Category Archives: Texas

Depression, Panic Attack, PTSD, San Antonio, Texas

Choxi – Ambassador For Changing Hospital Rules

An update from our trainer, Cherry, and her client Kelsie, who suffers from PTSD, with SDIT, Choxi!

“Had a wonderful training session with Kelsie and sweet Choxi this evening! We met at Bill Millers restaurant. Choxi recognized me instantly, which touched my heart. Even so, I still asked Kelsie if it was ok to pet her because although I was also Choxi’s rescuer as well as her trainer, she is now Kelsie’s SDIT and I had to respect that. Kelsie, however, allowed me to pet sweet Choxi and after our hello’s, we went into the restaurant.

Kelsie showed me Choxi’s perfect heel as we walked through the restaurant, and Choxi sat patiently by her as she stood and read the menu. After choosing what we wanted, Choxi walked again in a great heel to the table and settled down quietly under her chair. There was very little room in the tightly crowded tables and chairs and the table legs made it impossible for Choxi to go under the table, but Kelsie gave her the down command and Choxi complied beautifully, fitting underneath as much as she could!
During our meal, Kelsie and I chatted about the many benefits of having Choxi and how she had changed Kelsie’s life. “I cant see life without her now”, she told me.

Then she told me a story that had me in tears. Kelsie is a pastor at a hospital. One day while on duty, she went to give comfort to a family who had lost a family member. Two children were there grieving over the loss of their father. Choxi instinctively went to the children and nudged them with her nose. “The children stopped crying,” Kelsie said. “Although they were grief stricken, Choxi offered them comfort and they responded. She’s amazing.”

She also told me something equally as incredible. Choxi’s influence in the hospital has actually made the hospital director change his policy for staff with Service Dogs! “He’s now not only going to allow them, but he is going to encourage them!” Kelsie told me. Choxi is now the ambassador for changing hospital rules!!!

Kelsie is leaving for a while and returning in December, when she wants to have Choxi’s Public Access Test. “I think more people will miss Choxi than ME!” she said laughing.

Kelsie suffers from PTSD, and Kelsie said that Choxi has dramatically changed her anxiety levels to an all time low! Choxi gives snuggles and kisses on command as one of her three tasks, as well as ‘covering’ and alerting Kelsie when she’s going to have a panic attack.

The bond between these two is spectacular. I can’t wait for December to come so I can see these two again!”

WHAT A BEAUTIFUL STORY OF HEALING ALL AROUND, KELSIE, CHOXI, AND CHERRY!!!

Panic Attack, Psychiatric, PTSD, San Antonio, TBI, Texas, Veteran, Wounded Warrior

Wounded Warrior Christopher and SDIT, Shoeless Joe

A lovely update from trainer Beverly, who is working with Wounded Warrior Christopher and his awesome SDIT, Shoeless Joe!!

“We met at D&D feed store to review with Chris and Shoeless all the PAT skills to see where Shoeless is and what he needs work on. Since Chris had been heavily involved in his VA appointments and then had some back issues that took him away from working with Shoeless, we wanted to brush them both up on their skills. We trained for about 1 ½ hours reviewing the skills, refreshing his memory and reminding them both of what is required for a SD to pass the PAT. Shoeless picked up on all commands very quickly and did very well on the skills we practiced – sit, down, stay, leave it, heel, watch me, controlled entry and exit into stores and controlled load/unload into a vehicle. We worked heavily on his sit/down stays with distractions, enlisting the help of store employees who happily provided various distractions.

As always, Shoeless was a hit and did a great job not reacting to claps, squeaky toys, people walking by and petting him, stepping over him, etc.

The one area that Chris isn’t as comfortable with is eating out at a restaurant with Shoeless. Next weekend we plan to train again at D&D, then go to Chili’s restaurant to finish the session on restaurant skills. Chris will practice with Shoeless during the week, and I have no doubt that Shoeless will do fabulously next weekend! This picture is of Shoeless Joe doing a perfect down/stay even with his dad out of sight!”

