Category Archives: PTSD

Experience, Military, PTSD, Texas, Veteran, Wounded Warrior

Wounded Warrior Jose and Jethro

I love keeping track of Service Dogs that were placed over a year ago. Here is a picture of Wounded Warrior, Jose, and his absolutely amazing, unbelievably well-trained, loving, attentive, life-changing Service Dog, Jethro. Jose lives in Del Rio, and was placed with Jethro over a year ago. Jethro received initial amazing training by our former trainer, Tony, with the help of his daughter, Jennifer. Tony already had a fully-trained SD, Lucy (who still is doing a wonderful job almost two years later!). Jose comes to San Antonio often for appointments at the VA, and he always calls to let me know how well Jethro continues to do. He says Jethro has literally brought his entire family back together. Jethro not only is Jose’s constant companion for PTSD and other medical issues, but every day, Jethro does “checks” on all four children in their rooms, morning and night – and will alert Jose and his wife, Roberta, if any of the children are sick, crying – anything. Jose and Roberta have said that Jethro has literally changed ALL of their lives – bringing healing to Jose, and bringing the family closer together. He is one AMAZING rottweiler!!!!! SO PROUD OF YOU, DEAR JETHRO!!!! (He’s on the right side in the picture giving daddy a KISS!)

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

Rachel and Her BFF Piper

An update from trainer Sue, who is working with 6 year-old Rachel who has severe PTSD, and her 6 year old Brindle Greyhound mix, Piper. Piper has been raised with Rachel.

“Piper is a well-trained companion dog, as Rachel’s grandmother showed and trained collies for AKC Conformation and started obedience training with Piper as a puppy.

Piper knows sit, down, heel, cover, come, load and unload, waits and does not cross the front door threshold. She gets along with men, women, other dogs, cats, kids and strangers. Rachel’s mother, Rebecca, takes Rachel and Piper for walks and Piper automatically heels on Rachel’s left side and has been trained to obey Rachel’s commands. When Rachel gets stressed out and distraught, Piper immediately sits or lays with her to allow her to hug her until she is back to normal. Piper sleeps on her bed so that Rachel does not have nightmares. Piper puts the other two dogs that live at the house in check (in a mom dog way) when they are getting too crazy. They have a male Lab/Great Dane mix 2 year old and a 6 month old male Pit-bull/Lab mix puppy.

Rachel has many triggers. She has PTSD and has screaming fits, will freeze and tense up, shuts down and won’t communicate and even will go run and find a dark place to hide when there are loud noises, knocking, sirens, raised voices, fire alarms etc. Rachel can go to PetSmart and PetCo where Piper can go, and Rachel has no episodes as she has Piper there to comfort her. Rebecca cannot take Rachel to Walmart or HEB without Piper without having to leave because Rachel has an episode. Rebecca has to go to school to help comfort or pull Rachel out of her freeze/hiding trances. The school had a fire alarm last week, and Rebecca got called to the school as Rachel ran and hid and would not come out.

Piper seems to only need to refresh her obedience commands, sit stay, down stay and do an automatic sit when you stop walking. I left Rebecca with homework this week to work on these three things.

Rebecca and Susan (her mom) have requested my assistance in helping them get grant funding and would like me to be Piper’s trainer. I think they may be eligible for “SIP” to help them fund vet care and dog training and service dog equipment for Piper. They know that eventually they will need to start training another dog that can step in to be Rachel’s Service Dog when it is time to retire Piper as a Service Dog, but hopefully, that will be sometime down the road. Piper is almost at the point where she can pass her PAT.”

 

Anxiety, PTSD, San Antonio, Texas

Kathy and Olla

From our trainer, Andrew, who is working with Kathy, who suffers from PTSD and anxiety, and her SDIT, Olla:

“We had our initial session today and after Kathy signed the contract, we talked about a bad behavior Olla has developed since Kathy moved into her new home. She has taken to peeing on the carpet and all over the apartment. We talked about crate training Olla. We discussed the proper method to teach the command and gesture for sit, and command and gesture for down. We talked about stay and wait, and the difference between the two. And, we talked about starting walks in the heeling position and leading with the left foot. It was simple, since Olla is a fresh dog; we will have fun sessions from now on!”

 

PTSD, Virginia

Joyce and SDIT Willa

From our trainer Catherine, in Virginia, who is training with Joyce and her SDIT, Willa! Joyce suffers from severe PTSD.

“I met with Joyce today and she was honest with me and told me she had not been doing her homework and practicing with Willa in public. Which, of course I could see when we went to Petsmart. But, she explained to me why and I talked to her a bit about how important it was and that I could understand as a fellow PTSD sufferer how difficult it is, but that it is critical to the training process.

