Category Archives: Depression

Depression, Fibromyalgia, Military, PTSD, San Antonio, Texas, Veteran, Wounded Warrior

Hope and SDiT Brooklyn

From our trainer Beverly, who is working with Hope, a Wounded Warrior who suffers from PTSD, Major Depressive Disorder, Fibromyalgia and asthma, and her SDIT, Brooklyn.

“We met at the dog park in Selma so I could not only assess how the dog (Brooklyn) acted with people, but around a noisy environment and other dogs. Brooklyn was appropriate although she still has some puppy behaviors since she is young (about 6 mos) but is calm and not fazed by anything I did with her.

I discussed training and procedures with Hope and at the end of the session even showed her how to begin working on “sit” with Brooklyn (who picked it up right away.) We plan to meet next week to begin her formal training. At the retail pet store there at Bluebonnet Bunk n Biscuit, where we were at, I showed her the different training collars and we discussed the pros and cons of each. Hope is excited to start this journey with Brooklyn and I think they’ll make a great SD Team”

Anxiety, Austin, Depression, Fibromyalgia, PTSD, Texas

Meghan and SDiT Precious

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

“I had a session with Meghan and Precious at Petsmart yesterday and it went really well! I had not seen her in three weeks and could see the progress of Precious’ eye contact and heeling. His heeling is so GOOD!

The major thing we focused on was Precious’ excitement when he sees other dogs. When he sees another dog, he starts to whine and then starts barking because he can’t go to them.

We tried working the “look at that” technique by treating him before he reacts when he sees another dog and bringing his engagement back to Meghan.

I suggested that he needs more exposure around dogs while on leash out in public. Our next few sessions, our goal is to go to Townlake where all the dogs are on the trail and desensitize Precious to dogs around him.”

Austin, Depression, Fibromyalgia, PTSD, Texas

Amy and Guzzo

From our trainer in Austin, who evaluated an SDIT, “Guzzo”, for client Amy, who suffers from fibromyalgia, depresssion and PTSD. Amy wanted to be sure that “Guzzo” was up for the challenge of being a Service Dog!

“I evaluated Amy’s 1 1/2 year old black lab/ old English bulldog mix, Guzzo. He is such a sweetheart. He is very dog-friendly and people- friendly. He knows the commands, sit, down and stay. The key thing I saw that he needs major work on is exposure to public places and settling down around busy areas.

Amy is a nice woman who was doubtful about Guzzo being a potential Service Dog because she felt she had been slacking in the training – but I reassured her she was on the right path! She was pleased to hear that Guzzo is made for her!”

Anxiety, Depression, Hearing, Military, Mobility, PTSD, San Antonio, Texas, Veteran, Wounded Warrior

Amber and Brinn

From our trainer Andrew, who is working with Wounded Warrior Amber, who suffers from PTSD, Major Depression, General Anxiety Disorder, cervical strain, lumbar Degenerative Disc Disease, Right Knee meniscus tear, and hearing loss, and her SDIT, “Brinn”.

“On September 22nd, 2014, I had my first session with Amber and Brinn. We mainly talked about the expected capabilities of her Service Dog in Training, what she has already worked on with Brinn, and what help she needs from Brinn the most. Brinn already knows a plethora of commands, as Amber has been working with her daily for the month that she has had her. She knows basic obedience such as sit, down, come, wait, leave it, load, unload, and already how to “cover”. What Brinn needs is reinforcement, so we focused on that. Brinn does have a problem pulling on the leash when she has on a normal nylon collar, so I showed Amber a technique for loose leash walking. Amber has begun working with Brinn on it already.

Amber’s family is also fostering a dog named Wendy and, together they both are not good at focusing on the commands as they want to play instead of listen. Wendy is more versed than Brinn is and responds better than Brinn to the commands when she is alone with a handler. We discussed working with them and scheduling times to teach the more difficult commands.

All in all, we had a good session. I was only needed to instruct them on reinforcement of the commands that Amber has already been working hard to teach Brinn and we will continue to do so in future sessions.”

Anxiety, Depression, Dyslexia, Experience, Panic Attack, Texas

In Inuko Own Words

 

A beautifully written message from our dear client, Inuko, who lost her first SDIT, Trooper. She asked me to share this. We so appreciate her words. We love you dearly, Inuko!

“Dear SDE,

Let me start off by saying thank you… Thank you for giving me my life back. When I found Trooper, I was wasting away, sick, depressed, and scared. I barely slept at night and when I did, I had awful nightmares. I was miserable. And then… Trooper saved me. Suddenly, I knew I wasn’t alone, no matter where I went or who was around. When I got to places I couldn’t get back from, he chased me down and loved me until my demons were gone. They couldn’t touch me.

When Trooper died, I was terrified. I was upset and hurt. However… He had brought somebody else into my life. Orianna. He called to her and she came, and when he passed, she helped to take care of me. She means the world to me. She’s helped so much.

