Anxiety, Experience, PTSD, San Antonio, Texas

Brenda and Bailey

From our trainer, Andrew, who is working with Brenda and her SDIT, Bailey. Brenda suffers from severe PTSD and anxiety.

This was my first session with Brenda and Bailey. As I entered the house, Bailey immediately began to show fear and panic. I got down on all fours, then onto my belly and took to soothing her in a submissive position. Brenda handed me a bag full of hot dogs. I worked on training eye contact and relaxation. Bailey is a smart dog, fully capable of becoming a Service Dog, but Brenda and myself both agree that if she is unable to overcome the fear of others in two more sessions, then Brenda will begin searching for another dog to be her Service Dog. Bailey did show positive signs of acceptance by the end of our session, so I am hopeful for her. The poor girl just needs some gentle training to help build that confidence in the real world.

At our second session, we worked a little more on Bailey’s acceptance of me. We worked outside, and Bailey showed more submission to my presence. In the past, Brenda has taken Bailey to a facility for training. It appears that the methods this organization used more than likely stifled Bailey’s confidence. Apparently, they use electronic collar training, which Service Dog Express would NEVER use because it is a form of negative reinforcement and instills fear in any dog. I believe that Bailey is afraid that she will have to endure more of this abusive form of training when she sees me. To try and counteract this, I bring lots of treats and use lots of slow motion praise. At the next session, we will determine whether or not we are going to use Bailey as a Service Dog or not. If she is able to overcome this fear, then we will proceed; if not then we will look for another dog. It is a true shame that such a wonderful dog with so much potential had to endure this former training.

Military, Mobility, San Antonio, TBI, Texas, Veteran, Wounded Warrior

Wounded Warrior Jose and Dixie

From our trainer, Andrew, who is starting training with Wounded Warrior, Jose. Jose has a TBI and left side weakness. His balance is off on uneven surfaces, and he says that “feeling the wet nose of my dog always calms me down.”

“This was my initial session with Jose and his SDIT, Dixie. Dixie is a very smart lab mix, and she learns extremely quickly. When I met her, she had already learned “sit” and “down”, and responds to the words without a need for a hand gesture. Jose and I discussed the difference between “wait” and “stay”, and we went over some proper leash maneuvers. I introduced them to the game “take it” to make their sessions fun, and we worked on teaching the Dixie to sit when we stop walking and before entering a door. Both Jose and Dixie are very enthusiastic about the work we have begun, and I foresee accomplishing our Public Access Test very quickly.”

Autism, Houston, Texas

Caleb and SDiT Anna

From our trainer Kendra in Houston, who is training with Dera and her son Caleb, who has autism.

“Dera and her son Caleb had a meet and greet today. I found this beautiful dog, Anna, at my local high kill shelter after an assessment. It went perfectly! Anna bonded amazingly with them. She played with Caleb, and sniffed him on multiple occasions. Caleb was nervous at first due to Anna’s size, but he warmed up to her quickly. Anna took to them like they were best friends! She is very gentle, and even let us brush her long coat. Anna already knows “sit” and “come”. I received an email from Dera that Anna is fitting right in at home! Neither one of us can believe that she has been in the shelter so long just because of her size. She will make one amazing Service Dog!

Dera wrote about the first trip home: I am sitting here is disbelief that this dog was at a shelter! On the car ride home, she was nervous with extra drool but laid on the floor of the car quietly even though the boys were all acting very excited to have her there. When we got home, we kenneled our dog, Bear, to let Anna explore the backyard, which went smoothly. We gave her a bath which helped a lot!

We introduced Bear with both dogs on leads. Bear was a little unwelcoming at first, but Anna was very good. After walking around the yard with both dogs on leash, we let them off. My neighbor’s very vocal and rowdy dog was out running the fence, which stirs Bear up. Anna got a little excited, so I went and stopped Bear from running and barking. Anna was very responsive. I told her to “leave it”, and she simply sat and looked at me!

We then came inside for lunch where we decided to put her in the kitchen until we have a chance to work more with her. The boys went down for a nap and we sat down to watch a movie. Anna will put her front paws on the couch, but we tell her off and then praise her when she sits.

Bear barked at the mailman, Anna perked up and paced a little, but no vocalizing! With training she is going to be amazing!

Apparently, Anna is also kennel trained. I led her in with her new Martingale collar, and she went right in and laid down. Kaleb has really started to take to her! He clipped her leash on and started his own training session! He would tell her “sit”, then gently push on her hips. When she would sit, he would ruffle her head with both hands and say “good girl”. He is a master at copying anything he sees. He saw me do this with Bear yesterday.

I CANNOT believe anyone would give her up!

Diabetes, Mobility, San Antonio, Texas

Desiree and Ollie

Desiree, who suffers from diabetes, and Laurie had a WONDERFUL time training at Target with her adorable St. Bernard mix, Ollie!! Ollie is just the most lovable dog imaginable! Everyone can’t help but just stop and ask to pet his adorable self!

