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About narcolepsy and addison’s disease alert dogs
Medical alert assistance dogs can be trained to warn of a low-cortisol episode in Addison’s disease, giving time to take medication, get to safety or call for help, and people with narcolepsy often ask whether a dog could do the same for sleep attacks. In the UK these dogs are placed through a charity programme. Families cannot order one from a breeder, and breeders do not sell them.
What this work involves
In Addison’s disease (primary adrenal insufficiency) the adrenal glands do not work properly and do not make enough of certain hormones, including cortisol. The NHS describes adrenal crisis as the most serious complication and a medical emergency. An Addison’s disease alert dog, sometimes called a cortisol alert dog, is trained to recognise minute changes in its handler’s odour linked to the condition and to give a clear alert, so the person can act as their clinical team has advised.
Narcolepsy is a rare condition that causes sleepiness and muscle weakness that cannot be controlled, including falling asleep suddenly. A narcolepsy assistance dog, or sleep attack alert dog, would be trained to give warning so the person can sit or lie down, move away from hazards or get help.
How reliably a dog alerts is judged on records. Medical Detection Dogs asks clients to keep detailed records of episodes and alerts during training and at every annual reaccreditation, and during the application they collect odour samples during their own episodes for the dog’s scent training. For an applicant-owned dog to be accredited, the charity wants at least six months of continuous records showing the dog alerting with at least 75 per cent accuracy and fewer than 10 per cent false alerts.
Who trains and supplies these dogs in the UK
Medical Detection Dogs (registered charity 1124533, and SC044434 in Scotland), based near Milton Keynes, is a full member of Assistance Dogs UK and places these dogs. Its criteria, updated in June 2026, list primary or secondary adrenal insufficiency, including Addison’s disease, among the conditions it has trained dogs for. Narcolepsy does not appear on that current list, so anyone with narcolepsy should ask the charity whether it can consider an application.
Applicants must generally be aged 5 to 75, diagnosed for at least a year, living in mainland England, Wales or Scotland, and having frequent episodes with little or no warning after trying all appropriate NHS treatment. The charity aims to place most applicants within about 18 months to two years of interview, with priority for those in greatest clinical need, and clients pay the dog’s day-to-day costs, which it estimates at £100 to £120 a month.
Assistance Dogs UK (ADUK) is the umbrella body for accredited assistance dog organisations. Its members are accredited by Assistance Dogs International and/or the International Guide Dog Federation, and ADUK itself does not train or provide dogs.
The supply model is charity training from selected sources. Medical Detection Dogs takes puppies from reputable breeders after researching lines, health checks and personality tests, keeps a small breeding scheme and takes some dogs from rescue centres.
Breeds and lines
Most of the charity’s dogs are Labradors, spaniels or crosses of these, which points to breeds such as the Retriever (Labrador), the Retriever (Golden) and the Spaniel (Cocker), and short-nosed breeds are generally unsuitable for odour work.
The temperament needed is calm, affectionate and close to its person, with a good nose and low reactivity. The dog must stay with its handler through long, quiet days as well as busy ones, so steady lines usually suit better than high-drive trial lines.
What to ask a breeder
- Have puppies from your lines gone into assistance or medical alert work?
- How do the parents settle during quiet time at home and in public places?
- What health tests have the parents had? For Golden Retrievers, the Royal Kennel Club recommends the BVA/RKC hip and elbow schemes, the eye scheme and DNA tests for PRA.
- Do the puppies show interest in using their noses?
- How is the litter socialised to handling, visitors, traffic and busy indoor spaces?
- Will you take a puppy back if it does not suit assistance work?
Legal and welfare notes
Trained medical alert dogs are assistance dogs, and the Equality Act 2010 requires service providers to make reasonable adjustments for disabled people who use them. The Equality and Human Rights Commission’s guidance says no harness, jacket or ID book is legally required. The dog never replaces the steroid emergency card, emergency injection kit, medication or specialist care that the NHS advises for Addison’s disease. Medical Detection Dogs says its dogs are not trained to alert while travelling in a car, and anyone who drives and has narcolepsy must tell the DVLA.
Frequently asked questions
Can I get a narcolepsy assistance dog in the UK?
Narcolepsy is not on Medical Detection Dogs’ current published list of conditions, so ask the charity directly before applying.
Does an Addison’s alert dog measure cortisol?
No. The dog responds to odour, not to a cortisol reading. Cortisol levels are measured through tests arranged by your clinical team.
Can I buy a trained Addison’s disease alert dog from a breeder?
No. Medical Detection Dogs trains and places them. Breeders supply puppies, not trained dogs.
If your Labradors, Golden Retrievers or Cocker Spaniels come from calm, people-focused lines, or your puppies have gone into medical alert work, list your kennel on Canine Breeder so charities and families can find you.