Equipment, General, Mobility, San Antonio, Texas

SUCH A Special Client

We have SUCH a special client, words cannot even express how much working with this brilliant young man has inspired everyone at SDE. Travis is an extremely intelligent older teen who is confined to a wheelchair and cannot speak nor move. He has a special machine that he can use to speak. He requires around-the-clock care by his amazing family and nurses, but the one thing he CAN do – and we know this because we first saw it when he was matched by In Dog We Trust’s wonderful SDIT, Teddy, is SMILE!!!!! And he can LAUGH!!!! The family was having a difficult time finding a Service Dog for Travis because all the dogs they met were afraid of his wheelchair and other devices. But not Teddy! In fact, the minute Teddy first saw Travis, he ran to him and literally jumped up on his lap!! Cherry, who runs In Dog We Trust, started to say “Teddy – off!”, but Travis’ parents said “No! This is what we have been looking for!” And Travis’ smile and giggles were enough to make everyone cry tears of joy. After a long session, off they went – and Cherry’s last view of her rescue, Teddy, was of Teddy lying happily at the base of Travis’ wheelchair – ready to start his new life! MIRACLES HAPPEN!

Beverly is training with Travis and his family and Teddy, although the family has done so much training themselves, there is little to be done! Here is Beverly’s last write-up.

“Meridan, Travis’ mother, Travis, and his nurses have done a great job with Teddy so far! He already knows to sit when Travis makes his chair “Beep”, and Teddy is learning to walk beside Travis’s chair in a perfect “heel” position. He’s been learning “Up” to get up on the bed when someone pats the bed, (Travis and Teddy ALWAYS sleep together), so we added the computer voice to the command. Teddy is brilliant and picks things up very quickly. Since Travis is a bit nervous about feeding Teddy treats from his hand, he places the treat into a small dish they have affixed to the side of the chair. We worked with Teddy on “leave it” so he would learn to wait until Travis puts the treat into the dish and moves his hand to get the treat. Teddy did very well learning this, and it seemed to put Travis at ease. I discussed with Meridan how to work with Teddy on being more comfortable loading and unloading from the vehicle. In addition, we practiced “Up” to get Teddy up on the bed by the computer voice command and “Off” to get him to get off the bed. We used both the computer and my hand signal. Next session, we will work with Teddy on following Travis’s hand signals while someone assists with the voice commands from the computer.”

WHAT AN AMAZING, AMAZING YOUNG MAN, FAMILY, AND DOGGY!!!

The first picture is Teddy responding to the “beep” and keeping a watchful eye on Travis. The second picture is Teddy listening to “Travis” and awaiting his reward for being a “Good Boy”. Look at those smiles on Travis’ face!! I think Teddy is smiling, too!!!!

PS – I just had to add a comment. Looks like Travis has a thing for young ladies in bikinis!!! We could put a bikini on Teddy…..

Air Force, Army, Coast Guard, Depression, Marine, Military, Navy, PTSD, San Antonio, TBI, Texas, Veteran, Wounded Warrior

5 dogs for 5 Wounded Warriors

We at Service Dog Express have had a quite eventful and absolutely fulfilling experience the past two Saturdays! It started over a month ago, when one of our clients with his SD was attending the inpatient Wounded Warrior PTSD clinic at Laurel Ridge Psychiatric Hospital here in San Antonio. So many of the other Wounded Warriors there were astounded by this client’s SD, that we started getting phonecalls from the inpatients asking if they could obtain SDs.

Coordinating it all was extremely difficult, but over two Saturdays we were able to bring together our trainers, various fosters, rescues from In Dog We Trust, and a TON of dogs onto the unit to meet and greet all the potential clients. It was a tremendous success!! I’m sure the front lobby wasn’t too happy with the parade of hair most likely left from all the dogs we brought, but I am SO pleased to say that we matched up 5 dogs with these Wounded Warriors!!!!! It was like a grand opening shopping event!

The most amazing thing was to see how each warrior’s countenance and demeanor changed when the dogs were brought into the unit. Their sad eyes brightened, they were excited, frowns turned to smiles, as they petted and met each of the dogs. Even the staff seemed happier! So, the 5 new adopters will receive their dogs once they are released from the inpatient unit – all papers were signed – and we will train with them once they are released.

I wish I could have taken pictures, but it is against Laurel Ridge policy. Thank you to everyone who participated in these monumental days – and five new dogs now will have forever homes!!!!!