Incident struck again, and I’ve been graced with a third dog. Right when we realized that Orianna is too skittish to be a good SD, we talked to wonderful Cherry at the perfect time, and we were led to Gadget.

I wondered why this happened, and now I know. My spinal surgery – done before Trooper passed – failed. My disc herniated once more, worse than before, and now I’m going to have to get a spinal fusion. Because of all of my other health problems, I will most likely spend three weeks unable to walk and will have to go through extensive physical therapy. A close loved one recently passed away. I felt completely alone, terrified, hurt. I felt like I had nowhere to go. Then, one day, I curled up on the floor to cry… and both of my girls crawled over to me to lie down on me. They licked away my tears, made me feel like I wasn’t alone, and then… I slept.

I’m sure people at SDE will understand the beauty of that statement. I slept. I rested. I dreamed a happy dream and I woke up smiling. I slept! Through the pain and the fear, I managed to sleep…. and it was all because of my girls.

All three of my dogs have come into my life purely by chance, and all three of them have changed everything. I’m still sick. I am going to have to have surgery again. I will be even worse after the surgery. But you know what? It’s okay. It’s really, really okay. I’ve got my Family; people who love me eternal. I’ve got my haven; my home is finally safe and secure. I’ve got my World again… and it’s all thanks to my girls.

So dear everybody reading this, let me tell you something, okay? It gets better. It may seem like it never will. You might be scared. You might be hurting. You might be sick… I’m right there with you… and let me tell you: you’re not alone. You’re never alone. You’ve got the people at Service Dog Express, just like I do… and you have your dogs. They change lives.

They changed my life.
Thank you.
Inuko

Bipolar, Depression, Panic Attack, Virginia

Ashley and her SDiT

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An update from our trainer, Catherine, in Virginia, and her new client, Ashley! Ashley suffers from Bipolar 2 Disorder, depression, and panic attacks in crowds. These issues have caused problems with school, her relationships, and being at large social gatherings.

“Meet Ashley and her new SDiT (name to be determined)! Ashley met this beautiful 8 month-old pitbull/mastiff mix today and the first thing the pup did was plop herself down in Ashley’s lap! It was kisses and belly rubs and snuggles from then on! We took her outside and I did some temperament and trainability evaluations on the dog. The dog passed with flying colors, and while the pup was snuggling with Ashley, she asked “would you like to come home with me?” The puppy proceeded to give Ashley a big kiss, jump up, and run around the yard like a crazy girl!!!! She is very eager to please and quickly figured out “sit” in a matter of minutes – so she will be a joy to train!

Ashley is a bit worried about the fact that the pup does look more like a pit than a mastiff, and that people will give her trouble. However, I told her I know she is strong enough to handle this and that there are plenty of people at Service Dog Express (including myself) who are behind her to support her!”

ABSOLUTELY, ASHLEY!! CONGRATULATIONS AND WELCOME!!!!

Anxiety, Depression, Houston, PTSD, Texas, Veteran, Wounded Warrior

Ronnie and Roxy

A wonderful write-up from Kendra, our trainer in Houston, and her client, Ronnie, who is a Wounded Warrior with PTSD, anxiety and depression, and his SDIT, Roxy.

“I met at the mall with client Ronnie and SDIT Roxy. and as always it was a complete pleasure!!! Roxy entered the mall in a controlled manner and after we entered, we stood at the entrance to allow her to see and hear all the distractions. It was her very first time in the mall! I am amazed at the hard work and dedication that Ronnie puts forth with Roxy. At the entrance she sat and laid down. Once she was focused we continued on. We walked through the mall for an hour. We went into Game Stop and did two meet and greets. We walked on all different floors, hardwood, tile, stone, and carpet. We went into the department store and rode on the elevator for the first time, too! Roxy didn’t hesitate, was not fearful or nervous. She went on that elevator with confidence!

We walked through the bedding aisle, and she was unsure of it, so we continued to walk through there until she was more at ease. Client Ronnie also put her in a sit while we was in the bedding aisle and she did beautifully. We continued to walk the mall and even walked in the food court. We passed right next to a man holding a tray of food and she paid no attention to him; didn’t sniff at him or anything. We also sat at a table and Roxy naturally goes under the table. She was even falling asleep under there! There were TONS of distractions as the mall was very busy (more than normal), and Roxy’s focus always returned to Ronnie. Ronnie is a lot more confident having Roxy with him. We will continue with training in public and next week and will met at the toy store.”