After our talk, Joyce seemed much more confident and determined to grit her teeth and get out in public – so I am confident that next time I see them they’ll be much improved!! We also worked on some heeling, because Joyce has a habit of hunching her shoulders and looking down as she walks and Willa doesn’t view her as “the boss”. So I told her to pretend she was the Queen of England and Willa was one of her followers and to look up and straight ahead and Willa would follow. Once we practiced this in the parking lot, Willa was SO much more attentive to Joyce and was walking at a perfect heel even with the cart! So we went back into Petsmart and voila! Beautiful! They’re going to be much improved by our next session, I can feel it :-)”

Experience, Military, PTSD, Veteran, Wounded Warrior

An Update from Wounded Warrior Donald

A wonderful update from Donald, a Wounded Warrior who was at Laurel Ridge here in San Antonio and adopted beautiful Maximus. He is working with a Service Dog trainer in California. Donald writes:

“I’ve been so busy getting adjusted to being in the real world and military again and training Max. I’ve been training with him daily. We have worked on heeling on my left side. My trainer and I have been really focusing on heeling; for example – Max has at all times to keep his shoulder to my knee when I walk and not have his full body past my knee. We also been working on changing directions and having Max stay in a perfect heel.

In addition, when I stop walking, we are training Max to immediately sit and wait. We are working on having him stay at a spot while I walk away 20 to 30 yards without coming to me while give the command stay. I’ve been walking with him every day to get the motion of him heeling beside me more fluid and natural. There’s some more things we’ve been working on but that’s the major ones. I will send pictures later today when I’m off work of Max. He is wonderful!”

 

Military, PTSD, Veteran, Wounded Warrior

Update from Wounded Warrior Andrew

An update from Wounded Warrior Andrew, who was paired with “Ozzie” (now “Mozzie) while at Laurel Ridge! Andrew is now stationed in North Carolina, and working with a Service Dog trainer that we talked with named Casper.

“Hi Laurie!

I’ll get some pictures out soon!

Mozzie and I have been meeting with Casper at Unleashed Dog Training weekly and going though a 70-80 minute class, then coming home with weekly homework that Mozzie and I have been working on.

So far we’ve worked on the following:

Getting him to focus on me, and me on him – rewarding with treats, my nose, his nose, his mouth. Ensuring always to reward him this way so he’s always looking to me.

Positional sitting, left side of me, ensuring I adjust to where he sits each time. He’s starting to sit exactly where he needs to be each time on his own, but I still correct now to make sure we solidify the position exactly.

Positional down, same as above.

We work on a handling exam a few times a week, starting at the nose, eyes, ears, mouth, working down the front, front legs, paws, bare spot on the chest, belly, back legs and paws, tail, and back up to the collar. He still requires a bit of treating throughout the exam, but he’s getting a lot better at being ‘inspected’ and handled.

We’ve talked about the sequencing of commands, and chaining commands.

We’re working on stay, in both sit and down right now. Casper has been deliberate in training ME to remember that it’s about seconds and inches and not minutes and feet (in how far/long you can get the dog to stay). We also discussed how even a small stay with a reward is exponentially better then ANYTIME the dog breaks, since a break could mean multiple steps backwards in progress. It’s better to reward, than to correct.

Lastly, we’re also working on “around”, the repositioning of Mozzie when he isn’t on my left side. Always ensuring that he moves behind me to return to his place. We’re training return with sit, and Mozzie is getting the idea that anytime we’re not moving and he is on my left it’s appropriate for him to be sitting next to me.

Overall, Mozzie is doing extremely well. He’s learned quickly that when the leash is on, he’s supposed to be in a different frame of mind. Even when we have a large amount of people over to the home I’m staying at, and I put his leash on, he’s a completely different dog until the leash comes off.

Finally, Casper has done a phenomenal job at expressing to us the human element in the training of our animals, such that WE need to remember that anything that our dogs do wrong is because we haven’t trained them right, not that THEY didn’t understand.

More to follow Laurie:)
Andrew”

Anxiety, Bipolar, PTSD, San Antonio, Texas

Carol and SDIT Kensi

From trainer Andrew, who is working with Carol and her SDIT, Kensi:

“Kensi and Carol are inching their way ever closer to to Public Access Test, and we are just continually reinforcing our out in public behaviors. This session took place at a dog park near Selma. Since it is right next to the highway, Kensi seemed a little put off by it so she didn’t perform as well as expected, and to make matters worse a garbage truck pulled up next to the fence and made so much noise that poor Kensi got scared and cowered a little; but we calmed her down quickly and walked around, helping her learn that loud noises and distractions can still be safe. We went inside to an agility course and Kensi seemed to do a little better once distracted from the garbage monster! We also worked on our leashing behaviors and sit/stay and wait/stay.”