UPDATE 10 AUG:

Regarding the post above about Laurel Ridge. Those of you who posted such incredibly negative postings were uninformed and unaware of how this process worked. I will not waste my time justifying your hatred, I will only present the facts so you can be a little bit more “educated” about how this process worked.

We were sent client submission forms from several of these Wounded Warriors who are in the TRANSITION unit at Laurel Ridge. The DOCTORS at Laurel Ridge who observed what a difference the SD, Sassy, had made with this one Wounded Warrior wrote PRESCRIPTIONS for these select Wounded Warriors for a Service Dog based upon what they observed in the healing process that took place between Sassy and his owner. They INVITED us to come. We did not initiate this. The warriors met the dogs on two separate occasions – which took hours and hours of work on behalf of our fosters, trainers, and the staff at Laurel Ridge. NONE of these inpatients received dogs while still inpatients. They were prescribed the dogs as part of the HEALING process when they are eventually released back into the civilian world. EVERY single dog that was chosen by a Wounded Warrior, again, with the ADVICE of their doctor or caseworker will not be receiving the dog until they are back home. Each Wounded Warrior who has chosen a dog has also been assigned a TRAINER from Service Dog Express to follow-up with them on training and helping them reintegrate into society just as we do any other Wounded Warrior who comes to us seeking the healing aid of a Service Dog. I don’t know where this term “contract” came up that many of you are referring to – the warriors simply chose a dog that they spent several hours with accompanied by a trainer to see if it were a good fit – and if they decided, again, along with their doctors or caseworkers that the match was well made, the ADOPTION papers were signed so that each warrior was properly matched with their dog. In addition, all dogs, no matter how far along in their Service Dog training they were (ALL now basic commands), were DONATED to these Wounded Warriors. No “money” was made off of this for any of us. We all did this out of the goodness of our hearts and because we, again, were INVITED by Laurel Ridge. In fact, we have been invited back AGAIN to work with some more Wounded Warriors in the female unit who will be transitioning back into civilian life because the DOCTORS and CASEWORKERS were so impressed with the high caliber of dogs we brought and how carefully we assessed each warrior and the dog they chose – again – ALL GIVEN PRESCRIPTIONS BY THEIR PHYSICIANS OR CASEWORKERS for this incredible experience to heal with a Service Dog by their sides. And I am NOT going to delete and ban all you naysayers until you have had a chance to read this – because you have ALL missed the point. What we have done at Service Dog Express by helping these Wounded Warriors is given them hope and joy – if you had been there to see the way their faces lighted up when they realized they could benefit from a Service Dog – the literal tears of joy – you would all be saying the exact OPPOSITE of what you posted and “shared”. These Service Dogs will, as always, be part of the healing process for these men and women who are now going back home, many alone, to civilian life – and their spirits have been uplifted by knowing that they will have a “Battle Buddy” by their side. Again, these dogs, who we normally charge adoption fees for because of the amount of training we have put into them, were given to these men and women for FREE. Maybe you all should be looking at the fact that more lives will be SAVED because of what we did – it was in all respects a labor of love for all of us involved – instead of focusing on the ridiculous comments that imply we did this to “make money” or to “prey on vulnerable people”. If you have issue with this, ask the doctors and caseworkers who finally thought “out of the box” and realized by actually SEEING the healing power of these dogs – and prescribed them for our amazing warriors to help them in their new lives. So, from what has been written below, it seems that everyone who posted such vulgar and uninformed posts would rather see our valiant men and women rely on drugs and get shoved out into the world back into loneliness and reliance upon drugs and other unhealthy methods to “cope” instead of knowing they will have a highly trained and continuously trained Service Dog to be by their sides. All I can say is shame on you. You care more about what you “think” Service Dog Express cares about – money, publicity, etc., than actually what we DO care about – and that is enhancing the lives of all of those who can benefit from a Service Dog. Shame on you.

