Category Archives: Mobility

Equipment, Experience, Mobility, San Antonio, Texas

Dennis and Lily

An update from our trainer, Brenda, who is a paraplegic in a wheelchair and has a remarkably trained SD, Murray!! Brenda trained with Dennis, who was initially introduced to us by his pastor of 40 years, Mr. Adam Cork. He compassionately wrote:

“Dennis, who has been in a wheelchair for decades, just lost his dog of many years (not Service Dog trained) which has been very hard on him. His physical condition is declining. While he is still very independent, decline in his shoulders and decades in the chair are taking a toll. I think it would be good for him to have a Service Dog now to encourage him and provide a level of assistance.”

What a beautiful, caring Pastor who sought help for one of his congregation!!

Brenda has trained twice with Dennis and his dog, Lilly now, so that Lilly can become a Service Dog. She writes:

“At our first visit, Dennis and I met and went through the Public Access Test commands that we could do inside, as it was dark. Lilly completed #3, which is ‘controlled entry through a doorway’, #4, which is ‘heeling through a building’, and #9, which is eating at a table with Lilly in a down position under the table’ with ease. She is extremely obedient, even without treats; it’s out of pure love. The specialized tasks that Dennis wants Lilly to do are bracing, pulling, and offering comfort. I tested Lilly out with bracing like I do with my SD, Murray. Lilly was unable to keep her bottom up while bracing, which we will have to work on.

At our second session, we worked on outside PAT commands. Lilly did #1, which is ‘controlled unload out of a vehicle’ and #2, which is ‘approaching the building’ perfectly the 1st time, as Dennis has been taking her on rides. Dennis then took Lilly off lead, had her ‘sit/stay’, and rolled farther than 6ft with his back to her, turned and waited, then called her to him! He rolled up and down his driveway several times with her off lead, and was making sure she maintained the ‘heel’ position. Lilly was not distracted by anything, and was focused on Dennis. She is so easy to work with, and it only takes her a few times to understand what is expected of her. Dennis leashed her back up to see about pulling safely. Lilly did great, with minimal coaxing!”

Mobility, Multiple Sclerosis, San Antonio, Texas

Rowena and SDiT Blessed

From our trainer, Brenda, who is finally getting to work with some clients who have wheelchair-accessible homes, as Brenda herself is wheelchair-bound. Brenda has brilliantly been working with her SD, Murray, for almost two years now, so she knows the specific challenges for those in similar situations!

Brenda had her first two sessions with Rowena, who has MS and is in a wheelchair, and her SDIT, Blessed. Rowena and I had worked previously with her former SD, Lei Lani, who passed away due to old age. Blessed was matched with Rowena shortly after, and after a few sessions, I thought Rowena’s needs with Blessed would be more easily addressed by a trainer who experienced similar challenges. They did brilliantly together!!

Brenda writes:
“At our session, we did a brush-up on the basic commands. Rowena wanted to work on bracing so Blessed can help her off the floor and position herself in the chair. I worked with her showing the the two of them the correct place to stand and how to keep Blessed’s bottom off the floor when Rowena braces.

Rowena needs Blessed to lay down on command better and stay put. She had to physically manipulate Blessed to get her to do it at first, then Blessed would pop right back up. We worked first on just solidifying down, then down/stay. Once she was staying better, we were ignoring her and talking and increasing her stay time. At the end, she was laying down with minimal coaxing and staying totally relaxed!”

Mobility, Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS), San Antonio, Texas

Lauren and Gorgeous Goldendoodle Decker

From our trainer, Cherry, who is working with Lauren. Lauren suffers with Dysautonomia/Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS).

“Today was our first training day. We spent the first few minutes discussing Lauren’s needs and what she wants from her gorgeous dog Goldendoodle, Decker.

We did some leash and position training, and I showed Lauren how to encourage Decker to walk close to Lauren in a heel position.  Lauren suffers with back pain and told me how much she would love it if we could train Decker to lay on her back, as pressure eases the discomfort.

We began by using her mom as help, and between us we slowly eased Decker into the position Lauren wanted. Decker was uneasy at doing it at first as it is not a normal thing for a dog to do – on the chest yes, but the back is a little different, especially asking him to stay there. But he did catch on soon and stay in position, and we were able to walk away.

Then we transferred the command to Lauren, who called Decker to her to lay on her back, pairing it with the words “walk on me” – which he did brilliantly. Lauren’s mom was so pleased she even took a video of it.

Tomorrow we are going to work on properly going through doorways and continue our leash work.

Lauren who is going to work hard on her homework!

Military, Mobility, San Antonio, TBI, Texas, Veteran, Wounded Warrior

Wounded Warrior Jose and Dixie

From our trainer, Andrew, who is starting training with Wounded Warrior, Jose. Jose has a TBI and left side weakness. His balance is off on uneven surfaces, and he says that “feeling the wet nose of my dog always calms me down.”