Laurie writes:  Ollie did spectacularly at our Target session! He already has conquered “sit”, “down”, “sit/stay”, “down/stay”, “leave it”, “controlled entry and exit from a car and into buildings”, elevators, “heel”, “dropped leash heel”, and we exposed him to so many hilarious distractions at Target – I don’t think he’ll ever be afraid of anything!! (He was a little confused at all the huge TVs – but watched them like he was enjoying the show). We also got Ollie to maneuver perfectly with the motorized cart, which Desiree might need at times when her diabetes makes her lethargic or too tired to walk. He even had a ride on the big carts at Target and once he got used to it, he enjoyed the strange movement!! The more the dog is exposed to (and Desiree is very creative!), the more he will be able to keep his focus on Desiree if she starts experiencing symptoms.

Desiree is working at home on Ollie detecting her high sugar levels first. Ollie is alerting most of the time, but it’s not 100%, so we discussed ways to reinforce this. I suggested to Desiree that she put a small drop of something sweet on a spot on her arm – like a dab of honey. She should sit in another room with the arm lying next to her in an inconspicuous position. Ollie should be in another room held by Desiree’s fiance, then released when Desiree calls Ollie. He needs to come immediately to her, find the “sweet spot”, and first smell and lick it – then Desiree must encourage Ollie to “paw” at her arm as an alert. She should also practice by placing a drop of something sweet in her mouth, and doing the same method, have Ollie release to come to her and smell her breath, lick her, then move to pawing. Ollie should only be praised at this point when he starts the pawing.

Anxiety, Depression, Houston, Mobility, PTSD, TBI, Texas, Veteran, Wounded Warrior

Wounded Warrior Ed found his perfect SDIT, Casper

Congratulations to Wounded Warrior, Ed, who found his perfect SDIT, Casper!!! Ed was recently medically retired. He suffers from PTSD and TBI, anxiety, depression, light sensitivity, poor balance, and a bad memory. He takes multiple medications and has a hard time remembering when to take them. He is being seen at the VISOR clinic at the Debakey VA center here Houston. Ed will be training with our trainer Bo Hughes in Houston.

Kendra, our trainer in Houston, has been fostering Casper – and now he has found his forever home!

Bo writes:

“Ed and Casper seem made for each other! Ed’s wife Amber also fell in love with Casper! Training will begin soon!”

Austin, PTSD, San Antonio, Texas

Emmet and Daphne

I am so happy to say that our dear client, Emmett, who is a college student and suffers from severe PTSD, is doing a REMARKABLE job with his new SDIT, Daphne (rescued, vetted, and wonderfully cared for by Cherry Jenkins of In Dog We Trust). They have an AMAZING bond. Emmett is always so joyful when he talks about Daphne. Emmett is such a kind, compassionate, and intelligent young man, and Daphne just loves nothing more than snuggling with Emmett and looking at him with those gorgeous eyes!! Emmett is at school in Georgetown, TX, but his family lives here in San Antonio. So, we had our first training session when Emmett came down for Thanksgiving break. I was astonished at how knowledgeable Emmett was about dogs and Daphne in particular. We talked about diet, basic obedience (Daphne knows just about every command already), and Emmett said that Daphne is so welcomed at all his classes in school. He said Daphne behaves perfectly – and she is already helping with his PTSD tremendously. Emmett has such wonderful family support! We will train again when they come down for Christmas break – several times. Emmett has self-taught Daphne so many things already, and they are inseparable!

ADA Rights, Military, Mobility, PTSD, San Antonio, TBI, Texas, Veteran, Wounded Warrior

Wounded Warrior Jason and SD Cadence

Meet Wounded Warrior, Jason, who is recovering at Audie Murphy Poly-trauma Care Rehab after a motor vehicle accident. Jason already was on his way to be discharged to PTSD and TBI from several deployments. He just loves Boxers, and Amy, (now renamed “Cadence”), has been adopted by Jason as his Service Dog. Amy has already passed her Public Access Test with a former handler who could no longer keep Cadence, so our trainer Pat truly has to do is ensure that Jason and Cadence bond and that Cadence learns to walk successfully next to Jason’s wheelchair (he will not be in it once his leg heals), and to make sure that Cadence and Jason are able to learn as a team to do the Public Access Test together.

Currently, Jason’s doctor has not given the “OK” for him to have Cadence with him in his room while he heels, but I will speak to the doctor on Monday about this. Four months is a long time, and it would be perfect time for them to bond. It is strange, because this particular new hospital is huge, but there are only eight patients – all of whom are simply recovering and have no open wounds – and all eight patients want Cadence there all the time because she cheers them up! Cadence is allowed in the hospital with Pat, our trainer…so we will see!

In the meantime, Pat has been so kindly fostering and training Cadence herself, taking her to Walmart and all other places, where Cadence is still the same, wonderful Service Dog she was a year ago! Pat evens trains Cadence with a wheelchair, so she can get used to Jason’s.

