Natalie Rice a mother of a teenager with a longstanding peanut allergy discovered Harley the intelligent canine at just 3 months old with the help of a trainer Natalies daughter was facing bullying due to her allergy prompting Natalie to consider the idea of having an allergendetection dog to alleviate her daughters sense of alienation
Harley a Golden Retriever puppy showed promising potential as a detection dog due to her keenness to learn Thus she underwent a yearlong training program to develop her ability to detect peanuts
Initially Harley was trained to detect the allergen through scent and signal a human when she identified it Dogs possess an astonishing number of scent receptors in their noses up to 100 million making them highly adept at detecting allergens Moreover dogs can differentiate between various ingredients in foods including those that humans may overlook They can even identify crosscontamination providing crucial protection against lifethreatening allergic reactions
After mastering peanut detection Harley received obedience training to operate as a detection dog in diverse environments
In 2019 Harley joined Natalie and her 14yearold daughter in California where she has since safeguarded the teenager from potential anaphylaxis by detecting peanut traces
Natalie expressed relief noting how Harley has provided an extra layer of protection and confidence enabling her daughter to dine out safely
Beyond her detection duties Harley actively raises awareness about food allergies and crosscontamination risks through social media Dubbed Detective Harley FADD Food Allergy Detection Dog she maintains a website that educates people about food allergies particularly empowering children grappling with them
Natalie emphasizes the seriousness of food allergies and the importance of education and understanding in creating a safer world Although Harleys training in peanut detection continues she will eventually retire from her hardworking role In the meantime Harley enjoys breaks from her duties with Joey the households other Golden Retriever described as a big cuddly teddy bear
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