Category Archives: Texas

Epilepsy, San Antonio, Seizure, Texas

Savannah and SD Valentina

From trainer Letty, who is working with Savannah, who is 17 years old and has epilepsy and developmental delays, and her SD, Valentina (V):

“I had a wonderful training session with Savannah and SD Valentina. We walked from Target to Ross in the Forum. While we were in Ross, we worked on control, balance, and keeping SD V close to Savannah’s body. Savannah did a wonderful job and requires little to no cueing with V. When we were done, we walked back to Target and met up with Savannah’s grandma.

I went over each of the commands that SD Valentina knows including sit, down, stay, leave it, load, unload, heel and how to cue both Savannah and V for each of them correctly. I had Savannah put V in a front cover and practiced walking in that position. It’s always a pleasure to work with this team.!”

PTSD, San Antonio, Texas

A Glorious Experience

What a glorious experience we had yesterday!! As mentioned in posts below, a psychiatrist and caseworker from the San Antonio State Hospital contacted us a while ago about a client of theirs that they felt would benefit from a Service Dog. Mind you, the State Hospital has been in existence for over 100 years – and this is the first Service Dog they have decided to try with a patient! They regularly have Therapy Dogs that visit patients, but this one particular client and the acumen of her psychiatrist decided that based upon the client’s PTSD and other diagnoses, she would be a perfect candidate for this. The client has been “practicing” taking care of one of the psychiatrist’s dogs for months – learning how to properly take care of it, walk it, feed it, give it love and snuggles, and do some basic training. She has done a marvelous job – and that is why they feel a Service Dog will greatly benefit her as I train with her weekly at the hospital until she is ready to go out into the world on her own, with her SD by her side.

Finding the right dog for her was a bit of a challenge, but thanks to Val Moore, who rescues and fosters so many dogs in need (with the help of her husband – had to put that in there!), we found the perfect dog at ACS – Sammie. Sammie is a 1 1/2 year old small mixed breed with the most gentle and loving nature. Sammie was going to go to be permanently with the client last week, but one of the stitches in her spay popped due to an improper closing of the wound. So, Val lovingly took the dog to her own veterinarian, and the popped stitch is healing beautifully.

Val, her husband, myself, the psychiatrist, and the caseworker met with the client yesterday so the client could at least meet Sammie and hold her. It was love at first site for both of them! It was such a beautiful thing to see how gently and carefully the client held Sammie, who was swaddled in a blanket to keep her stitching area clean – the client was overloaded with kisses from Sammie and Sammie’s tail wagged the whole time!! I know the client will take the best care of Sammie – of course, always supervised by staff – and I will train with the two of them weekly. The client is already making a beautiful purple collar with butterflies on it for little Sammie – which was quite a coincidence, since Val brought Sammie on a purple leash and collar!!

The client loves to create beautiful, expressive artwork, and it is very therapeutic for her. This forward-thinking psychiatrist has a very holistic approach when working with clients, and it has helped the client start to work through her past issues and project hope for her future.

A HUGE thank-you to Val and her husband for taking the time to bring Sammie to visit the client with me. What a wonderful future both the client and Sammie have to look forward to!!!!

ADA Rights, Dallas-Fort Worth, Diabetes, Mobility, Texas

Donna and SD Dennie

From our dear client, Donna, with SD, Dennie!!! Donna writes:

“Last weekend I was admitted to the hospital for a touch of pneumonia. As you can see from the attached picture, Dennie is once again right there in bed me and doesn’t leave my side. As I explained in my previous email, Dennie can tell when my blood sugar is dropping. This is an added bonus as Dennie is my mobility SD. Don’t know what I would do without her.”

WHAT LOVE AND DEVOTION!!!!

ADA Rights, Air Force, Experience, Military, Psychiatric, PTSD, San Antonio, TBI, Texas, Veteran, Wounded Warrior

Dear Friend and Former Trainer

From our dear friend and former trainer, Tony. Thank you, Tony – your words always have and always will mean the world to me and to all of us – and your opinions are very important to me and all of us at SDE:

“As a client and former trainer I have the utmost respect for Laurie and Service Dog Express, She has made my life so much better and I can handle the simple everyday tasks that most take for granted when she paired me with my properly assessed dog Lucy (God bless you Laurie and what you did for me).

As trainers, the client should come first; their needs are off utmost importance.

