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Virtual classes give you the weekly instruction and materials to train your own Diabetic Alert Dog. You'll meet once a week with other students and your trainer, practice together, send in videos, and get your questions answered at every step
Self-training, but without the self-doubt. |
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Spring 2026 Class Schedule
Classes are limited to 3–6 students to ensure ample 1:1 assistance. While every dog and team is different and will progress at different rates, these are intimate classes to maximize everyone's success and we do our best to move at the pace of each individual. To join any of the four classes, use the button below and select which one you'd like to join!
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Foundations: First 6 Months with your DAD Puppy (4 spots remaining)
This class is designed specifically for those who have a puppy who is 2–4 months old and is beginning their journey toward becoming a diabetic alert dog. Any breed is welcome!
The focus of this class is building the right foundation early — confidence, engagement, and age-appropriate skills that support them becoming Service Dogs. We will work on socialization, manners, basic training concepts, handler skills, and of course the scent training! The obedience goal is that by the end of the class puppies are able to pass the MD Dogs vest test and will then be provided an MD Dogs Service Dog in training vest so they can continue with their formal public access training. The scent training goal is that puppies have begun to live alert to low blood sugar and are able to pass the scent wheel test, discriminating between a low blood sugar sample and other distractors. At the end of the class, students will have the option to continue into an Advanced version of the class that focuses on the Public Access Test and fine tuning live alerts. Status: Open Who: Puppies 2-4 months old Class Duration: 1 hour/week for 6 months Dates: April to September Meeting time: Sundays at 3:30pm EST Cost: $450/month Fine-Tuning: Alert Troubleshooting & Refinement (5 spots remaining)
This class is for teams who have already started scent training but need help refining, strengthening, or troubleshooting their dog’s alert behavior. This is perfect for those who have gotten stuck along the way of self-training, or who have an alert dog that isn't performing as desired.
We will focus on common challenges such as unclear alerts, false alerts, missed alerts, inconsistent responses, and difficulty alerting in new environments or real-life situations. You will learn how to read subtle body language, fine-tune reinforcement timing, improve alert clarity, and adjust your training plan when progress feels stalled. The content covered in this class will still include full scent training to ensure every student is on the same page, but we will expedite the early stages of scent imprinting and understanding the odor since all the dogs will have been introduced already. This class will be tailored to the students who are enrolled so we can troubleshoot each individually. Because of that, this class will be capped at a small number. Status: Open Who: Dogs of any breed and age who have already begun scent training in some way Class Duration: 1 hour/week for 4 months Dates: April to July Meeting time: Saturdays at 1:30pm EST Cost: $450/month |
Detection: Scent Training for Diabetic Alert Dogs (3 spots remaining)
This class is designed for people who want to train their dog to alert to blood sugars using a clear paw alert. Any breed and age of dog is welcome! (This class does not cover any obedience or public access)
Over the course of this class, you will learn how to properly collect and store low and high blood sugar scent samples while avoiding contamination, how to introduce your dog to the target odor, and how to systematically build a reliable alert behavior. We will cover alerting in a variety of environments, increasing difficulty and distractions, and progressing toward real-life reliability — including night alerts. This class is structured to meet teams where they are, while providing a clear, step-by-step path forward so both you and your dog can succeed. The scent training goal is that dogs have begun to live alert to low blood sugar and are able to pass the scent wheel test, discriminating between a low blood sugar sample and other distractors in a scent wheel. We will also discuss and train for more complex alerting scenarios such as night alerts, car alerts, and kennel alerts. Status: Open Who: Dogs of any breed and age Class Duration: 1 hour/week for 4 months Dates: April to July Meeting time: Saturdays at 12pm EST Cost: $450/month Customized: Private Diabetic Alert Dog Class (2 spots remaining)
This private class is designed for handlers who want a fully customized training plan for their dog, with the flexibility to meet on a schedule that works for them. Dogs of any age, any breed, and any training background are welcome, and no prior training experience is required.
