General, San Antonio, Texas

Erica, Lisa and SDiT Nina

From our trainer, Pat, who is working with Erica and her daughter, Lisa, who has multiple disabilities, and their SDIT, Nina.

“Nina is the cutest little SDIT you’ll ever see! She and Lisa’s mom, Erica made real progress today! Nina learned “Watch Me”, to “hell” on a leash, “sit”, with “down” not very far behind. This is a little dog that was very wary of new things and especially of leashes. So – to have her walk down the sidewalk with Erica was really a great accomplishment for her first lesson. Erica was thrilled. Little Nina already showed improvement in the confident way she held herself.

Erica has very good instincts and has been working with having Nina stay in her daughter, Lisa’s lap when Erica leaves the room. With good success :0). I just can’t wait to see Nina walk with Lisa holding the leash. And I can’t wait to see Erica’s face when that happens!

GREAT JOB, PAT, NINA, ERICA – AND EVENTUALLY LISA!

Equipment, General, New Mexico

CONGRATULATIONS SD KILO AND HANDLER SHAUNA

1 Comment
From our trainer in New Mexico, Michelle – CONGRATULATIONS SD KILO AND HANDLER SHAUNA!!! THEY PASSED THEIR PAT!

“I arrived to meet Shauna for her test with SDiT Kilo. From the very beginning, Shauna had control over Kilo, and prevented him from jumping and allowed me into her residence. We then went to Petsmart since I had SDiT Abby and puppy Aspen with me to assist with distractions.

Once in the vehicle, Kilo seemed a little excited, but then he settled down and rode well in the car. Kilo waited for his commands for entering and exiting the vehicle.

Shauna was then able to walk with Kilo both with and without his leash, and he did awesome! Shauna had a moment where she started to lose her stability, and Kilo went to her right side pushing on her leg to help her stay balanced. VERY NICE WORK!!!! She never had to hold onto his leash. Kilo was then placed in a down and stay, and Shauna even walked away and around the corner and recalled him, and he came without hesitation and went right into a sit position. Nice work.

Upon going to eat, Kilo laid at the counter until Shauna was ready to go sit down. Upon getting a table, he laid right at her feet. Upon completion of his PAT, Shauna encouraged a young boy that it was ok to pet Kilo. The little boy was scared since he had never been around dogs before. They both did great. Kilo was very gentle.


Nice work to the newest SD Team, Shauna and Kilo!”

 

Cerebral Palsy, Epilepsy, San Antonio, Texas

The Right Dog For The Right Family

A beautiful write-up from our trainer, Pat, who is working with 7 year-old Lisa. Lisa’s mother wrote that young Lisa suffers from a number of diagnoses, including epilepsy secondary to brain malformation , dysphasia, polymicrogyria, incontinence, cortical dysplasia, extrapyramidal cerebral palsy, microcephaly, sleep disorder, congenital encephalopathy, aggression, is non-verbal, and functions intellectually at the rate of a 2 year-old. She also has many ABILITIES and can be so loving if her behaviors don’t get in the way….one of the main reasons we need a service dog.”

“Lisa is a beautiful and charming seven year old who has found her outlet to the rest of the world. Terrified of all dogs large and small, Lisa was an unlikely match for any dog. But Nina, a little Yorkie mix who had avoided all other human contact that day at the adoption event, walked right up to Lisa, and the two instantly created a special bond! In the weeks that Nina has been with Lisa’s family, Lisa’s outbursts and tantrums have declined in frequency and severity. Nina lays on Lisa’s lap even through a tantrum, even though Lisa sometimes doesn’t want her there because she wants to have her tantrum. Nina just holds tight and rides the storm through, and Lisa calms so much faster because of her! Lisa’s disabilities prevent her from communicating normally, but she will pat her lap and Nina jumps up. Today, I would swear that Lisa actually said the word “Nina”, but sadly Mom Erica didn’t hear it to verify my ears. There are so many examples that Erica told of to show how positive an effect Nina has had on Lisa.

Today was SDE’s first introduction to Lisa and her dog Nina, and the tiny 9 lb dog was so afraid of the leash that she hid under the furniture. But she will eventually lay down on the floor and crawl out from her hiding spot, and cuddles with even a stranger. Play with her, and she happily trots around with the leash gently held in my hand. Ignore her, and she quietly sits by my feet with big black eyes pleadingly asking for attention. I fully accepted Nina as Lisa’s Service Dog candidate. No other dog could be better suited to serving Lisa’s needs. To watch them together is to see a human-canine relationship that any parent would love for their child.

Through our training, Nina will learn to play fetch, and will in turn teach Lisa to throw a ball. Nina will learn to walk nicely on a leash, and will in turn teach Lisa the joy of walking her best friend. Nina already knows how to calm Lisa, giving her the potential to go places and do things that she couldn’t do before. Though it may take some time, Nina’s goal is to pass the Public Access Test. No less would suffice, because Nina has stepped into training for her purpose in life… Lisa’s Service Dog.”

