there is a probelm with your blood sugar and if you correct it the dogs behavior will also change. Instead of people always blamimg the trainers they need to take a look at their actions and behaviors and see if they are the ones making the dog not alert. People are to fast to blame others for their mistakes. I am aware they may not realize they are doing these things but any reputable trainer will wrok with you and assist you in getting things straight. I thank God everyday for peolple like Ann at Betheden kennels. There is few trainers for alert dogs in the US and most only train for peolle in their area which leaves out most of the diabetic population that could benefit from these dogs. Thank you for listening, Shauna

]]> By: Minnesota Ann http://www.battlediabetes.com/diabetes-alert-dogs/comment-page-1/#comment-5114 Minnesota Ann Thu, 18 Feb 2010 01:57:12 +0000 http://www.battlediabetes.com/?p=401#comment-5114 You are correct (Sara) Michele, I did train my own dog. But it was Ann Pulliam that helped me, when no one else would. She did not have to, she did it out of kindness. So, yes my story is different. That is my point. I do not want others to hear only one side and then give up on their search for an alert dog. I want everyone who needs and wants a DAD to be able to obtain one to help enhance their lives. Since there are so few trainers out there I want people to understand as you stated that there are different stories and many people received exactly what they expected from BethEden. People also need to have realistic expectations. The dogs are additional tools and like our CGMs, pumps and meters, they can malfunction. Hopefully not ALL at the same time! After getting one of these dogs, diabetics needs to be AS diligent as ever. This is not the easy way out but I am grateful for any and all help that I can get from my dog. Yes, as you know Minnesota.Ann is my real name. You are correct (Sara) Michele, I did train my own dog. But it was Ann Pulliam that helped me, when no one else would. She did not have to, she did it out of kindness. So, yes my story is different. That is my point. I do not want others to hear only one side and then give up on their search for an alert dog. I want everyone who needs and wants a DAD to be able to obtain one to help enhance their lives. Since there are so few trainers out there I want people to understand as you stated that there are different stories and many people received exactly what they expected from BethEden. People also need to have realistic expectations. The dogs are additional tools and like our CGMs, pumps and meters, they can malfunction. Hopefully not ALL at the same time! After getting one of these dogs, diabetics needs to be AS diligent as ever. This is not the easy way out but I am grateful for any and all help that I can get from my dog. Yes, as you know Minnesota.Ann is my real name.

]]> By: Michele Keegan http://www.battlediabetes.com/diabetes-alert-dogs/comment-page-1/#comment-5102 Michele Keegan Thu, 04 Feb 2010 03:01:52 +0000 http://www.battlediabetes.com/?p=401#comment-5102 This is my real name. Minnesota Ann...is that a false name? The truth is never slander. And the truth is Betheden misrepresented themselves to me. They sold me a dog that was not trained. They did not fulfill the terms of my contract. They were not honest about the age of my dog, his background, or his health. It is also true that dogs from the June class have been returned for biting; that few were house broken; that few alerted consistently; that money has not been refunded for the dogs returned even though one has been resold. It is true that AlphaTex kennels will not recommend them, nor will Adobe Kennels...both have done business with Betheden. Isn't it true that you trained your own dog to alert; that you did not buy this dog from Betheden? There may be people who are happy with the dogs they have from Betheden but there are also MANY who are very UNHAPPY. The truth is that the negative stories are just as honest as the positive ones. I would never recommend Betheden Kennels to anyone. For every success there is at least one failure. That's a big gamble for the money and a huge gamble with your health. This is my real name. Minnesota Ann…is that a false name? The truth is never slander. And the truth is Betheden misrepresented themselves to me. They sold me a dog that was not trained. They did not fulfill the terms of my contract. They were not honest about the age of my dog, his background, or his health. It is also true that dogs from the June class have been returned for biting; that few were house broken; that few alerted consistently; that money has not been refunded for the dogs returned even though one has been resold. It is true that AlphaTex kennels will not recommend them, nor will Adobe Kennels…both have done business with Betheden. Isn’t it true that you trained your own dog to alert; that you did not buy this dog from Betheden? There may be people who are happy with the dogs they have from Betheden but there are also MANY who are very UNHAPPY. The truth is that the negative stories are just as honest as the positive ones. I would never recommend Betheden Kennels to anyone. For every success there is at least one failure. That’s a big gamble for the money and a huge gamble with your health.

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