Here is the PERFECT match – Joseph, a compassionate, gentle, courageous Wounded Warrior who I have been working with for about a month. He saw Viva, who was rescued, fostered, and trained by Cherry Jenkins of In Dog We Trust. The meet and greet went wonderfully, and there was an instant bond between them. Joseph has served 5 years in the Air Force and the last two deployments left him with severe PTSD. Viva has already made a huge difference in his life; he said that she sleeps close to him in the bed and he feels comforted by her when he wakes. He has been working on all the commands with her, most of which she knows well, and he is a lot more comfortable going out into public because of her. He even takes her to work now, where she acts perfectly!! We thank Joseph for his service and wish him and Viva all the very best for the future, and will continue training until she has passed the PAT! Joseph’s goals for the future (he is still active duty but undeployable) is to go to college and work in the field of forestry!
Category Archives: Wounded Warrior
Spaying Katie
Please say prayers for dear 18 month-old husky, Katie, SD for the amazing WW Troy. Don’t worry – last update, she’s doing fine – but Troy had to make the agonizing decision about getting her spayed. As many of you already know, Troy’s life literally depends on Katie now, as she alerts to his seizures 32 minutes before they happen. His doctors have altered his medication based upon the incredible accuracy of Katie’s alerts, so that as soon as she does alert, he takes his medication and it begins working in 20 minutes. Troy has been seizure-free for 7 months now because of this – the longest he has gone since his injuries sustained in the military. Troy was very worried that spaying Katie might have some effect on her alerting abilities. So, I wrote to every ADI-accredited agency across the nation that specializes in epilepsy alert Service Dogs (I believe their were six). Each organization’s director was kind enough to answer my question with their opinion (and all were also amazed to hear Troy and Katie’s system) – and the consensus was overwhelmingly that he should go ahead with the spay. So, Katie was spayed and is healing now – let’s just send best wishes to Troy that the spay will have no effect on Katie’s alerting ability!
Training ‘Dallas’
What a truly AWESOME session with Wounded Warrior, William, who suffers with PTSD, and his incredible 9 month old “puppy”, Dallas! Dallas, an English Mastiff, has surpassed all expectations since the first time I met him, but this second outing at Walmart showed me just how INCREDIBLE a trainer his dad, William is!! Dallas knows all the basics – sit, down, sit/stay, down/stay, leave it, heel, load, unload, perfect heel, dropped leash walking, loves every child and adult he gently meets, and gets along with big, little, barking, or quiet dogs! I was literally in shock at our last session. While doing the usual things, I noticed William putting Dallas into automatic “covers”. I said, “We haven’t even taught you both that?!” William just grinned and said, “I’ve been doing my homework!” That’s an understatement! Not only can Dallas do covers from the front and sides (we will see about the back cover next time, but I’m sure it will be done before I even meet them again knowing William’s intelligence and diligence”). Dallas even stayed in a stay with William disappearing from view and only hearing his voice. He didn’t move a muscle. And he does it all without treats – even though we sneak them in sometimes. Dallas’ head and throat are so big he tends to spit out the training treats as if to say “Give me something bigger, dang it!” William is definitely getting more comfortable in public, as Dallas is consistently drawing attention everywhere he goes. He gets big hugs from little children, looks of awe from adults, and William is much more prepared for this amount of attention and is getting so much more comfortable interacting with others and explaining about Service Dogs. I tried everything I could to distract Dallas – even getting in a motorized scooter at Walmart and walking next to them to see if it fazed Dallas. I mean – I was RIGHT next to them – and Dallas just looked at it strangely a few times, but then was completely comfortable with it. Created loud noises were nothing to Dallas. I did manage to find ONE thing that challenged this amazing dog – finally!! A HULA HOOP!!! Dallas was a little “spooked” by it at first, so I twirled it all around him (probably making William feel awkward – he’s so kind and patient, though – what a champ) – and finally, we succeeded at Dallas decided to wear the hula hoop himself.
The only thing William and I talked about regarding any possible “issues” with Dallas were how to train when William is out in public with Dallas and William’s wife. We talked about how Dallas has to always take commands from William only when out in public, and Dallas’ watch me’s need to be consistently on William. William said that sometimes, Dallas will focus a bit more on his wife than on William when out, so our next outing will be training with the both of them.
I LOVE THIS DOG, AND I AM BLOWN AWAY BY WILLIAM’S TRAINING INSTINCTS!!!!