Erica, Lisa’s mother, wrote this beautiful note back to trainer, Pat:

“I can’t wait!! We are all so excited! My job and my life is for Lisa and of course my entire gang here, but I do put a lot of dedication into getting everything I can for Lisa and doing everything I can to help her be as functional a person as her little heart, brain, and body will allow.

It was so great to meet you and see the love and dedication you put into these cases. We seem to have found the right dog for the right family, and the right trainer to help dog and family work you together toward something that will amaze just about everyone who knows Lisa! I’m writing this and crying like a baby to even fathom the things Lisa may be able to do someday just because of Nina. I imagine she’ll blurt out some more words and then we might have to have a party!

Again, thanks for choosing us (a rescue dog family) to work with. We’re ready!
-Erica”

San Antonio, Texas, Veteran, Wounded Warrior

Jesse and Rocco

From our trainer, Andrew, who is working with Wounded Warrior, Jesse, and his dog, Rocco. Andrew has very innovative ways of teaching different commands – that’s why I love ALL our trainers – they all have their own styles and as long as they get to the Public Access Test point safely and efficiently, I encourage them to use their extensive knowledge.

“We initially began with basic obedience, making it fun, using food as lures, and properly exercising the command gestures. Jesse learned that “wait” means if there are no further commands given after wait, then the dog can get up and be free; but “stay” means to stay put no matter what. I also showed him some puppy push-ups to help make “sit” and “down” less monotonous, and showed him “take it”, which is the act of the person throwing a food reward for the dog then commanding the dog back to a “sit” position in front of him after saying “come” so as to receive a reward. This game is a variation of the “come” command. Another one we worked on was to walk the dog around nonchalantly on his leash – then Jesse calls Rocco to Jesse randomly and excitedly whenever Jesse feels so inclined. We also worked on patience and staying still while putting on the leash and the vest.”

Anxiety, El Paso, Military, New Mexico, PTSD, TBI, Texas, Veteran, Wounded Warrior

Look whose adopted beautiful Nelly!

Look whose adopted beautiful Nelly! Nelly was rescued and fostered by Cherry Jenkins of In Dog We Trust!! Jason traveled all the way from El Paso to meet Nelly! Our trainer, Michelle, in New Mexico, will be training him.

Jason is a Wounded Warrior who served for 12 years. He suffers from PTSD, TBI, frequent migraines, flashbacks, night terrors, and anxiety. Let’s hope wonderful Nelly will be his best companion to help him as a Service Dog for all his troubles!!!

Mobility, Psychiatric, Seizure, Virginia

7 year-old Aiden and SDiT Coe

Trainer Catherine, in Virginia, writes about her recent training:

I met with 7 year-old Aiden, who suffers from multiple physical disabilities, seizures, and some cognitive disabilities, and his mother, Amie. Since Aiden is nonverbal and although he can use sign language, can do minimal signs, I do 95% of the training with Amie. They adopted 1 year old Lab/Beagle mix, Coe from a rescue when I did an evaluation on him and found him to be a lovely match for the family! The last two weeks has been spent with Coe settling in. He’s adjusting super well! Amie says he has some fear of loud noises, but we suspect he was an outside dog prior to his rescue, so once he’s exposed to noises, he seems to adjust really well. They’ve been working on “sit”, “down”, “touch”, and “heeling” nicely on a leash. Coe walks beautifully with Amie, and Coe will even let Aiden hold the leash and not pull at all! Aiden cannot walk on his own, so eventually Coe will learn to help balance him. Coe loves to sit with Aiden on the couch and when Aiden has seizures and falls over, Coe is amazing about staying put and making sure that Aiden doesn’t fall off! The bond these two have is BEAUTIFUL!

I took my SD Baron’s vest over just to try it on to see size-wise what kind of vest would be good for Coe. It fit perfectly and something amazing happened. As I watched, Jay (Amie’s boyfriend) was helping Aiden to walk and Aiden grabbed a hold of the loop on the back of the vest Coe was wearing and with Jay’s help, leaned on Coe and the 3 of them walked all the way across the basement and back…WITH NO TRAINING!!!! I stood there absolutely amazed!!!! I know this dog is going to do great things for Aiden and I can’t believe I forgot to get pictures. I’ll have to get some next time!”

WHAT A BEAUTIFUL THING TO SEE, CATHERINE, AIDEN, AND COE!!!!!!!!!!!

Experience, Houston, Military, Texas, Veteran, Wounded Warrior

Update from Ronnie

A happy update from one of our clients, Ronnie, and his SD, Roxy – sent to his trainer, Kendra!

“Hi Kendra,

Just wanted to update you on Roxy and I. Unfortunately, I have been working a lot so we were pretty limited to where we went except for work. She has been doing great at night waking me up during nightmares! Recently, Marleah and I went to the movies and the Renaissance Festival with Roxy. She did great at the movies – she even put her head between seats to watch the movie. She also did great at the festival; tons of meet & greets and did awesome every time. I’m so proud of her and thank you for all the amazing training.”

