Anxiety, Experience, Mobility, Panic Attack, San Antonio, Texas

It’s SUPER SERVICE DOG to save the day

What a WONDERFUL training session Laurie had with Nette, who has mobility issues and anxiety due to a stroke, and her beautiful SDIT, Ella!

Nette has just been doing a wonderful job training Ella between sessions. Ella knows all the basics – sit, down, stay, come, controlled load and unload, wait, and heel. She stays by Nette’s side and is of great comfort to her. Nette is beginning to take Ella out more and more, and her comfort level going out is increasing as she becomes more confident in Ella’s training.

We went to Costco and worked on training with electric cart, with Ella safely tied to it in a perfect heel position near Nette. We did sharp turns slowly so that Ella could get used to maneuvering alongside the electric cart safely and confidently. She learned SO quickly! It is helpful for Nette to know she can use the electric carts because sometimes her balance is off due to the strokes. We also walker Ella through the various sections of Costco, like the meat and bakery, and she did wonderful “leave its”. We also worked on Ella’s stay and come since we had an audience! Everyone was in love with beautiful Ella! We practiced staying focused while doing these tasks even with people watching, and Nette stayed calm and focused, which helped Ella . They have such a beautiful bond, and Nette is so compassionate and loving toward Ella – it’s truly beautiful to watch.

Nette sent me the following update on Ella!

“Just wanted to give you update on Ella. She turned one last week – can’t believe it! We are still working on meet and greets; she still gets really excited and forgets to stay sitting, but it’s more with kids than adults. Several weeks ago, I started teaching Ella the command: “take me to the car”. I would pick random times to suddenly stop and give the command, walk out to the car, and then give her treats. My purpose for this is that sometimes I become very panic-stricken if I am in a crowd and disoriented. I thought this might help me feel a little more confident about trying new places. In addition, my mobility is becoming more limited and I am spending more time in wheelchairs and electric carts.

Anyway, today was not a training exercise – but something triggered a panic attack in me, and I asked Ella to take me to the car – and she did it!! Usually, she looks back at me for assurance – but it seemed like she knew this was different. It’s a small thing, but it feels very empowering.”

NETTE – WHAT CLEVER AND HELPFUL TRAINING YOU ARE ADDING TO THE BASICS TO HELP YOU! WHAT ELLA DID BY TAKING YOU TO THE CAR IS NOT A SMALL THING – IT IS A HUGE TRIUMPH FOR BOTH YOU AND ELLA, AND IT SHOULD FEEL EMPOWERING! I HOPE YOU ARE FEELING MORE AND MORE CONFIDENT AND ASSURED THAT ELLA CAN DO HER JOB WHENEVER YOU NEED IT – AND THE FACT THAT SHE DID NOT LOOK BACK FOR ASSURANCE BUT JUST DID WHAT SHE HAD TO IS A HUGE ACCOMPLISHMENT. SO PROUD OF YOU!!!

I added this other quote from Nette’s FB page. It describes her and her husband to a tee.

Anxiety, Houston, Mobility, Texas

Cane Corso – SDiT Titan

From our wonderful trainer, Kendra, in Houston, who is working with Marissa, who suffers from severe mobility issues and anxiety, and her SDIT, gorgeous Cane Corso, Titan!

“We had a two hour training session. At first Titan is very intimidating from his pure size but he is so well behaved! He already knows “sit”, “down”, “leave it”, “stay”, “bracing”, and firm “covers”. He does get too excited at times so we started training “go lay down”. It’s a certain spot where he can go to just chill out and calm down. This spot will also be used for door manners. Titan will alert to the door, then be placed in his spot and taught to stay there until released. I talked with Marissa about being the pack leader and not letting Titan in front. I taught her how to claim her space and not just let Titan run in the doors ahead or through her. And she did beautifully! I told her to open the door fully instead of just cracking it open and stand in the door way (claiming her space) and tell him to sit once, then “Wait” for him to listen. This will build respect and Titan will learn to look to Marissa for direction on his next move. Once he was sitting calm and looking at her, he could enter in a calm manner. After she did this, Titan came in nice and calmly. We worked on “watch me” with distraction, and “stay” until released; we also worked on “sit/stay” at a distance. I also started to work on him leaving my hands alone if I have a treat in them; not nibbling on my hands. Marissa and Titan will continue to work on duration with the commands he knows well, will continue to teach “go lay down”, and Marissa will make Titan calmer by doing state of mind training with him. They will continue work on Titan’s door manners as well. Our next session will be outside.”