ADA Rights, Denied Service, Medical Alert, Panic Attack, PTSD, San Antonio, Texas

Discrimination from the DMV, San Antonio

1 Comment

Ah…more discrimination from the DMV, San Antonio:

Babcock Driver License Office of San Antonio, Texas
1258 Babcock Road
San Antonio, TX 78201

To whom it may concern:

I have tried many times to contact you by phone, but I always get a busy signal. I am a Service Dog trainer, and my client is due to take her driver’s test on the 11th. My client has a Service Dog, Sea-Jay, who must be present with her at all times due to her medical condition – Sea-Jay is a medical alert dog. Sea-Jay is also a fully-trained Service Dog who is completely laid-back and absolutely friendly.  My client was told that none of the female evaluators would be willing to go with her for her driver’s test because of the dog in the back – and that she would have to go with a man. My client cannot be around men she does not know – it is part of her disability. For you to deny her access to a female evaluator based upon the presence of a Service Dog is considered harassment of a Service Dog and harassment of a Service Dog handler, a misdemeanor in the state of Texas.

If you do not allow my client to take her driver’s test with a female, I will be reporting you to the police for this misdemeanor.

You may call me at any time at the phone number below.

Laurie A. Gawelko, M.S.
210-201-3641

Anxiety, Army, Depression, Equipment, General, Military, Psychiatric, PTSD, San Antonio, TBI, Texas, Veteran, Wounded Warrior

Wounded Warrior Brian and SDIT Cassie

An update from trainer Beverly, who is working with Wounded Warrior Brian and his SDIT, Cassie!

” Part 1: Since Brian and his wife are staying at the Fisher House on base to treat his medical issues, we met at the park near SAMMC to work on basic skills. Brian had been spending a lot of time with Cassie for bonding purposes, and they have become very close! Cassie is doing well with “sit”, “down”, and “heel”. We practiced “watch me” and, while she knew what she needed to do, distractions (squirrels and the occasional runner) interrupted her focus a little more than usual. Brian and Cassie will continue to bond and work on these basic skills, especially “leave it” and “watch me”.

Part 2: We tried introducing Cassie properly to another SDIT, who also needs a bit of work on socialization skills, but they’re both young and fed off each other’s energy too much; so we will try introductions with an older, more “seasoned” dog to reassure both dogs and build their confidence, while also teaching Cassie to reign in some of her excitement. We will also be trying the Adaptil DAP collar for calming.

Brian will continue to work on Cassie’s basics and building their bond through more touch and vocal reassurance. Next session, we will work more on “down” and “stay.”

Anxiety, Army, Depression, Military, PTSD, San Antonio, Texas, Veteran, Wounded Warrior

Great Self-Training…DUDE!

A lovely update from trainer April, who started working with Mike, a Wounded Warrior who suffers from anxiety, depression, and possibly PTSD, and his SDIT, “Dude”! Yes, that’s the dog’s awesome name – “Dude”!!!

“I had a wonderful first meeting and training with handler Mike and his super German Shepherd, “DUDE”. Mike has already taught Dude a lot of basic obedience. I was very impressed. Dude can sit, stay, down, come, leave it, wait, etc. We worked on the proper way to load and unload in a vehicle. We went over what is needed to pass the PAT test and what Mike and Dude can expect in our training together. I answered basic questions Mike had about Service Dogs and I was able to see were this team is in training and what is needed to complete the training. We walked up and down the side walk in a good heel. We stopped every so many steps and did a “sit” and “watch me”, and then continued on. Dude is a true GSD. Dude LOVES to work and please Mike. Dude has a favorite sitting spot on the couch with Mike. Actually, Dude sits ON Mike when he lays on the couch. Dude is toy motivated and treat motivated, so that makes it nice also.

I am really excited to be working with this team. It won’t take long for Mike and Dude to get ready to pass the PAT test. This team is already to start their in-public training. We are going to start out at a Petsmart and get used to the noises, smells and distractions and see how Dude is with other dogs. Then, we will move down to Target to see how this team does in a store.”

GREAT SELF-TRAINING, MIKE AND DUDE! WHAT A WONDERFUL BOND YOU TWO SHARE!

Anxiety, Army, Equipment, Military, Psychiatric, PTSD, San Antonio, Texas, Veteran, Wounded Warrior

Update on Wounded Warrior DJ

An update from our trainer, Beverly, who is working with Wounded Warrior DJ, who suffers from PTSD, and SDIT, Tabitha!

