Unbelievable kindness. Ken, a Wounded Warrior who has Service Dog “Mozart”, does this amazing artwork. He is donating proceeds from the sale of it to help wounded warriors get funding for Service Dog training with Service Dog Express!!! THANK YOU KEN!!!!!
From our wonderful trainer, Andrew, who is working with Wounded Warrior Jesse, and his SDIT, Rocco.
“Today, we simply reinforced the “wait” and “stay” commands and “loose lease” maneuvers. We played fun games in between, such as : “Take It“, which is the act of the dog chasing after a treat thrown by the person. This game is the precursor of not only a good recall but of retrieve. We also reinforced the basic obedience since Rocco still seems to be having issues with his patience, at least when there is a different person in his house…”
From our dear trainer, Cherry Jenkins, with In Dog We Trust rescue, who is training with Nancy and her SDIT, Stella! Nancy struggles with mobility issues, vertigo, and anxiety.
“I had a wonderful training session today with Nancy and her SDIT Stella! Its always nice when I see clients that have done their homework and topped up on training – and it was very clear that Nancy had been working hard with stunning Stella!
We have done sessions at home and in a supermarket setting, so today was getting Stella used to being in a restaurant. She laid down beautifully next to Nancy and while the table legs prevented her from going right under, she was able to tuck herself in close. Nancy’s homework of not allowing Stella to beg at the table at home paid off because Stella knew to lay quiet and ignore the food on the table.
Dedication like this to one’s service dog in training means the PAT will not be far away for these two!
WONDERFUL WORK, CHERRY, NANCY, AND STUNNING STELLA!!!
From our trainer, Pat, who is working with Erica and her daughter, Lisa, who has multiple disabilities, and their SDIT, Nina.
“Nina is the cutest little SDIT you’ll ever see! She and Lisa’s mom, Erica made real progress today! Nina learned “Watch Me”, to “hell” on a leash, “sit”, with “down” not very far behind. This is a little dog that was very wary of new things and especially of leashes. So – to have her walk down the sidewalk with Erica was really a great accomplishment for her first lesson. Erica was thrilled. Little Nina already showed improvement in the confident way she held herself.
Erica has very good instincts and has been working with having Nina stay in her daughter, Lisa’s lap when Erica leaves the room. With good success :0). I just can’t wait to see Nina walk with Lisa holding the leash. And I can’t wait to see Erica’s face when that happens!
GREAT JOB, PAT, NINA, ERICA – AND EVENTUALLY LISA!
A beautiful write-up from our trainer, Pat, who is working with 7 year-old Lisa. Lisa’s mother wrote that young Lisa suffers from a number of diagnoses, including epilepsy secondary to brain malformation , dysphasia, polymicrogyria, incontinence, cortical dysplasia, extrapyramidal cerebral palsy, microcephaly, sleep disorder, congenital encephalopathy, aggression, is non-verbal, and functions intellectually at the rate of a 2 year-old. She also has many ABILITIES and can be so loving if her behaviors don’t get in the way….one of the main reasons we need a service dog.”
“Lisa is a beautiful and charming seven year old who has found her outlet to the rest of the world. Terrified of all dogs large and small, Lisa was an unlikely match for any dog. But Nina, a little Yorkie mix who had avoided all other human contact that day at the adoption event, walked right up to Lisa, and the two instantly created a special bond! In the weeks that Nina has been with Lisa’s family, Lisa’s outbursts and tantrums have declined in frequency and severity. Nina lays on Lisa’s lap even through a tantrum, even though Lisa sometimes doesn’t want her there because she wants to have her tantrum. Nina just holds tight and rides the storm through, and Lisa calms so much faster because of her! Lisa’s disabilities prevent her from communicating normally, but she will pat her lap and Nina jumps up. Today, I would swear that Lisa actually said the word “Nina”, but sadly Mom Erica didn’t hear it to verify my ears. There are so many examples that Erica told of to show how positive an effect Nina has had on Lisa.