Army, Experience, Military, Mobility, San Antonio, Texas, Veteran, Wounded Warrior

Wounded Warrior Blake with SDIT Zoid

From our dear, beloved client, Wounded Warrior Blake, with SDIT Zoid. We will miss you, Blake!!! We are all praying for your health, strength, and that this move will make your life easier!! Of course – we will continue contact with you and answer any questions you have concerning Zoid and making sure he passes his PAT! Remember that you can legally train your own SD – but we will Skype with you or you can send us videos of you and Zoid performing all the Public Access Test tasks. We are all just a phone call or email away – especially our wonderful trainer, shown in the picture, Brenda, who has been working with you and can help you the most because she has a SD and is permanently in a wheelchair – and thriving, just like you will!!! We love you, Blake!!!!

“Just emailing you to let you know that I may have to make the move to Arkansas to stay with my family for the foreseeable future. I really wanted to stay but with my health it’s not really possible. I want to of course keep Zoid and continue training and to have him pass the test. I’m not sure what we can do but if there is anything we can do to continue training, or any recommendations for me that would be great! Thanks for everything you, Service Dog Express, In Dog We Trust, and everyone who helped bring Zoid and I together. If it wasn’t for him, I honestly don’t think I would be in the wonderful place I am today. My health may not be the best, but he brings my spirit up literally all day long.”

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

Dawn and her Wounded Warrior’s Husband’s SDiT Nova

From Candace, our trainer in Fort Worth, who is working with the Morrison family to train Dawn’s husband, a Wounded Warrior, who suffers from PTSD.

“Dawn Morrison is helping her husband train their tripod German Shepherd Dog mix, Nova, while her husband is receiving treatment. While gathering some baseline information, I noticed that Nova was having some problems maintaining an upright position during walking tasks. I also noted that she would dip on her one front leg every 5 steps or so. I decided to offer some suggestions on strengthening her legs, and increasing her endurance. We also went over some basic command work such as “come,” “sit,” “down,” and “stay.” She knows the basics, but what the Morrison family needs to focus on is getting her response time quicker. We did include some walking, but a good portion of the session was focused on education and action planning, as Nova did require a significant amount of rest. They were given a lot of information, but they were implementing the correct strategies with training his SDIT, so she was doing extremely well.

Today, I could tell the difference in Nova’s endurance level. She was able to tolerate more activity and training, subsequently lessening the down/lag time between commands. However, it was noted that she was dipping on her one front left every 5-7 hops. I was concerned about her joint integrity and offered some advice to help protect her from possible injury. I also saw that she needs some major work with “heel,” and walking in general. I think this will be an uphill battle for the Morrison Family as it is a little harder for Nova to regulate her speed. However, good news on the horizon, as they found someone who is donating Nova a prosthetic leg!! In the mean time, they will wrap up her leg and continue the basic to advance obedience work, until Mr. Morrison is out of treatment and back home with his family. At that time, more specialized training and socialization will begin. I’m so excited to be a part of their journey!”