Anxiety, Army, Depression, Military, Mobility, Pain Management, Panic Attack, PTSD, San Antonio, TBI, Texas, Veteran, Wounded Warrior

Kimberly and Kimmy

GREAT news from Wounded Warrior, dear Kimberly, who met the new love of her life, SDIT, Kimmy! Kimberly and Kimmy met at Laurel Ridge, and the bond was INSTANT! Kimberly, as intelligent and detail-oriented as she is, already had the training manual memorized. Kimmy was beautifully behaved, and started covering for Kimberly the minute they met, as poor Kimberly was shaking with nerves and excitement from this new part of her life! Kimmy heeled perfectly with Kimberly at the hospital as we walked the halls and I showed her how to use the collar properly, would sit, down, stay, and make incredible eye contact. Even the Medical Director at that Laurel Ridge unit popped her head in to see how wonderful everything was going – and she plans on integrating more Service Dogs into other patient’s treatments! Kimberly was given food, bowls, a leash, two collars, and all medical records for Kimmy. You could just see how much even having the presence of Kimmy on the Wounded Warrior ward brightened up everyone there – and the staff was amazing!

Kimberly and I talked regularly after we spent several hours together going over the basics, and have continued to talk almost every day since then. We had developed a trusting bond for several weeks before this day, and I knew a Service Dog would be perfect for Kimberly’s life at this point. The doctors allowed Kimmy to stay with Kimberly the last days she was there, and she had her own room, where they would snuggle and cuddle and were literally inseparable. Kimmy would let Kimberly know when she needed to go potty, and Kimberly enjoyed taking walks on the grounds of Laurel Ridge with Kimmy. Kimberly would let people pet Kimmy ONLY if they asked politely if they could pet her Service Dog, and if Kimberly felt comfortable with the person – and Kimmy would sit on command and allow the petting and treats.

I called the airline prior to Kimberly’s departure back home to Georgia to ensure that she would have no problems boarding with Kimmy at her 6 am flight! She did say that going through the screening was a hassle, because Kimberly is in a full-leg moveable brace and it was hard to manage everything – but she did say that many people offered her help, and for that, she was very grateful. She did remember to give Kimmy her Benadryl 45 minutes prior to the flight, and Kimmy was excellent – just a little anxious on touch-down. But she never barked or did anything inappropriate! Kimberly has worked with dogs all her life, so she and will continue to be an excellent handler.

Since Kimberly has arrived home and back to civilian life after 29 days at Laurel Ridge, she has said it’s been a bit of a difficult transition – but we both agreed she should take things slow and it will continue to get easier for her. Kimberly’s fiance is currently deployed in Iraq, but feels so much better knowing Kimmy is there to comfort her! One pleasant surprise – Kimberly has a cat named “Nubbins” (due to the fact that she has a nub for a tail) – and SDIT Kimmy and Nubbins are already best friends!! I am SO proud of Kimberly – she made her first trip out alone with Kimmy to the drugstore to get her medications – and it took a lot longer than expected due to the transferring process – but Kimberly said that having Kimmy there made a world of difference. Baby steps! Kimberly still wants to remain active duty – she loves being a soldier – and her command welcomed both she and Kimmy back onto base with open arms and commented continuously on how well-behaved Kimmy was! They are completely supportive of Kimmy being with Kimberly at work once she is settled back in – and for this, I am so grateful.

Kimberly and I will continuously train via video, Skype, email, and phone as they venture out more and more – but I am SO proud of the two of them!!!!!

Anxiety, Depression, Houston, Marine, Military, PTSD, Texas, Veteran, Wounded Warrior

Ronnie and Roxy

From our new wonderful trainer, Kendra, in Houston, who is working with Ronnie, who was diagnosed with PTSD and depression. He served in the Marines for 12 years and has been rated at 60% disabled for various reasons. He has panic attacks when in public or crowded confined spaces, and suffers from depression.“I met with my wonderful client Ronnie and his SDIT Roxy this morning. I did an assessment on Roxy and she did AWESOME! She let me touch all parts of her body and mouth with no problems what so ever. She already knows sit, down, stay, leave it, heel, drop it, and hugs. She is so very smart and catches on very fast! We met at a very busy dog park and she was still was able to follow commands. Wounded warrior Ronnie is excellent at training and working with her!

After the assessment, we did a training session. Roxy does heel with the occasional pull which we will continue to work on that. We greeted some dogs along the way and she said hello perfectly, And was able to come when he called to continue the walk. We passed other people, a stroller with a baby and Roxy didn’t pay no mind to them. We practiced walking and randomly stopping to place Roxy in a sit. This way she can get better at sitting on command. They will continue practicing this. He placed Roxy in a down/stay and walked about 30 feet away and called her. She did wonderfully. We talked about how to do the watch me command and the importance of it. This will be the homework. We also talked about what commands he wants Roxy to perform for him. Roxy has already started to alert him to nightmares. (What a very good girl!!) Roxy also has naturally started to do covers. I shook a mason jar full of coins next to Roxy and she didn’t budge, She was not bothered. She went through the agility course at the park and was great at it.

Her focus is on Ronnie, always looking out for him. Their bond is inseparable!!!! We went over and covered so much! It was and is a absolute joy to work with this team!!! Our next session will be in the mall.”

WONDERFUL, POSITIVE TRAINING FOR RONNIE AND ROXY!!!!