Golden Retriever Rushes to Owner After Sensing Something Is Wrong With Him

Dogs have incredible intuition, which is why they have been used for protection for many thousands of years, and as service animals for several hundred years. When Tyler Howes, 29, became uncontrollably cold as a symptom of anemia, 1 and a half year old golden retriever Winston knew exactly what to do, despite being untrained as a service animal.

"My boyfriend had been suffering with anemia for the past couple of months and he has been going through spells where he gets uncontrollably cold at night as a symptom," Brittney Bonfield, 29, told , "No amount of blankets, sweatshirts, or anything else will get him warm." @whata_bout_winston, the couple can be seen in their bedroom, as Howes visibly tries to get warm under the covers.

After investigating and clearly sensing something is wrong, Winston puts his front paws on Howes lap, before lying across him. "As he got into bed Winston immediately went to his side like he could sense something was wrong," said Bonfield, "It was like he was trying to 'alert' my boyfriend to what was going on.

I know this is a common behavior for service dogs, but Winston has never been trained, so we were shocked that he knew what to do." She added: "He ended up laying down on my boyfriends chest and staying there to either keep him warm or just provide comfort. It was really amazing to see him do this entire process as a dog that has no formal training in service work." Many users in the comments failed to understand the link between anemia and cold chills, with one user writing, "since when was getting cold a medical condition..

lol i do this exact thing. genuially [sic] confused." Anemia is a condition where there aren't enough healthy red blood cells in the body to carry oxygen to the body's organs. It is a common condition, affecting approximately one third of the global population, and an estimated 3 million people in the United States.

"As a result, it's common to feel cold and symptoms of tiredness or weakness," reports the medical website Cleveland Clinic, "There are many different types of anemia, but the most common type is iron deficiency anemia." "The anemia is something new that he is currently still figuring out how to navigate," said Bonfield, "he's currently awaiting a blood transfusion which should help significantly with his symptoms." Bonfield believes that Winston would make an amazing therapy dog.

"It's a goal of ours to train Winston as a therapy dog and take him to hospitals for dog therapy programs. He's pretty young and still has some maturing to do, but once he hits 2, I think we will start training him." While the breed isn't important, there are certain steps owners need to take to make their pets therapy dogs.

"Therapy dogs must have attained adulthood, with many organizations not allowing puppies under a year old," reports the American Kennel Club (AKC), "Additionally, many organizations require dogs to pass the AKC Canine Good Citizen (CGC) test for obedience, although others require a therapy specific test in place of the CGC.

A dog who can't 'leave it' on cue or interact with children in a friendly manner will not succeed." Some users on shared their own experiences with their dogs. "My dog knew something was wrong with me and won't leave me alone and I had a blood clot in my leg and she would come in my room to check on me," said one user.

"They are so smart. I'll bet he smelled something in your boyfriend's scent. They are so smart. My Lab knows when my blood sugar drops," wrote another user. Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground. Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground..