Peanut Sniffing Dog

By Ken Amaro First Coast News

JACKSONVILLE,FL -- Peanut Allergies in children have increased two fold over a five year period, according to a recent study.

A Jacksonville teenager has been fighting Peanut allergy since she was three. Now thirteen, she has decided to try something new.

"I would like to go to high school," says Shauna Dunker.

So one day Shauna asked her mom if she could have a service dog, a dog trained to sniff out peanuts, he could be a friend and a life saver.

"I called several trainers," says Karen Dunker.

Only one was willing to give it a try says Dunker, Ronald White.

White says, "when she called the first time, I thought it was a prank."

But when she followed up he took it seriously.

"I had never heard of Peanut Allergy, I told her send some information, which she did, and to give me three months," says White.

White is a professional dog trainer and says he can train a dog to do almost anything.

"I trained him to detect Peanut, only Peanut, nothing else." says White.

He demonstrated by calling together a pack of eight dogs, of different breeds, and gave the voice command.

"Find the Peanut Butter," he said.

A brown, mixed breed Labrador broke our from the group and with his nose to the ground started looking for the Peanut Butter.

He was persistent, until he found a hidden Tennis Ball that was covered in Peanut Butter.

When the Dunkers saw the success of White's training they were very impressed.

Shauna says, "the dog alerts you by wagging her tail, she doesn't bark and can tell you where it is."

The Dunkers own a Sheltie and now plan to train it to sniff out Peanut Butter.

Shauna, who is now Homebound school, is excited because she says it will give her a chance to attend school using Onyx, her Sheltie, as a service dog.

Her Mother says she doesn't know how many others are using dogs in the fight against Food Allergies but she is willing to help anyone else who wants to give it a try.

Edited by: Ken Amaro Consumer Reporter Biography | E-mail | On Your Side | Recalls | Lowest Gas Prices | Tell Ken	Created: 6/9/2005 6:10:18 PM Updated: 6/9/2005 7:22:28 PM Suggest News Tips & Story Leads Submit Video & Pictures