“Part 1: Tabitha was able to stay seated to “greet” me without getting overly excited and jumping up for much longer than during previous sessions! We are working on her socializing skills with other dogs, as she tends to get very excited, so at our next session, we will have her meet an older, mellow dog, to build Tabitha’s confidence and teach her proper social skills. DJ is a bit hesitant to take her out with her vest due until she starts to become more comfortable with new dogs and people and stays calmer.

I also took the suggestion from Laurie at SDE to purchase the Adaptil DAP (Dog Appeasing Pheromone) collar for Tabitha to wear at all times. Dog Appeasing Pheromone (DAP) is a chemical developed to calm dogs suffering from separation anxiety disorder, astraphobia (fear of thunder and lightning), fear of fireworks, or those with excessive barking problems. The chemical is a synthetic analogue of a hormone produced by nursing canine mothers that promotes calm and secure behavior and in establishes a bond with the mother. It is absolutely safe, and also comes in a spray form for your dog’s bed and vest, or as a plug-in diffuser. It has come highly recommended by many veterinarians, and can be purchased at amazon – http://www.amazon.com/Adaptil-Appeasing-Pheromone-Collar-Medium/dp/B000HPVH78. Laurie has seen it work wonders on hyperactive, nervous dogs.

Part 2: After Tabitha had worn herself out a bit, she did very well with her “down/stay” and meet and greets with new people. Her energy level, though high, certainly workable, so we will be working on teaching her “self-control” and getting her to engage more with DJ.

We also worked on “leave it” games and “touch” to help her engage in her training and focus on DJ more intently. Tabitha already has a solid “sit”, “down”, “sit/stay”, “heel”, “leave it”, and “watch me”.

We are planning for a weekend intensive session to get Tabitha to a place where DJ feels more comfortable taking her out in public more! Laurie also suggested that DJ reminds himself that the vest gives a dog a sense of security, much like the concept behind the “Thunder Shirt”, available at any pet store – so, if he does not feel comfortable taking her out yet in a vest, he could benefit from getting Tabitha a Thunder Shirt to wear to help her get used to that secure feeling.

Agoraphobia, Anxiety, Army, Experience, General, Military, Panic Attack, Psychiatric, PTSD, San Antonio, Texas, Wounded Warrior

William and Dallas Were Amazing!

What a WONDERFUL first public session for William, an active duty Wounded Warrior, and his gorgeous dog, Dallas!!  William was a medic for 16 years, and suffers from PTSD as a result.  However, he has chosen to continue working teaching other medics from his vast experience and knowledge base!  What courage and loyalty!  Yes, explaining what he saw in battle is difficult for him when he is teaching, but those he teaches get the extra benefit of being with someone who was actually there.  Sometimes, William has to take some pretty deep breaths talking about his difficult experiences to his men – he pretty much relives those experiences every day.  There is little time for healing when you’re still exposed to the battle wounds every day.  His schedule is erratic, and each day he has to wake up at different times, as early as 4, work long shifts, and the next day, his schedule might be totally different.  Of course, this also affects his natural sleep cycle, giving his mind little respite from having the chance to fight of night terrors.  So this is a particularly interesting challenge – training a Service Dog while the handler is still active duty.  William does an exceptional job at work, but when he comes home, he is plagued by the same PTSD that other Wounded Warriors suffer – fear of crowded places, anxiety with strangers around, loud noises, etc., and this frustrates him.  His beautiful family explained that his frustration often makes him depressed or angry, and keeps him from doing things with the family outside the home.  Well, from what I saw on our first public outing, I don’t think it’s going to be long until he, SDIT Dallas, and William’s family will be out enjoying the world together again!

Of course, I was so excited to see Dallas, as he is a mere 9 month-old Mastiff, now one of my all-time favorite breeds, and is as big as a small horse!  Dallas is full of nothing but gentleness, love, and is smart as a whip.  Seriously – you tell this dog something once, and he LEARNS it.  His eye contact is amazing.  So when I arrived at William’s house, at about the most busy time for a Petsmart visit, I knew William would be a little nervous – but off we went!!

