Category Archives: Depression

Anxiety, Cancer, Depression, Medical Alert, PTSD, San Antonio, Texas

Laura and Little Pumpkin

From our trainer, Cherry, who is working with Laura, who suffers from cancer, recovered congestive heart failure, high blood pressure, Graves disease, anxiety, depression and PTSD. Her SDIT is little “Pumpkin”.

Cherry writes:

“Laura and her SDIT little Pumpkin are doing really well! Laura puts a lot of time into training her little darling and the results were clear at today’s session.

Pumpkin has mastered her sit and stay at 6 feet! Quite a feat for a little dog that loves to be close to mommy. A tiled floor like Target is great for training because the tiles are exactly one foot in length so its easier to gauge a six foot recall by counting the tiles. Pumpkin is also doing really well with walking with the cart and keeping close to Laura.

Pumpkin is an amazing emotional support for Laura and knows when she is showing signs of anxiety; Pumpkin will jump right up into her lap and reach to wash her face with kisses to ease her tension and it works!

Laura’s homework is to practice Down and Stay, which Pumpkin finds more of a struggle to perform, but with Laura’s determination I know they will get there!!

Anxiety, Depression, El Paso, Panic Attack, Texas

Evalynn and SDIT Oreo

From our super trainer, Terry, in El Paso, who is working with Evalynn and her SDIT, Chihuahua “Oreo”! Evalynn suffers from severe anxiety, depression, and panic attacks. Terry is GOOD – Chihuahuas are not the easiest breed to train as Service Dogs, but he is doing a wonderful job and we are proud of both him and Evalynn!

Terry writes:

Today, Evalynn, Oreo and I trained at a restaurant in El Paso Texas – the Corner Bakery. Evalynn & Oreo’s first restaurant exposure went quite well! Oreo displayed a little uneasiness when we first arrived at the restaurant; realistically that is normal behavior. First exposures always take some getting used to. I will say that about fifteen minutes upon our sitting down, Oreo was more at ease, and started to sit and lay down while we were eating. There were continuous distractions in the busy restaurant, but Oreo was at ease with the distractions! When Evalynn proceeded to the restroom, Oreo did not whine or pull to accompany her, but Oreo kept an eye out for her until she returned to her seat. One of the major distractions in the restaurant was that there were other dogs in the place; that did not seem to faze Oreo at all! Keep up the good work Evalynn & Oreo!

Anxiety, Bipolar, Depression, San Antonio, Texas

Ossie and Hua Hua

From our brilliant trainer, Brian, who had his first session with Ossie and his new SDIT, German Shepherd, “Hua Hua”. Ossie suffers from severe anxiety, depression, and bipolar disorder.

Last week Brian met with Ossie and Hua Hua at the foster’s home to introduce the two to find out about handler/team compatibility, equipment testing, rapport instruction, and the final adoption of SDIT Hua Hua!

Homework given was simply to have Ossie and Hua Hua establish rapport and bond for at least one week, with no training. Let’s hope it works out!

UPDATE: “Hua Hua was officially adopted the other day! Her new handler Ossie was in love from the minute they met, and Hua Hua was eagerly taking food and loved being caressed off the bat! Hua Hua is a bit camera shy, so it looks like I’ll be sneaking pics from my phone from now on! Picked up a crate, martingale collar, food, oatmeal shampoo and Advantix on the way home… awesome experience with two beings that deserve each other!

Anxiety, Austin, Depression, PTSD, Texas

Madeline and SDIT, American Staffordshire, Hera

From our dear trainer, Emmett, in Georgetown, who is working with Madeline and her SDIT, American Staffordshire, “Hera”. Madeline suffers from PTSD, anxiety, and depression.

Emmett writes:

“This was my fourth session with Madeline and beautiful “Hera”. Today, we went to Target, and worked on getting Hera to “cover” Maddie both in front and behind to help keep Maddie calm in stressful or crowded situations. We also worked on having Hera look back on cue to give Maddie a better sense of security when she is walking alone. Finally, we worked on Deep Pressure Therapy. This was the task we worked on the most today. It was the hardest for Hera to catch on to, but it is very important to help someone when they are feeling anxious.

In addition to disability-related tasks, we worked on Hera’s “sit/stay” and “down/stay”. Hera performs a beautiful “sit/stay”, but her “down/stay” could use some work.