I think off myself as not only a client but as an ambassador for Service Dog. I try to educate the public as much as I can, but having just one aggressive hyper or skittish dog can make it so much harder for the public to understand what we are doing or what the dog is for, so a properly assessed dog is essential. I know we would like to place all the dogs with homes but they all can’t be a Service Dog!!..

I get so many compliments on how well behaved my dog is in public; it is a proud and calming feeling to me. So thank you so much Laurie for all that you have done to make my life a lot easier..

Tony Cuciniello
( Service Dog Lucy)”

TONY – YOU ARE VERY CORRECT THAT PROPERLY ASSESSED AND TRAINED SDs ONLY SHOULD BE IN THE PUBLIC. IF THERE IS A DOG THAT WE FEEL IS NOT ACTING APPROPRIATELY, WE WILL WORK AS HARD AS WE CAN TO TRY AND TRAIN THE INAPPROPRIATE BEHAVIOR – EVEN IF IT MEANS HAVING TO REMOVE THE DOG AND HANDLER FROM PUBLIC ACCESS FOR A WHILE. IF THE DOG JUST CAN’T BE TRAINED CORRECTLY, WE WILL ALWAYS BE HONEST AND REALIZE THAT THE DOG IS JUST NOT SERVICE DOG MATERIAL. A DOG CAN LEARN THE COMMANDS, BUT ONCE IT BEGINS TRAINING WITH THE HANDLER, DYNAMICS CHANGE. THAT IS WHY CONSISTENCY AND SUPERVISION BY TRAINERS IS PARAMOUNT. THANK YOU FOR YOUR INPUT. MANY DOGS THAT PASS ASSESSMENTS ONLY EXHIBIT BEHAVIORS ONCE THEY ARE PUT IN VASTLY DIFFERENT SITUATIONS. THEY MUST BEHAVE CORRECTLY – FOR THE SAFETY OF THE CLIENT AND THE DOG.

Dallas-Fort Worth, Mobility, Texas, Wounded Warrior

Big John and Jachin

There is nothing, nothing more gratifying for SD trainers to hear that clients have healed and have been inspired by their own healing that they want to pass it on to others!!! I received this wonderful message from my the very first Mastiff I trained with his dad, affectionately called “Big John” because he is so tall!! He picked the perfect breed because of his mobility issues and he knew he would need a large dog to help. I trained with John and SD Jachin long ago – and John was one of the kindest, most dedicated, and hard-working young man I have ever known. Hearing from him after all this time, and hearing that he now wants to train Jachin to do Therapy Work to help others is the most beautiful thing! I can’t wait to see him again – his job moved him way up north – but now he is back in Dallas!! John wrote:

“Laurie – I’m so excited to see more Mastiffs becoming Service Dogs!!!! They are such a great breed! Jachin is doing so well. Thank you again for helping us while he was younger. I still read all your posts and see more Mastiffs are coming to you. I am in Dallas now and if anyone is need of a volunteer, Jachin and I are more than happy to volunteer for kids or Wounded Warriors! Hope you are well!!!”

JOHN, I AM SO EXCITED FOR YOU AND JACHIN – AND YOUR CONTINUED SELFLESSNESS AND CARE FOR OTHERS! YES – JACHIN WAS THE BEGINNING OF MY LOVE FOR MASTIFFS – AND NOW I WANT AS MANY AS I CAN TO TRAIN! HECK – IF I DIDN’T HAVE FOUR DOGS ALREADY, I’D HAVE A HOUSEHOLD FULL OF THEM!!!! CANNOT WAIT TO SEE YOU AGAIN AND TRAIN JACHIN FOR THERAPY WORK – YOU BOTH WILL BE WONDERFUL AT IT!!

Military, PTSD, Texas, Veteran, Wounded Warrior

SD McCoy is His Reason

From our dear friend, Wounded Warrior Grady, who we worked with over a year ago. It’s posts like this that keep us all going. I am SO proud of Grady and McCoy!!!!

“I just wanted to say thank you for your work my service dog MCCOY gives me a reason for living. You have helped and save more people and animals than you will ever know. I hardly ever write on Facebook, but I couldn’t believe how some people believe there are more people who believe and love what you do then people who want to be bullies on line with out a clue. Please keep up the good work you do and turn a deaf ear to the ones who don’t get it. Thanks for your help about a year ago. If it wasn’t for you, MCCOY and I would not be here.”