Of course, Nova’s Service Dog abilities will constantly be monitored by their veterinarian

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

Happy Day For Marc and Genevieve

A happy day for Marc, a Wounded Warrior who spent 20 years in the Marines and suffers from PTSD. He found a “battle buddy” in Genevieve!!! He drove down from Austin to first meet Nelly, whom Cherry Jenkins with In Dog We Trust graciously lent her time to see if it was a match, but it just wasn’t the “right” dog for Marc’s particular situation. It’s always important that each client feels completely secure in their choice of dog, and Nelly WILL find that special someone – thank you Cherry. However, then Marc met with Genevieve’s foster from S.A. Rocks, and they spent time together – Genevieve was quite shy at first, but after talking with Marc on his drive home to Ft. Worth, where he is a Nursing Student, the bond is beginning to grow. It was wonderful talking to him – he understood that Genevieve and he will learn and grow and train and bond together – making mistakes together, and having triumphs together. He said it was just like being in the Marines and learning with your actual battle buddies. I have no doubt that Marc and Genevieve will thrive with the help of trainer Candace. Please wish them the best of luck!!!

Anxiety, Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas, Tourette's Syndrome

CONGRATULATIONS TO PRIDDY AND TRENTON

CONGRATULATIONS TO PRIDDY AND TRENTON, WHO, WITH THE HELP OF TRAINER CANDACE IN FT. WORTH, PASSED THEIR PUBLIC ACCESS TEST!!!! Trenton has Tourette’s Syndrome and suffers from anxiety – but not so much anymore!!!

“Priddy passed her Public Access Test! And with flying colors, I might add! We started at a park where she showed that she was responsive to her handler only around other dogs. She then successfully unloaded from the vehicle and walked safely into a local mall. Right off the bat, there was a large crowd, and Priddy navigated young Trenton through at an appropriate speed. She reacted perfectly to the noise distractions and did not solicit attention from the public. When it came time for her to be pet by children and a stranger, she was a perfect lady and stayed in the appropriate positions. She passed the test in just under two hours. Great job to the Goodpaster family, who logged northward of 350 hours of training with Priddy over the summer months. They worked diligently with dedication and consistency. Congratulations!”

WHAT AN ABSOLUTELY DEDICATED FAMILY!! 350 HOURS OF TRAINING! MIRACLES HAPPEN WHEN EVERYONE IS PART OF THE PROCESS. AND THANK YOU, CANDACE, FOR MAKING THIS POSSIBLE TO HELP TRENTON!!!!!

Dallas-Fort Worth, General, Texas

Bear – a gorgeous Golden SDIT

From our trainer Candace, in Fort Worth, who is working with the Freeman family and their son, Parker, who is a special needs child.

“The Freeman family is doing spectacular training Bear, their gorgeous Golden SDIT. He is working on fine tuning his “heel” while working with the family as well as his primary handler, Parker. Bear is also working on mastering his advanced commands such as “back,” “place,” and long distance recalls. The stronger he is on these commands with high levels of distractions, the more efficient he will be in performing his duties and paying attention to his handler. Bear is also increasing his reliability in tackling basic commands, such as “leave it.” He responds well to Parker’s primary specialty needs, and is doing well with socialization in public. Next time, we will focus on “heel,” once again and we will see how he is doing with “stay” when distance and distractions are added to the picture. Great job, Freeman Family!”

Experience, San Antonio, Texas

Daveed, and his SDIT, Redmond

From trainer Andrew, who is working tirelessly with 19 year-old client Daveed, and his SDIT, Redmond.

“Today’s session consisted of reinforcing already learned behaviors. We worked a little on sit/stay behaviors. We worked on the “find your spot” game. We did learn a game called “structured fetch”. And we began building toy drive in SDIT Redmond. Redmond is doing well! He discovered the taste of hot dogs and may even like it a bit more than the salami he discovered on Sunday… I did not take any pictures this session and we spent a little time gathering info on medical records for and completing the contract completely.

