There are dogs that can warn people of impending danger and thus save lives – in cases of hypoglycaemia due to diabetes, epileptic seizures, heart attacks and dizzy spells, for example. But animals are also good co-therapists for working with children and adults – as emotional door-openers for conversations, as natural anti-stress agents, as teachers of social skills. 45min tells how animals support people, but also what negative consequences the big boom on assistance dogs and animal-assisted work brings with it, because there are no nationwide legal quality standards for training.

We accompany the little bulldog Barney and her owner Mathis Dorn as they train to become a diabetic alert dog. And see how Caissa Engelke and the shepherd dog Fidelia grow together as a team. Caissa suffers from the rare disease Meniere’s disease.