Students receive individualized guidance tailored to their specific goals, challenges, and circumstances. This option is ideal for families with schedules that don't allow for the group class, dogs who don’t fit neatly into one of the class descriptions, or teams who want more personalized support as they train a diabetic or medical alert dog. Training may include scent work, alert development, puppyhood, obedience, public access skills, troubleshooting, or any combination of areas based on your needs. Meeting times are arranged collaboratively, allowing sessions to take place on Saturdays, Sundays, or Mondays at select times, making this option especially well-suited for busy schedules. Status: Open Who: Dogs of any breed and age of any training level Class Duration: 45 minutes/class and a 3 or 6 month commitment Dates: Customizable Meeting time: Saturdays, Sundays, or Mondays at select times Cost: $600/month |
About Virtual Group Classes
Our virtual group classes are designed to empower you to train your own diabetic alert dog from home—guided by one of the most trusted names in the field. Each class is led by Libby Rockaway, founder of MD Dogs Inc., who has spent over a decade training Diabetic Alert Dogs and placing them with clients from 2 to 80 years old, as well as helping others train their own Diabetic Alert Dogs. You’ll learn from an expert through a mix of live demos, interactive sessions, and step-by-step guidance that makes progress clear and achievable.
Here’s what’s included in your enrollment:
- Live weekly classes with direct feedback from Libby
- Class recordings available if you miss a meeting or want to review anything
- Private student group to ask questions, share wins, and post videos for feedback between classes
- Full slide deck access, even after the class ends
- Weekly homework assignments with clear goals so you always know what to work on
- A shipped starter kit of scent training supplies—no guessing, no hassle
- Supportive, small-group environment to stay motivated and inspired (3-8 students in any class, depending on type)
Virtual Group Class FAQs
Who should take the class?
- These classes are suited for those who have a dog that they'd like to train as their own Diabetic Alert Dog and who are dedicated to spending about 8-10 hours a week on the dog's training. Self-training takes commitment and is a risk because you can never know whether a dog will succeed as a Service Dog, but if you are willing to take that risk, have the availability to focus on your dog's training, and self-motivated then you may be a great candidate for our classes!
- Candidates for service work should be incredibly food motivated, confident, friendly, and persistent. If you'd like to discuss more about your dog's eligibility in particular you can reach out and schedule a consultation where we can identify if your dog is a good fit.
- No. While we'd love to say that taking the class will mean you'll end up with a successful Diabetic Alert Dog, that is just not the case. Even with professional trainers, not all of our dogs are capable of achieving full Diabetic Alert Dog work. With that being said, the biggest challenge is having a dog who is capable of the public access work. So if you are committed to the training and have a food motivated dog then you have a very very high chance of successfully training your dog to at least be an in home Diabetic Alert Dog.
- They absolutely can be! But it does depend on the dog you are working with, your training skills, and your commitment to training. Self-training does not at all inherently mean your dog will be less accurate though.
- Libby Rockaway, founder of MD Dogs and author of the DAD Training Steps book, teaches all the current classes.
- Most classes begin in the Spring and the Fall and last for 6 months. Each individual meeting is 1 hour.
- We understand life happens and we don't expect you to be available every week for 6 straight months! So every class is recorded and the recording is posted within a few days so that you can review missed meetings and catch up before the next week.
- Every student is added to a private facebook group for the students in their class and they can post videos for review. Feedback is given a 3-4 times a week and you can post as many or as few videos or questions as you'd like. During class, we also try to include at least a few live training sessions where students can get feedback in real time as well. For the most personal feedback and a training plan with extensive trainer support, you can check out our Trainer for a Month option where it is 1:1 assistance, one month at a time.
- This depends on the age of your child - teenagers typically should be the one to train the dog if they are interested. But those under 13 should usually just be involved in individual exercises and not solely responsible for the training and handling of the dogs in order to maximize chance of success.
- You are welcome to take our class if you are training a different type of scent based medical alert dog, but we will have everything focused on teaching blood sugar alerts and you will be responsible for the modifications for your target odor.