Our next session went very well. We repeated what we had done on Sunday using salami as a reward for Redmond. He is not as enthusiastic about being a Service Dog as is really needed, but he loves Daveed, and keeps him company everywhere. They have been working on controlled entry into vehicles, especially in his mom’s van, where there is lots of extra space for him to find his spot. We are still working on teaching Redmond to wait at the bottom of stairs for Daveed to climb them so he doesn’t knock him down, and Redmond is doing very well. He can be put in a good down/stay, and has been putting good distance between where the command is given and where his pillow is in the “find your spot” game. Daveed is moving to Colorado in a week so we we will be following up on Skype after one more session next week…

“Our final session today consisted of going out into public and having a meal, and walking through various places to test Redmond’s manners. We had lunch at Freebirds and walked through USAA and Plato’s Closet, which happened to be right next door. Redmond did very well – he minds Daveed superbly in public with his vest on, sticking close to Daveed and following commands as they are given. He did so well at Freebirds that we bought him some chicken, and used that as treats for the rest of the session… our session this time went a little over into the next hour but I only charged him for one session as he is moving to Colorado and I wanted to send him off with adequate information and training…

We worked hard on controlled entry, and waiting for Daveed and Redmond to load and unload. We worked on heeling maneuvers, and we worked on Redmond finding his spot under the table at Freebirds, which proved to be a little more than a challenge as he had never been asked to perform that behavior before… Chicken saved the day!!

Daveed is moving on the 9th and will be taking time off to get settled into his grandparents’ house and his new school. We will be resuming our sessions on Skype in 2 weeks…”

ANDREW, YOU HAVE DONE AMAZING WORK WITH THE SHORT TIME YOU HAVE HAD WITH DAVEED AND REDMOND. YOU ARE TO BE COMMENDED FOR SUCH INTENSE WORK. DAVEED AND REDMOND, WE WISH YOU THE VERY BEST OF LUCK AT YOUR NEW HOME. WE KNOW YOU HAVE AN EXTREMELY SOLID BACKGROUND DUE TO ANDREW’S CONTINUOUS TRAINING AND YOUR HARD WORK, DAVEED. PLEASE, EVERYONE WISH THIS AMAZING YOUNG MAN THE BEST OF LUCK IN HIS NEW LIFE!!!

Anxiety, Austin, Fibromyalgia, PTSD, Texas

Meghan and Precious

From our trainer in Austin, who is working with Meghan, who suffers from PTSD, flashbacks, and fibromyalgia.

“Hi Laurie!

I had a session with Meghan and Precious. Precious is heeling really nicely along Meghan’s side while outside. She is having difficulty with meet and greets and jumping on counters while food is on it.
So, we went to her apartment office and had Precious do a couple meets and greets with a couple nice ladies. I showed Meghan the appropriate way to have Precious behave if a stranger wanted to come up and pet him with her permission.

We went back to Meghan’s place and worked on “leave it”. I worked with Precious on leaving a piece of chicken on the floor, table, and kitchen counter. He did really well and did not jump at all (probably because he knew we were watching him . We wanted to catch him jumping and train him not to, so that is still a work in progress.
But, overall it was a good session. I told Meghan to go ahead and buy a vest for Precious. They are ready to do more training in public now.”

KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK, MEGHAN AND PRECIOUS. IT WILL COME!

Anxiety, Austin, Equipment, PTSD, Texas

Hannah and Addie

From our trainer in Austin, who is working with Hannah, who is a delightful 16 year old who unfortunately suffers from anxiety, night terrors, and PTSD.  Her SDIT is Addie!

“Hello!

I had a session with Hannah and Addie on Sunday. Addie is a beautiful 6 month-old German Shepherd who has grown tremendously and knows her basics very well. Hannah had concerns about Addie being overly excitable when out in public. Addie gets excited when she sees other dogs and people and starts to bark and jump in the air, which of course a Service Dog cannot do.

I worked with Addie out in a public park on a 20ft long leash so we could practice recalls. I also wanted to tire Addie out. I made sure I saw people or dogs walk by, had my hand pre-loaded with treats, and treated Addie rapidly as they walked by. I would treat her for no reaction and pretty soon, she caught on and started to turn her attention back to me! This is a technique I recommend clients try out. Hannah felt a lot better after the session, knowing it can be managed.

We also worked on leave it, stays, and eye contact. Addie’s eye contact is amazing!”

BRILLIANT WORK TO OUR TRAINER, HANNAH, AND ADDIE!!!