Scott met Milo
What a bittersweet day for Wounded Warrior, Scott, and Audrey and Nathan Maurer! Scott met Milo in person for the first time at Laurel Ridge last Saturday, after almost a month of waiting for him to be his new SDIT!! Audrey and Nathan, Milo’s former owners, were there to witness the meeting – and just as we expected, it was love at first sight for Scott, who had been waiting for so long to meet his new battle buddy! Scott had already studied the training manual and knew the commands inside out – and Milo knows them, too – thanks to the amazing work done by Audrey and Nathan! They just knew how special Milo was and felt he was destined for higher things. Their compassion and selflessness defies belief. On Tuesday, we all met at Petsmart – Scott drove down from Austin (where he will be training with our SDE trainer) – and Nathan came with Milo. It was so hard for Nathan and Audrey – they shed tears of sadness but also of joy knowing that they were giving someone else a new lease on life. After Nathan said his goodbyes to Milo, Scott and I shopped in Petsmart and got all the goodies Milo needs – his favorite food, training treats, a training collar, a reflective 4 inch Kong leash and collar (red, of course!), bowls, some toys, and the Maurers gave Scott Milo’s bed – a wonderful thing to use as a transition object to help 
with any separation anxiety. Milo was SO perfectly behaved in Petsmart – Scott was able to get him to sit, down, heel, stay, watch me, leave it, load and unload, and do meet and greets with other dogs and people without a hitch! Words cannot express how much this beautiful exchange means. On her FB site, Audrey wrote, “Sweet baby Milo is moving on to bigger and better things. He will start training as a Service Dog today. Although we will miss him terribly, we know this is the perfect thing for him. Of course we celebrated Milo with a hamburger from McDonalds, his favorite!” Of course, Scott was like a kid in a candy store – he couldn’t stop hugging and giving Milo hugs and rubs and praise – such 
joy!!!!! We can’t wait to see their beautiful future unfold! Scott posted a picture of Milo on FB, with the caption, “Probably the best thing that has ever happened to me.” Scott is in uniform on the right.
Check up with Maggie and Christopher
From our trainer, Beverly, who is keeping up with Wounded Warrior, Christopher, who suffers from PTSD, and his SD, Maggie.
“We reviewed Maggie’s basic skills since it has been a few months since she passed her PAT and Maggie did great. The bond between Maggie and Christopher is very apparent. She watches him in everything she does and follows his movements. Although she moves slowly (her normal demeanor is very laid back), Christopher says she can get playful at home; she is just not the excitable type. With the birth of their new baby (Piper Willis) last month, Maggie has done a fantastic job adapting to the new addition! Christopher wanted to work on “cover” for his upcoming trip to KS for a VA appointment. He says Maggie does very well at the airport and on the plane, except for take-off when she shows some anxiety and restlessness, but settles once the plane is in the air.
We practiced both front and back cover, as well as having her sit between his legs and look out when he is seated. Maggie picked up the skill fairly quickly and Christopher said he would be practicing with her daily until the trip.”
CONGRATULATIONS TO CHRISTOPHER AND HIS WIFE ON THE BIRTH OF PIPER!!! KEEP UP THE GREAT WORK WITH MAGGIE!
Cassie focusing more on Brian
From trainer Beverly, who is working with Wounded Warrior Brian, and his SDIT, Cassie! Brian is currently staying at the Fisher House while he receives medical treatment for PTSD and other issues.
“At this session, we worked on Cassie focusing more on Brian, amid distractions (squirrels, people, cars, etc.) Brian has been working on her with “down” and she is doing well. We did work on “place” to have her sit between his legs facing out whenever he’s sitting down in an area in which he feels anxious. Additionally, we worked on more of “watch me” and teaching her to pay attention to Brian even when she wants to watch the squirrel. I gave Brian some homework for he and his wife to work on with loading and unloading into the car. This is to get Cassie more comfortable with getting into the vehicle. We also discussed (and demonstrated) beginning to work on having her lay under the table when they eat and how to go about practicing in their quarters. We changed to a light weight prong collar for their walks, for now, to maintain the necessary control until Cassie becomes more adept at focusing on Brian.
Next session, we will be adding some relationship games to increase focus and attention on Brian. Otherwise, he says they are bonded and doing well!”
Cassie sits well and remains with Brian. She is very alert, which we will capitalize on to allow Brian to relax and know she will tell him if there is anything he should be aware of.
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!”
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.
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.”
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!