This was Maddie and Hera’s first session after a long break with central Texas trainer, Jackie, who has moved to a different territory to cover. Hera and Maddie seem to have made significant progress since then, which means they have been working hard during the break!

Hera knows “down”, “sit”, “stay”, “leave it” (her record is 15 minutes for leaving dropped food), “controlled exit and entry into and out of a vehicle”, “heel”, and avoiding distractions. When they are out together, Hera’s sole focus is on Maddie. They have a wonderful bond.

For homework, Maddie and Hera will be working on “cover”, “check”, and DPT as well as Hera’s “down/stay”. At the next session, we will be conducting a mock Public Access Test so that Maddie and Hera can get a feel for the process.

Anxiety, Austin, Depression, Fibromyalgia, PTSD, Texas

Meghan and her SDIT, Precious

Our trainer, Taylor, in Austin, is working with Meghan and her SDIT, Precious. Meghan suffers from PTSD, severe anxiety/depression, and fibromyalgia.

Meghan writes:

“Most nights when I sleep, I have severe nightmares and wake up every few hours. The anxiety from the PTSD, nightmares, flashbacks causes severe panic attacks. The anxiety leads to depression which makes leaving the house difficult. At times, the fibromyalgia leaves me exhausted, affecting my ability to stand and my general ability to function or concentrate. I’ll collapse or have to sit down wherever I’m at. My speech can even become slurred. I also am in constant pain. I am disabled and have a part time job but only work 16 hours (4 hours days) due to a doctor recommendation. This at times leaves me with little or no energy. My psychiatrist recommended that a Service Dog might help me with panic attacks, PTSD, and even the depression. Recently even my physician suggested a Service Dog for both my PTSD (panic attacks) and fibromyalgia.

A Service Dog would be a constant companion I could rely on. Helping me realize when the PTSD is causing me to hallucinate and have flashbacks. My companion would help me focus my thoughts in these moments. He would also help me to keep from becoming overwhelmed by my surroundings. A companion will be able to give more of confidence when I step out because he would be able to notify me if I am having a panic attack or starting to disassociate with my surroundings forcing me to focus on him instead of my fear. He would also allow me to exercise and function better outside of the house. Part of my fear is if I become tired or have a fibro spell I will have no help. Most days I will not leave without my boyfriend. A Service Dog could also help for when the fibromyalgia leaves me with no energy and I start to collapse, by giving me someone to lean on physically and emotionally. I have also heard that they can help comfort you when the PTSD causes nightmares and can help with the nightmares. This would be wonderful, as I sleep very little especially at one time. I wake up some nights and am even afraid to go to the bathroom or I lay awake afraid to go to sleep. Having someone there to remind me what is and isn’t real, that will stand by my side will be an immense relief. He would help me function better when I go out and perform daily activities.

What an amazing amount of insight Meghan has about Service Dogs and how they can help!

Taylor writes:

“After a long hiatus from training with this pair, I had a session with Meghan and Precious a couple days ago. We met at a Target. I have to say I am super impressed with the work/training that Meghan has done with Precious. He heels perfect by her side, inside and outside in public.

We worked all the behaviors that are expected from the Public Access Test inside Target. We went by the produce and meat section to work on Precious not lunging towards the smells, he did awesome!

We also worked on “down/stays” and “sit/stays” while Meghan walked away from Precious, while I walked by and while a random stranger walked by as well. Precious held his position every time!

At our second session, I met with Meghan and Precious at Barnes and Noble. She wanted to meet there to work on the elevator. Precious did great the first time we got on the elevator, but then the second time, he got very nervous. So now we have to start from the beginning by desensitizing him to the elevator.
His “down/stays” and “sit/stays” were still very good along with all the basic commands, and Precious stays in heel position very well once Meghan drops the leash by his side. We also spent some time sitting in the cafe, seeing how he settles while people walk by him. He definitely needs more work on not getting up to smell or greet people!

Precious started getting a little whiny halfway through the session, so I gave Meghan some tips on how to watch his threshold and try to get him outside before he starts whining and not allow him to rehearse that behavior.

Overall, it was a great session; Precious just needs more work on the elevator and increasing his threshold of being in public for longer periods of time.”

