Medical assistance dog Elliott nurtures Orange diabetic, Sharon Scott

Monitoring her type 2 diabetes and linked heart condition, Elliott the standard poodle is a medical assistance dog; and he keeps all paws on deck when it comes to his work.

Led by scent, his around-the-clock job is to monitor Ms Scott's blood sugar levels - trained exclusively to alert her when they're dropping low.

"Once they learn to be in that caretaker role and know that they have to constantly monitor you, they're checking in on you all the time," Ms Scott said.

"[Elliott] can tell what my body is doing, even if and when I can't, and the relationship you develop over time with them is this ongoing process of symbiosis. It's an incredible thing. He's a wonderful dog."

Turning two recently, Elliot has been in the Paws For Diabetics program since he was just eight-weeks old.

Like every other PFD canine, he's constantly tracking if his handler's blood glucose levels could disrupt Ms Scott's condition and place her health in serious danger.

These dogs are trained to literally sniff out chemical changes occurring in the body - which is what happens when insulin levels starting spiking, or drop too low.

"I've trained him to respond at those times and usually he'll start of by staring and making very intent eye contact, it's near impossible to ignore," Ms Scott said.

"He might push his paw directly against me with a bit of force or start licking intensively. As he gets older, eventually he'll be trained to bring my test kit over or a pack of jelly beans to me."

The now-director of training, Sharon Scott has worked for PFD for nearly two decades, overseeing around 35 dogs and handlers currently across Australia.

Puppies are selectively chosen from reputable breeders before being introduced into a person's home - this is done to begin the "imprinting stage" as early as possible.

Replying "absolutely" when asked if assistance dogs are literal life-savers, Ms Scott talked about how some clients "would not be with us today" if it weren't for their canine shadows.

"We had someone who averaged 16 annual phone calls to emergency services, there were consistent ambulance call-outs with collapses at home from their diabetes," she said.

"But since having their dog in this program, it's been eight years and not one [emergency] call. Not a single ambulance to the house.

"There are advantages of medical assistance dogs versus even some of the most advanced technology today. They pick up on key signs as things are happening and alert [their handlers] in real time."

Coined by Ms Scott as "life-saving prevention", these dogs are beating the response of peoples' diabetic transmitters - devices placed just below the skin that monitor glucose levels.

She said these readings are usually anywhere from five to 15 minutes behind what's medically happening in the body.

"But these dogs have been taught to alert before people go into that hypo state, and then it's as simple as grabbing a few jelly beans to top yourself up and feel okay again," she said.

Which is why when spotted, even as tempting and hard as it may be to resist, Ms Scott urges the public to imagine as if medical assistance dogs don't exist.

Jackets are worn to essentially forewarn people of this, with PFD dogs wearing 'please ignore me, I'm working' badges, for example.

Their job requires a full attention-to-handler at all times, because keeping their person alive and well.

"Medical assistance dogs are constantly on the lookout for any changes in their handler's health condition, so if they're distracted by other people, they could be missing crucial early warning signs and then putting that person at risk," Ms Scott said.

"It's preferably a no touch policy and that also means no talking or engaging with them in any way. An alert dog is doing a task that can't be seen."

But it's the times the director of training has seen that keeps her in a job that doesn't feel like work.

And if there's a perk to living with a lifetime medical condition, it could just be the highlight of having a best furry friend around at all times.

"It's amazing watching them, I never get tired of seeing the dogs working," Ms Scott said.

"Those little lightbulb moments when they get it and they're starting to alert their handler, it's an amazing feeling because you just know that dog is doing this incredible, priceless job.

"And the warm and fuzzy benefits of having a companion with you everywhere you go and their non-judgemental interaction it's like a reward when you live this life of constant monitoring and care with everything you do.

"It becomes your dog's turn to support you in that and they help you de-stress; no matter where you go or what you do."

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