“This was my initial session with Jose and his SDIT, Dixie. Dixie is a very smart lab mix, and she learns extremely quickly. When I met her, she had already learned “sit” and “down”, and responds to the words without a need for a hand gesture. Jose and I discussed the difference between “wait” and “stay”, and we went over some proper leash maneuvers. I introduced them to the game “take it” to make their sessions fun, and we worked on teaching the Dixie to sit when we stop walking and before entering a door. Both Jose and Dixie are very enthusiastic about the work we have begun, and I foresee accomplishing our Public Access Test very quickly.”

Diabetes, Mobility, San Antonio, Texas

Desiree and Ollie

Desiree, who suffers from diabetes, and Laurie had a WONDERFUL time training at Target with her adorable St. Bernard mix, Ollie!! Ollie is just the most lovable dog imaginable! Everyone can’t help but just stop and ask to pet his adorable self!

Laurie writes:  Ollie did spectacularly at our Target session! He already has conquered “sit”, “down”, “sit/stay”, “down/stay”, “leave it”, “controlled entry and exit from a car and into buildings”, elevators, “heel”, “dropped leash heel”, and we exposed him to so many hilarious distractions at Target – I don’t think he’ll ever be afraid of anything!! (He was a little confused at all the huge TVs – but watched them like he was enjoying the show). We also got Ollie to maneuver perfectly with the motorized cart, which Desiree might need at times when her diabetes makes her lethargic or too tired to walk. He even had a ride on the big carts at Target and once he got used to it, he enjoyed the strange movement!! The more the dog is exposed to (and Desiree is very creative!), the more he will be able to keep his focus on Desiree if she starts experiencing symptoms.

Desiree is working at home on Ollie detecting her high sugar levels first. Ollie is alerting most of the time, but it’s not 100%, so we discussed ways to reinforce this. I suggested to Desiree that she put a small drop of something sweet on a spot on her arm – like a dab of honey. She should sit in another room with the arm lying next to her in an inconspicuous position. Ollie should be in another room held by Desiree’s fiance, then released when Desiree calls Ollie. He needs to come immediately to her, find the “sweet spot”, and first smell and lick it – then Desiree must encourage Ollie to “paw” at her arm as an alert. She should also practice by placing a drop of something sweet in her mouth, and doing the same method, have Ollie release to come to her and smell her breath, lick her, then move to pawing. Ollie should only be praised at this point when he starts the pawing.

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

Wounded Warrior Ed found his perfect SDIT, Casper

Congratulations to Wounded Warrior, Ed, who found his perfect SDIT, Casper!!! Ed was recently medically retired. He suffers from PTSD and TBI, anxiety, depression, light sensitivity, poor balance, and a bad memory. He takes multiple medications and has a hard time remembering when to take them. He is being seen at the VISOR clinic at the Debakey VA center here Houston. Ed will be training with our trainer Bo Hughes in Houston.

Kendra, our trainer in Houston, has been fostering Casper – and now he has found his forever home!

Bo writes:

“Ed and Casper seem made for each other! Ed’s wife Amber also fell in love with Casper! Training will begin soon!”

ADA Rights, Military, Mobility, PTSD, San Antonio, TBI, Texas, Veteran, Wounded Warrior

Wounded Warrior Jason and SD Cadence

Meet Wounded Warrior, Jason, who is recovering at Audie Murphy Poly-trauma Care Rehab after a motor vehicle accident. Jason already was on his way to be discharged to PTSD and TBI from several deployments. He just loves Boxers, and Amy, (now renamed “Cadence”), has been adopted by Jason as his Service Dog. Amy has already passed her Public Access Test with a former handler who could no longer keep Cadence, so our trainer Pat truly has to do is ensure that Jason and Cadence bond and that Cadence learns to walk successfully next to Jason’s wheelchair (he will not be in it once his leg heals), and to make sure that Cadence and Jason are able to learn as a team to do the Public Access Test together.

Currently, Jason’s doctor has not given the “OK” for him to have Cadence with him in his room while he heels, but I will speak to the doctor on Monday about this. Four months is a long time, and it would be perfect time for them to bond. It is strange, because this particular new hospital is huge, but there are only eight patients – all of whom are simply recovering and have no open wounds – and all eight patients want Cadence there all the time because she cheers them up! Cadence is allowed in the hospital with Pat, our trainer…so we will see!

In the meantime, Pat has been so kindly fostering and training Cadence herself, taking her to Walmart and all other places, where Cadence is still the same, wonderful Service Dog she was a year ago! Pat evens trains Cadence with a wheelchair, so she can get used to Jason’s.

Jason is absolutely wonderful. He is pursuing his Master’s Degree, and will return home once he is healed in about four months with Cadence by his side. They already love each other!!

Click Here For The Video

 

Experience, Houston, Medical Alert, Mobility, Multiple Sclerosis, Texas

Amy and SDiT Emma

From our trainer, Kendra, who is in Houston. She is working with Amy and her SDIT, Emma. Not so happy news.