GRADY, IT’S THINGS LIKE THIS THAT MAKE IT ALL WORTHWHILE. SOMETIMES IT GETS OVERWHELMING, AND I WONDER IF ALL THE HARD WORK IS REALLY MAKING CHANGES FOR PEOPLE. HEARING YOUR WORDS HAS INSPIRED ME LIKE YOU WOULD NOT BELIEVE. IT’S ALWAYS WORTH IT NOW.

Anxiety, PTSD, San Antonio, Texas

Welcome Leah and SDiT Abby

Welcome new client, Leah, who suffers from PTSD and vision loss, and her SDIT, Abby! Trainer Beverly writes:

“Leah had stated that during bonding time, she and Abby were doing GREAT, and she and Abby were inseparable. Abby was, however, seemingly nervous around other people. After talking to Leah and knowing she has no peripheral vision and that one of her fears is being victimized, it was determined that she and Abby were possibly feeding each other’s anxieties. We went for a walk outside and I showed Leah how to “appear” confident and how to encourage confidence in Abby. After a brief walk, both Abby and Leah were much more confident – fake it ’til you make it!. Abby does keep her eye on Leah very attentively and does a great “watch me.

Abby is a wonderful, loving, attentive, gentle soul who is happy to have a person and a purpose. She is loved greatly by Leah and even has a buddy (Leah’s cat) to lie in the sun with. Abby and Leah were connected on 12 July and she has been helping Leah ever since. Since July is the month of Leah’s birthday, she says this was the BEST present EVER!”

CONFIDENCE IS THE KEY, BEVERLY – YOU ARE RIGHT. FOR ALL CLIENTS – HAVE FAITH THAT YOUR DOG WILL DO WHAT IT IS SUPPOSED TO DO – EVEN IF IT’S STILL IN EARLY TRAINING. THE DOGS COMPLETELY FEED OFF OF THE HANDLER’S LEVEL OF TRUST AND CONFIDENCE. I KNOW THIS IS HARD TO DO WHEN MANY OF US SUFFER FROM ANXIETY, BUT THE FAKE IT TIL YOU MAKE IT TRULY MAKES A DIFFERENCE.

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

Sonya and Princess

From trainer, Beverly, who is working with Wounded Warrior, Sonya, who suffers from PTSD, Fibromyalgia, Depression, and stability issues. Her beautiful SDIT is Rottweiler, Princess. Beverly writes:

“We worked more on having Princess sit/down and stay, and heavily on the recall as she likes to be a bit “lazy” and not come when she is called, but just lays down and stays there. Princess did better this session and is really motivated with hot dogs! Her “Watch me” with Sonya is spot on, and she is getting pretty good at “leave it.” Princess has sit, down, stay, watch me, leave it, and heel down pat. Sonya says that Princess is now sleeping upstairs (previously she wouldn’t even go up the stairs), and Princess is very good at watching who and what is around, making Sonya feel safe and allowing her to relax a little more.

We will continue to work on the “Stay,” the “Recall” and engaging Princess with everything Sonya is doing. Next session will be in another location outside of home.”

SOMETIMES IT JUST TAKES A LITTLE LONGER FOR DOGS WHO HAVE BEEN PREVIOUSLY USED TO A VERY “NON-WORKING” ENVIRONMENT. BUT PRINCESS IS HIGHLY INTELLIGENT AND HAS THE MOST GENTLE TEMPERAMENT, SO IT WON’T BE LONG UNTIL SHE GETS INTO THE GROOVE!

 

Diabetes, El Paso, Medical Alert, PTSD, Texas

SDiT Osito

I met with Beto today and his very amazing SDiT Beto.  Today we focused on getting his baby’s vest ordered with patches and a few training items from Petsmart.  We got training treats and leash (retractable) and worked on sit/down/stay while at petsmart.    Osito, is used to being off leash and just walking around with dad.  I reminded Beto, that he had to keep him on the leash and work on training him with the Clicker, and both positive and treats.  Beto is also going to work with his wife on treats for medicine reminders.  (thinking a little peanut butter on a spoon – Osito’s favorite).  Beto is also going to start to keep a log to see when Osito begins to lick him, which he will begin checking his sugar levels to find out if he is high or low glucos.  Great idea…..

Thank you Petsmart @ Sunland Park (El Paso) for making sure we didnt need any help and were able to find the training treats ok.  Especially after a female customer tried telling me that blue buffalo was killing dogs, I kindly told her, that I was a service dog trainer, hence my shirt, and as my dog ate blue buffalo (Grain free) that it was fine.  So I appologized to Beto for the interruption, as he was not concerned.