Anxiety, El Paso, Military, New Mexico, PTSD, TBI, Texas, Veteran, Wounded Warrior

Look whose adopted beautiful Nelly!

Look whose adopted beautiful Nelly! Nelly was rescued and fostered by Cherry Jenkins of In Dog We Trust!! Jason traveled all the way from El Paso to meet Nelly! Our trainer, Michelle, in New Mexico, will be training him.

Jason is a Wounded Warrior who served for 12 years. He suffers from PTSD, TBI, frequent migraines, flashbacks, night terrors, and anxiety. Let’s hope wonderful Nelly will be his best companion to help him as a Service Dog for all his troubles!!!

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

Nova and handler, Wounded Warrior Sean

From our trainer Candace, in Ft. Worth, who is training Nova for handler, Wounded Warrior Sean!

“The Morrison Family is doing a remarkable job with Nova. They, like other families, have a problem with motivating their SDiT with treats. This can be a blessing in disguise, as treats need to be removed from a SDiT’s reinforcement options as quickly as possible. But now that brings up the dilemma, “What can we do to get Nova excited about working?” The answer: A water hose! The girl goes crazy for it! Not only is it a bonding experience for Sean and Nova, it can be used to instill instant command reaction, which is something they are working on. They have made visible progress with Nova’s strength and endurance program. She is filling out in the shoulders and they are wrapping her front leg to protect joint integrity. She is also on a working dog’s diet, which she puts to great use running around with the family’s other dog. She is really doing great. Other things discussed were Nova accompanying Sean to work, at least for half days. I am anxious to hear how that goes! For now, the Morrison’s are set with the basics and are fine-tuning her command work and leash walking. They have a long road ahead of them, but they are dedicated individuals. Keep up the great work, Sean and Dawn!”

WHAT A NOVEL AND CREATIVE IDEA, CANDACE! WAY TO GO, MORRISONS!!!!

Nova the trifecta - Tripawd Dog

Experience, Military, PTSD, San Antonio, Texas, Veteran, Wounded Warrior

HOORAY FOR MAXIMUS AND HIS NEW DAD, WOUNDED WARRIOR, DONALD

HOORAY FOR MAXIMUS AND HIS NEW DAD, WOUNDED WARRIOR, DONALD!!!

After over a month of planning and preparation, Wounded Warrior Donald, who was receiving treatment at Laurel Ridge, finally set off for sunny California with his new SDIT, Maximus! (now renamed “Boris”). Thanks to a great team effort with amazing fosters from San Antonio Rocks and the entire SA Rocks team, Donald spent a lot of time getting to know Boris and bonding – which was instant! Donald’s doctor wrote the prescription for Boris – who got to also meet two other Service Dogs placed with Wounded Warriors staying at the Laurel Ridge facility permanently until discharged.

Donald first saw Boris on our website, and over a month ago started emailing and calling me every day about him! We talked extensively about Service Dogs, their special training needs, his ability to take care of a Service Dog, and general knowledge about having a Service Dog for his PTSD and other medical issues. He read our manual thoroughly, signed our contract promising to take care of Boris for life, and already put me in contact with two Service Dog trainers back in California that have agreed to work with him. I have made contact with each trainer. Donald filled out the SA Rocks application, and they accepted him after professionally confirming that he was capable, ready, and able to take care of Boris – which I know Donald can!

Equipped with all the necessary items, I picked up Boris at 4 am to make it to the airport by 4:30 where I met Donald. We checked in (it was United Airlines – even though I called ahead and arranged the flight), the “supervisor” at the check in desk asked to see Boris’ “paperwork”, to which I answered, “No, I have already called in and arranged with your Disabilities Department that Boris will need no paperwork because he is a medical alert dog”. Then, she said, “I’m going to check on this.” To which I said, “I’m sorry, ma’am, there is nothing to check on. It is illegal for you to deny Donald and his Service Dog entrance onto the plane”. She walked off in a huff. United has always given us the biggest problems. So then, as always, I requested a gate pass to help Donald through the Security checkpoint. We stood in an EXTREMELY long line, very nervous about making it to our gate in time – and the “greeter” at the end of the line clearly saw the dog – when we FINALLY got to go through security, they said, “Oh – if you have a Service Dog, you get to go through the preferred passenger line and cut through”. Thanks for telling us! In any case, knowledge for you all to know.

We did make it to the gate just in time, and Donald and Boris were first to board. They made it to California just fine, and training begins Monday!!