Today was SDE’s first introduction to Lisa and her dog Nina, and the tiny 9 lb dog was so afraid of the leash that she hid under the furniture. But she will eventually lay down on the floor and crawl out from her hiding spot, and cuddles with even a stranger. Play with her, and she happily trots around with the leash gently held in my hand. Ignore her, and she quietly sits by my feet with big black eyes pleadingly asking for attention. I fully accepted Nina as Lisa’s Service Dog candidate. No other dog could be better suited to serving Lisa’s needs. To watch them together is to see a human-canine relationship that any parent would love for their child.
Through our training, Nina will learn to play fetch, and will in turn teach Lisa to throw a ball. Nina will learn to walk nicely on a leash, and will in turn teach Lisa the joy of walking her best friend. Nina already knows how to calm Lisa, giving her the potential to go places and do things that she couldn’t do before. Though it may take some time, Nina’s goal is to pass the Public Access Test. No less would suffice, because Nina has stepped into training for her purpose in life… Lisa’s Service Dog.”
Erica, Lisa’s mother, wrote this beautiful note back to trainer, Pat:
“I can’t wait!! We are all so excited! My job and my life is for Lisa and of course my entire gang here, but I do put a lot of dedication into getting everything I can for Lisa and doing everything I can to help her be as functional a person as her little heart, brain, and body will allow.
It was so great to meet you and see the love and dedication you put into these cases. We seem to have found the right dog for the right family, and the right trainer to help dog and family work you together toward something that will amaze just about everyone who knows Lisa! I’m writing this and crying like a baby to even fathom the things Lisa may be able to do someday just because of Nina. I imagine she’ll blurt out some more words and then we might have to have a party!
Again, thanks for choosing us (a rescue dog family) to work with. We’re ready!
-Erica”
From our trainer, Andrew, who is working with Wounded Warrior, Jesse, and his dog, Rocco. Andrew has very innovative ways of teaching different commands – that’s why I love ALL our trainers – they all have their own styles and as long as they get to the Public Access Test point safely and efficiently, I encourage them to use their extensive knowledge.
“We initially began with basic obedience, making it fun, using food as lures, and properly exercising the command gestures. Jesse learned that “wait” means if there are no further commands given after wait, then the dog can get up and be free; but “stay” means to stay put no matter what. I also showed him some puppy push-ups to help make “sit” and “down” less monotonous, and showed him “take it”, which is the act of the person throwing a food reward for the dog then commanding the dog back to a “sit” position in front of him after saying “come” so as to receive a reward. This game is a variation of the “come” command. Another one we worked on was to walk the dog around nonchalantly on his leash – then Jesse calls Rocco to Jesse randomly and excitedly whenever Jesse feels so inclined. We also worked on patience and staying still while putting on the leash and the vest.”
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!!!
A happy update from one of our clients, Ronnie, and his SD, Roxy – sent to his trainer, Kendra!
“Hi Kendra,
Just wanted to update you on Roxy and I. Unfortunately, I have been working a lot so we were pretty limited to where we went except for work. She has been doing great at night waking me up during nightmares! Recently, Marleah and I went to the movies and the Renaissance Festival with Roxy. She did great at the movies – she even put her head between seats to watch the movie. She also did great at the festival; tons of meet & greets and did awesome every time. I’m so proud of her and thank you for all the amazing training.”
WONDERFUL WORK, KENDRA!!! KEEP UP THE GREAT WORK, TOO, RONNIE!!
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!!!!
From our trainer Andrew, who is working with Carol and her SDIT, Kensi:
“This is a write up for two sessions with Carol and her SDIT Kensi. The first session was spent at Petsmart and the World Market next door. We mostly practiced basic obedience, but also manners work with other dogs and distractions with people around. Kensi did very for well, but her attention easily wanders. She has a decent sit/stay and an acceptable down/stay. She has a bit of an issue pulling on the leash, but we bought a Martingale collar to use as a training collar.
The second session with Carol and Kensi took place at Petsmart for an hour, then we went and had dinner at Red Robin for the duration of the session. Kensi’s training went very well this time. We worked on reinforcing the initial obedience work during the first part of our session, and Kensi was spectacular! When we went into Red Robin, where we were well received. Kensi went right under the table and laid there the entire time; she didn’t even ask for food – and when the staff reached under to pet her after asking, she received it perfectly. I believe that Carol and Kensi are almost ready to take the Public Access Test, and I will be requesting it soon!!