WILLIAM AND DALLAS WERE AMAZING!!!!!  Words can’t even describe how exceptional both of them were at Petsmart – with dogs everywhere, people in awe of Dallas’ beauty crowding around, and strangers approaching us at every turn asking about Dallas’ breed.  We DID manage to find plenty of time to do serious training in quite spots, and spent a long time there, but it was worth it. I had to ask William a few times if he was doing OK, because the amount of attention they received was unbelievable.  There was a woman who worked for dog food company that I have seen at many Petsmarts, and although very friendly, she didn’t quite get the concept of Service Dog training.  For example, she would follow us around  asking if she could watch the training, and we would allow a little bit, but then I would say “Now, we REALLY have to focus on this part, so we will need total privacy”.  She was very kind.  Then, at one point, we turned the corner and there were literally about 6 adults and maybe 8 children that she had “gathered” together to see if we could “educate them” about Service Dogs!!  The look on William’s face was like he had seen a ghost!  So I asked William if he wanted to do this – after all – here we were facing one of his greatest anxiety-provokers – but like the champ he is, he said he might as well start learning!!!

So I talked to the “audience” about how Service Dogs work, how they are very highly-trained dogs, and that anytime you see someone with a dog in a vest like Dallas’, be sure to READ if the vest says “Please ask to pet me” or “Do not pet”.  The children asked, “What does Dallas do for you, sir?”, and I looked at William and asked if he wanted me to answer or if he wanted to answer.  He was taken a bit off guard, so I told the children that Dallas helps his dad with “special medical tasks”.  Then, of course, they all asked, one by one (even the parents), “May we please pet your dog?”  William said yes, and one-by-one, with me making sure they knew to always pet a new dog UNDER the chin, they stepped up and did just that – giggling, loving it, and the parents did the same – in awe of how Dallas was so gentle and stayed in a “sit” position the whole time.  It really was beautiful, and I think William felt very proud – not just of Dallas, but of himself.  I know I was.

Quite training was flawless.  Dallas knows “sit”, “down”, a perfect “heel”, “watch me”, “sit/stay”, “down/stay”, “wait” before entering doors (had to remind William of that), “controlled load and unload”, and even did natural “covers”.  Dallas had no startle response whatsoever to created distractions, and could stay in a “heel” when William dropped the leash.  Dallas did several meet and greets with tiny, barking dogs and big barking dogs, and Dallas just stood there and did his sniffing and carried on.  It was truly remarkable.  I showed William several techniques for carrying out these commands, first doing them myself, and then having William do them.  William learned very easily.  I think he felt a bit unsure that Dallas would perform for him as well as he did with me, but Dallas proved him wrong!!

When we were done, I congratulated William profusely, and asked him when was the last time he had spent that much time (about 2 hours) in a crowded public setting.  He shook his head and said, “I couldn’t even tell you”.  I made sure he realized what a true triumph he had just accomplished – and to focus on that every time he started to feel depressed between sessions – that he CAN do it, and he has the most wonderful, beautiful, slobbery companion at his side that will continue to help him achieve more and more!!!

Bipolar, Houston, Hypoglycemia, Medical Alert, Texas

Caden and Cole

SO, SO PROUD of Caden and Cole, with now Service Dog, Axel!!!!! On my trip to Houston, I had the AMAZING pleasure of meeting the entire family. Mom, Kendra, is brilliant and SO good at multitasking – I was literally watching her in awe! 8 year-old Cole has been diagnosed with bipolar disorder, so Axel has been training with him and his mother to help stabilize his moods. As a happy “by-product”, Axel has also alerted naturally to younger son Caden’s hypoglycemia! We did the Public Access Test, and I was literally blown away by how incredible a trainer mom Kendra is. Axel performed every single command to perfection – and Kendra is so smart and intuitive that she can give commands to Axel verbally or using hand signals so quickly and efficiently while walking with Cole that I literally asked her if she had considered becoming a dog trainer. She has a lot on her plate, but again, Axel and Cole, with the constant supervision of Kendra, performed everything perfectly. Axel calms Cole when he is upset, applying deep pressure, alerts when Cole is having “episodes”, alerts to Caden’s hypoglycemia, and always has his eye out for where Cole is to ensure his safety. It was a fascinating experience and I am SO very proud of this family and their new Service Dog, Axel!!!!!