Sam Miller's Dog

With some gentle petting and a few short walks, Sam Miller got to know his new standard poodle, Finn.

“He seems a little nervous and curious,” Miller said early Friday afternoon as Finn’s trainer, Alfredo Aguayo of Loyalty Service Dogs in Mesquite, Nev., looked on and answered his questions. Trainer and dog had just arrived in Yakima after a long morning of two flights.

Finn will change Miller’s life in all the usual awesome doggy ways, and more. He was trained for a year to be able to detect when Miller, who is almost 21 and was diagnosed with intractable epilepsy at age 10, begins to suffer a seizure. Finn’s sharply focused sense of smell tells him when that is happening, and will warn Miller so he can prepare for a seizure by sitting down or taking other actions.