WONDERFUL WORK, KENDRA!!! KEEP UP THE GREAT WORK, TOO, RONNIE!!

Dallas-Fort Worth, Military, PTSD, Texas, Wounded Warrior

Nova and handler, Wounded Warrior Sean

From our trainer Candace, in Ft. Worth, who is training Nova for handler, Wounded Warrior Sean!

“The Morrison Family is doing a remarkable job with Nova. They, like other families, have a problem with motivating their SDiT with treats. This can be a blessing in disguise, as treats need to be removed from a SDiT’s reinforcement options as quickly as possible. But now that brings up the dilemma, “What can we do to get Nova excited about working?” The answer: A water hose! The girl goes crazy for it! Not only is it a bonding experience for Sean and Nova, it can be used to instill instant command reaction, which is something they are working on. They have made visible progress with Nova’s strength and endurance program. She is filling out in the shoulders and they are wrapping her front leg to protect joint integrity. She is also on a working dog’s diet, which she puts to great use running around with the family’s other dog. She is really doing great. Other things discussed were Nova accompanying Sean to work, at least for half days. I am anxious to hear how that goes! For now, the Morrison’s are set with the basics and are fine-tuning her command work and leash walking. They have a long road ahead of them, but they are dedicated individuals. Keep up the great work, Sean and Dawn!”

WHAT A NOVEL AND CREATIVE IDEA, CANDACE! WAY TO GO, MORRISONS!!!!

Nova the trifecta - Tripawd Dog

San Antonio, Texas

Carol and her SDIT, Kensi

From our trainer Andrew, who is working with Carol and her SDIT, Kensi:

“This is a write up for two sessions with Carol and her SDIT Kensi. The first session was spent at Petsmart and the World Market next door. We mostly practiced basic obedience, but also manners work with other dogs and distractions with people around. Kensi did very for well, but her attention easily wanders. She has a decent sit/stay and an acceptable down/stay. She has a bit of an issue pulling on the leash, but we bought a Martingale collar to use as a training collar.

The second session with Carol and Kensi took place at Petsmart for an hour, then we went and had dinner at Red Robin for the duration of the session. Kensi’s training went very well this time. We worked on reinforcing the initial obedience work during the first part of our session, and Kensi was spectacular! When we went into Red Robin, where we were well received. Kensi went right under the table and laid there the entire time; she didn’t even ask for food – and when the staff reached under to pet her after asking, she received it perfectly. I believe that Carol and Kensi are almost ready to take the Public Access Test, and I will be requesting it soon!!

Experience, Military, PTSD, San Antonio, Texas, Veteran, Wounded Warrior

HOORAY FOR MAXIMUS AND HIS NEW DAD, WOUNDED WARRIOR, DONALD

HOORAY FOR MAXIMUS AND HIS NEW DAD, WOUNDED WARRIOR, DONALD!!!

After over a month of planning and preparation, Wounded Warrior Donald, who was receiving treatment at Laurel Ridge, finally set off for sunny California with his new SDIT, Maximus! (now renamed “Boris”). Thanks to a great team effort with amazing fosters from San Antonio Rocks and the entire SA Rocks team, Donald spent a lot of time getting to know Boris and bonding – which was instant! Donald’s doctor wrote the prescription for Boris – who got to also meet two other Service Dogs placed with Wounded Warriors staying at the Laurel Ridge facility permanently until discharged.

Donald first saw Boris on our website, and over a month ago started emailing and calling me every day about him! We talked extensively about Service Dogs, their special training needs, his ability to take care of a Service Dog, and general knowledge about having a Service Dog for his PTSD and other medical issues. He read our manual thoroughly, signed our contract promising to take care of Boris for life, and already put me in contact with two Service Dog trainers back in California that have agreed to work with him. I have made contact with each trainer. Donald filled out the SA Rocks application, and they accepted him after professionally confirming that he was capable, ready, and able to take care of Boris – which I know Donald can!

Equipped with all the necessary items, I picked up Boris at 4 am to make it to the airport by 4:30 where I met Donald. We checked in (it was United Airlines – even though I called ahead and arranged the flight), the “supervisor” at the check in desk asked to see Boris’ “paperwork”, to which I answered, “No, I have already called in and arranged with your Disabilities Department that Boris will need no paperwork because he is a medical alert dog”. Then, she said, “I’m going to check on this.” To which I said, “I’m sorry, ma’am, there is nothing to check on. It is illegal for you to deny Donald and his Service Dog entrance onto the plane”. She walked off in a huff. United has always given us the biggest problems. So then, as always, I requested a gate pass to help Donald through the Security checkpoint. We stood in an EXTREMELY long line, very nervous about making it to our gate in time – and the “greeter” at the end of the line clearly saw the dog – when we FINALLY got to go through security, they said, “Oh – if you have a Service Dog, you get to go through the preferred passenger line and cut through”. Thanks for telling us! In any case, knowledge for you all to know.

We did make it to the gate just in time, and Donald and Boris were first to board. They made it to California just fine, and training begins Monday!!