Anxiety, Depression, El Paso, Panic Attack, Texas

Evalynn and Oreo

From our trainer Terry, in El Paso, who did an assessment with new client Evalynn, who suffers from depression, stress and severe social anxiety. She would like a Service Dog who will distract her from her depressive thoughts, scratching herself, major panic attacks, and feeling lonely. Her SDIT is a 5 year-old Chihuahua named “Oreo”.

Terry writes:

“A temperament and trainability test was performed on Oreo, and he passed with flying colors! Oreo knows some basic commands, and upon command executed them to a good degree of accuracy. From my observation, I can detect a very strong bond between Evalynn and Oreo, and the dog’s willingness to assist and please Evalynn. This is a small dog – only 8 lbs, and the living arrangement with other dogs and cats in the home is excellent. The dogs have a fenced in back yard where they exercise and play in a safe environment. I checked for any skin discoloration, scars, protruding bones, teeth decay, and any other sign that might indicate a pending health risk, and there was none found. I would highly recommend Evalynn and her dog Oreo for Service Dog training. It will be a pleasure to work with them!”

Depression, El Paso, Military, PTSD, TBI, Texas, Veteran, Wounded Warrior

Wounded Warrior Rudy and SDiT Jenny = Part II

From our trainer, Terry, in El Paso, who is working with Wounded Warrior Rudy, and his SDIT, Jenny.

“Good day to all,

Another good training session with Rudy and SDIT, Jenny. This time, we went to one of our largest shopping centers “Cielo Vista Mall”. Here, we practiced entering and exiting the elevator, avoiding noise distractions, socializing with other people as well as children, and last – food distraction! In all tests, Rudy and Jenny did very well with no problems. If you train hard, you should enjoy the fruits of your labor, so we engaged ourselves with our spouses in a little socializing as well! Shortly, Rudy and Jenny will be taking their Public Access Test! Well done, team!”

Depression, El Paso, Military, PTSD, TBI, Texas, Veteran, Wounded Warrior

Wounded Warrior Rudy and SDiT Jenny

From our super trainer, Terry, who is in El Paso, and is working with Rudy, who is a Wounded Warrior suffering from PTSD, TBI, Depression, hyper-vigilance, sleep apnea, and nightmares, and his SDIT, “Jenny”.

Terry writes:

“We had a great outing and exposure to the mall, and all of its many distractions! Rudy and Jenny did exceptionally well on their first outing in the mall. We practiced and mastered the proper procedures of entering and exiting the mall, as it has double doors, and requires some skill level to get in and out successfully. We visited a couple of stores; some crowed with people, some crowed with merchandise, some empty with people, merchandise, and some with confined space for maneuvering. Rudy and Jenny performed exceptionally well in all situations presented!! We also made use of the elevator, and again, both parties performed so well! What a wonderful outing!”

Anxiety, Depression, PTSD, San Antonio, Texas

CONGRATS TO FRANK AND SD NICHOLS

From our brilliant trainer Pat, who performed the Public Access Test with Wounded Warrior Frank, and his now Service Dog, Springer Spaniel Mix, “Nichols”! CONGRATULATIONS TO FRANK AND NICHOLS!!! Frank suffers from anxiety, depression, and PTSD.

Pat writes:

“Frank, Nichols and I performed the Public Access Test at crowded HEB! CONTROLLED UNLOAD OUT OF VEHICLE was fine, but Nichols got a bit distracted when another dog was walked past. APPROACHING THE BUILDING was perfect, as was CONTROLLED ENTRY THROUGH A DOORWAY. HEELING THROUGH THE BUILDING was mostly perfect, but Nichols had a bit of a struggle readily adjusting to speed changes. SIX FOOT RECALL ON LEAD was brilliant, and SITS ON COMMAND was just fine. Nichols took a few prompts to “sit” with all the distractions, but he eventually got it down, with the same responses to DOWNS ON COMMAND. NOISE DISTRACTIONS were not a problem at all for Nichols, and he performed wonderfully in the restaurant. OFF LEAD work, DOG TAKEN BY ANOTHER PERSON, CONTROLLED EXIT, and CONTROLLED LOAD INTO VEHICLE were flawless. I encouraged Frank to praise Nichols a bit more when he did his commands well.”

WELL DONE, PAT AND TEAM!!!!

Anxiety, Depression, Panic Attack

Midwest Center for Stress & Anxiety – Center for Anxiety and Depression

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