“Amy just received the sad news that she has Multiple Sclerosis. She has been falling and getting hurt a lot. So, the family has decided that Amy needs a Service Dog the most right now, because if she falls while her husband is at work, she needs Emma to bring her the phone to call 911. Amy would also like Emma to help open and close doors, and be trained to work alongside a wheelchair for preparation when the MS brings her to that point.

At our session, Emma was not feeling well. We went to Petsmart just to have Amy and Emma get the feel of being in public together. Amy took Emma to the vet right after our session, and they discovered that she needed her anal glands expressed. So she is feeling much better now.”

I suggested to Kendra that Amy get a medical alert button to wear around her neck in case she falls. They have them at any Medical Device pharmacies. In addition, I explained to Kendra the “science” behind anal gland expression, impaction, and possible infection. While it does not seem like a pleasant topic to talk about, it is very important for all dog owners to be aware of this.

If you’ve seen your dog scooting across the room on his bottom, it could be a sign of anal sac disease. Dogs have two small pouches on either side of their anus. They make a smelly, oily, brown fluid that dogs use to identify each other and mark their territory. It’s why they often sniff each others’ behinds. Anal gland oils also help the defecation of hard stool. Anal sac disease begins as an uncomfortable impaction and can progress to an infection or abscess.

Symptoms that your dog needs to have his anal glands expressed are scooting, licking or biting its rear end, a bad smell coming from its rear, or constipation when trying to pass stool.

Normally, when a dog poops, the fluid in his anal sacs is squeezed out, too. It’s when they aren’t completely emptied that problems develop. The fluid inside can become so dry and thick that it plugs up the openings. This is called impaction. Thankfully, impacted sacs are easy to treat. The glands can be gently emptied, or expressed, with your fingers. You may have to do this regularly, and to save a trip, your vet can show you how. Our three dogs – Savage, Bonnie, and Molly, rarely need their glands expressed. But our beagle, Cherry, needs hers done about twice a month. Different breeds are prone to needing manual expression done more often. It is easy to do at home if shown by your veterinarian how to do it.

If your dog repeatedly has impactions, you vet may suggest adding more fiber to his diet. This increases the size of his poop, which puts more pressure on the sacs to empty naturally. If your dog doesn’t have a problem, there is no need for you to empty his sacs.

Left untreated, the impaction will turn into an infection. Look for yellow or bloody pus oozing from his sacs. This painful condition can cause your dog to act fearful or angry. Your vet will wash out the sacs and give your dog antibiotics. An untreated infection will develop into an abscess (a swollen, tender mass of puss) and could break open. Your vet will open and drain the abscess and usually prescribe antibiotics and anti-inflammatory drugs. Daily warm compresses can help, too.

If your dog keeps having problems, your vet may want to remove his anal sacs with surgery. It’s a simple procedure, but can result in complications like fecal incontinence (when his poop leaks uncontrollably).

Mobility, PTSD, San Antonio, Texas

Brenda and Bailey

From our very busy trainer, Andrew, who is working Brenda who suffers from PTSD and some mobility issues. She has a dog that she wishes to train named Bailey. Andrew writes:

“This session was our initial session, and it occurred at Brenda’s house. It was also an assessment of her dog, Bailey. Bailey has some fear issues due to some shock collar training she received at another training organization.

Immediately upon my entry into the house, Bailey got up and ran away. She did not want to be anywhere near me. It took me an entire hour of laying down on my belly and using calm, slow movements and words to get her to a place where she was comfortable with me in the room. Brenda says Bailey is not like this with everyone, but I believe bringing the presence of a dog trainer into a room set her off, as she had a traumatic experience with her former trainer.

Both myself and Brenda feel that Bailey can be rehabilitated, so we have decided to go ahead with her training. Under no circumstances though is Brenda disillusioned by the possibility that Bailey will not succeed, so we are going to give it a month and see how far she can come. If she succeeds, we will continue. If not, then we will find Brenda a new dog to train as a Service Dog for her.”

Depression, Mobility, San Antonio, Texas

Dennis and Lily

From our wonderful trainer, Beverly, who had her first session with Dennis. Dennis has been in a wheelchair for many years, and just lost his dog, who was his dear companion. He wants to train his dog, Lily, to be a Service Dog to help with mobility and depression. Beverly writes:

“Dennis adopted Lily about 2 weeks ago, and they already have a wonderful bond. Lily is attentive and listens to commands fairly well, although she needs a bit more consistency to do the commands when asked the first time. That will come with time and further training as she is a very smart and attentive dog. She already knows “sit”, “down”, “stay”, and “leave it”.

It’s obvious how much Dennis loves dogs, as he is an avid rescuer and life-long animal lover. He is still very active even though he has been in a wheelchair for 45 years. Lily will be a great partner for him.
In speaking with Dennis and discussing how Lily acts in public, the only concern I have is that he says she barks a lot at strangers. We will meet at the NB Feed store next so I can evaluate this behavior and determine why she does it (fear, protection, etc) and collaborate with Dennis on a training plan for Lily.

Because Lily seems to be so well-behaved, I believe the training process will be fairly simple and not too long. They make a fantastic SD Team!”