It’s been so long since I’ve posted about training with a wonderful Wounded Warrior – Jesse, who suffers from extreme PTSD. When I first met Jesse, he was so anxious just talking that he had a towel with him at all times to wipe away the sweat from his panic – just meeting a stranger. But he was so nice, kind, gentle-hearted, and eager beyond belief to start his journey with a Service Dog. Jesse is young, and served with the military for 4 years – but, as is often the story, he was immediately thrown into battle and now, he was a different man. He could barely be around any new people without actually just having to leave – always apologizing profusely – but he would have such severe panic attacks that he had no choice. Jesse met Sasha, who had been fostered by Barbara – and his whole world has changed.
Jesse met Sasha, lovingly donated by Barbara who felt Sasha had a higher calling – and she was right. Since Jesse adopted Sasha, his world has changed. I noticed each time I met with him, he seemed happier, so much more hopeful – and was completely committed to taking the best care of Sasha. He literally doted on her like she was a queen – buying her the best of toys, food, and all things doggie. They had an instant bond, and from day one, they have been inseparable – sleeping together, playing, and week by week, starting to go out into public places that otherwise Jesse would have never dreamed of going to. I have watched their progression, and Jesse followed the training manual to a tee, training Sasha to perform as many commands as possible. Sasha is brilliant, and picked up commands easily. But Jesse had finally found his best friend, and life has changed so much for him.
Now, Jesse has a girlfriend. Now, Jesse has had the courage to get a job. Now, Jesse can go into places in public with Sasha and last longer and longer without the anxiety being so bad that he only lasts a few minutes. He looks forward to his future, has regained hope, and has found joy in a world that formerly looked hopeless to him.
Jesse, Sasha, and I have trained in several public places, and you can just see how much they love each other. Sasha can “sit”, “down”, “watch me”, “heel”, “load and unload”, “cover”, and does one thing that really helps Jesse – Jesse has extreme anxiety reactions to loud, unexpected noises – but Sasha is not bothered by them at all – and so Jesse sees Sasha’s reaction and knows “it’s ok”. I am so proud of Jesse, and they will soon be passing the PAT.
One thing I noticed instantly is how Sasha’s coat is changing. It is so shiny, soft, and always smells dreamy! That’s because Jesse love giving her a bath every week! He gets up every morning and makes Sasha eggs to go with her regular food!
Joseph adopted Viva, and then I said to Joseph – “You know, now we have to go to Petsmart to get all of Viva’s needed items”. Joseph quickly realized that this would be the first time he had gone into any public place for an extended period of time. When we got to Petsmart, I asked Joseph, who was already anxious, if he wanted me to go in and get the items, or if he wanted to try to go in to this crowded place. He took a deep breath, and said he wanted to try!
CONGRATULATIONS to Wounded Warrior Christopher and his wife Megan, who just had a baby girl – Piper Tensley Willis!!! Christopher and his wonderful SD Maggie were apart for the first two days while in the hospital – humble Christopher didn
Christopher then talked to the nurses on the floor and they stated that they had already talked to their head nurse and she was aware of Maggie and was okay with her! Yay! The nurses on the floor said that they would talk to the officer if he comes to the floor. I reassured him that if he had any other problems, he could call me asap on my personal cell phone.
A posting from our trainer Michelle, in New Mexico!
When I first entered, Osito was a little nervous of the “new person in the house”, but soon warmed up to me. He is so sweet and gentle, yet he the Alpha of the pack! He is 1 of 6 dogs in the home, and seems to rule the roost! Once he finally warmed up to me, 
he allowed me to handle him, and assess his temperament. He then laid on the floor next to me, very comfortable. Upon visiting with Beto, and finding out how Osito will be assisting him, I had a tour of a very dog-friendly home with beautiful yard for them to roam, including a dog run from the back yard to the front fence.
Beto will have Osito trained for Diabetic alert purposes and medication reminders. Upon assessing this team, I feel that the bond is very strong and breaking Osito of a few bad habits will be rather easy. Getting him used to certain commands might be the trick. 🙂
Welcome to new client, Wounded Warrior Brian, who is from Missouri. He and his wife are staying at the Fisher House at the Center for the Intrepid at San Antonio Military Medical Center while Brian receives treatment for PTSD. With the help of trainer 
One of our dear Wounded Warrior clients and friend (Jimmy with SD Otto) was pulling out of his parking spot at his apartment. A woman came running by and Jimmy had to slam on his breaks so hard that his Service Dog, Otto, who was secured in a seatbelt still ended up shattering the windshield . The lady just left; didn’t even realize that the unseen injuries would definitely affect Jimmy and could have killed his SD; that saves him from a lot of things everyday – his best friend . Anyway, even though Otto was the one that got hurt, this is the first thing he did when he got out of the car ! This dog is amazing and the bond that they have is beyond words. Otto is OK for now – no signs of injury – but we will all be helping Jimmy monitor Otto.