Jason is absolutely wonderful. He is pursuing his Master’s Degree, and will return home once he is healed in about four months with Cadence by his side. They already love each other!!

Click Here For The Video

 

Experience, Houston, Medical Alert, Mobility, Multiple Sclerosis, Texas

Amy and SDiT Emma

From our trainer, Kendra, who is in Houston. She is working with Amy and her SDIT, Emma. Not so happy news.

“Amy just received the sad news that she has Multiple Sclerosis. She has been falling and getting hurt a lot. So, the family has decided that Amy needs a Service Dog the most right now, because if she falls while her husband is at work, she needs Emma to bring her the phone to call 911. Amy would also like Emma to help open and close doors, and be trained to work alongside a wheelchair for preparation when the MS brings her to that point.

At our session, Emma was not feeling well. We went to Petsmart just to have Amy and Emma get the feel of being in public together. Amy took Emma to the vet right after our session, and they discovered that she needed her anal glands expressed. So she is feeling much better now.”

I suggested to Kendra that Amy get a medical alert button to wear around her neck in case she falls. They have them at any Medical Device pharmacies. In addition, I explained to Kendra the “science” behind anal gland expression, impaction, and possible infection. While it does not seem like a pleasant topic to talk about, it is very important for all dog owners to be aware of this.

If you’ve seen your dog scooting across the room on his bottom, it could be a sign of anal sac disease. Dogs have two small pouches on either side of their anus. They make a smelly, oily, brown fluid that dogs use to identify each other and mark their territory. It’s why they often sniff each others’ behinds. Anal gland oils also help the defecation of hard stool. Anal sac disease begins as an uncomfortable impaction and can progress to an infection or abscess.

Symptoms that your dog needs to have his anal glands expressed are scooting, licking or biting its rear end, a bad smell coming from its rear, or constipation when trying to pass stool.

Normally, when a dog poops, the fluid in his anal sacs is squeezed out, too. It’s when they aren’t completely emptied that problems develop. The fluid inside can become so dry and thick that it plugs up the openings. This is called impaction. Thankfully, impacted sacs are easy to treat. The glands can be gently emptied, or expressed, with your fingers. You may have to do this regularly, and to save a trip, your vet can show you how. Our three dogs – Savage, Bonnie, and Molly, rarely need their glands expressed. But our beagle, Cherry, needs hers done about twice a month. Different breeds are prone to needing manual expression done more often. It is easy to do at home if shown by your veterinarian how to do it.

If your dog repeatedly has impactions, you vet may suggest adding more fiber to his diet. This increases the size of his poop, which puts more pressure on the sacs to empty naturally. If your dog doesn’t have a problem, there is no need for you to empty his sacs.

Left untreated, the impaction will turn into an infection. Look for yellow or bloody pus oozing from his sacs. This painful condition can cause your dog to act fearful or angry. Your vet will wash out the sacs and give your dog antibiotics. An untreated infection will develop into an abscess (a swollen, tender mass of puss) and could break open. Your vet will open and drain the abscess and usually prescribe antibiotics and anti-inflammatory drugs. Daily warm compresses can help, too.

If your dog keeps having problems, your vet may want to remove his anal sacs with surgery. It’s a simple procedure, but can result in complications like fecal incontinence (when his poop leaks uncontrollably).

ADA Rights, Anxiety, Depression, Panic Attack, San Antonio, Texas

Alex and SDiT Allie

From our wonderful trainer, Beverly, who began working with Alex, who suffers from severe anxiety and depression, and his SDIT, “Allie”.

“Allie is a super sweet dog who already goes many places with Alex, and has been his “emotional support” animal. Alex wants Allie to be a fully trained Service Dog to help with anxiety and panic attacks, bring him out of depressed moods, and remind him to take medications. Alex’s job as a realtor allows him to take Allie with him to most places, so she is already accustomed to “going to work.” During our training sessions, we discussed the importance of “high value treats” to get Allie to perform the necessary skills, especially when she is being a bit “stubborn”. We also discussed ADA laws, rules for Service Dogs, and the steps needed in the process for him and Allie to be a SD team. Alex will be training with both my son, Andrew and I to ensure we can get him through the process in a timely fashion. At our next session, we will work on the basic commands, such as “sit”, “down”, “stay”, and some fun games to engage Allie in play.”

Anxiety, Epilepsy, San Antonio, Seizure, Texas

Amanda and SDiT Diezel

Our trainer, Andrew, has had several training sessions with Amanda, who suffers from epilepsy and anxiety related to her fear of having seizures. Her SDIT is beautiful Diezel! Andrew writes:

At our first session, we began our session by walking around the block. Having Penelope, my little companion dog with me, I handed her to Amanda in trade for the big, beautiful Diezel! I worked on his heel, allowing the dog to correct himself when he pulled and rewarding Diezel for keeping the leash loose. This is also the beginning of teaching Diezel that when he is called, he needs to be in position, but when released he can go anywhere within the reach of the leash without pulling. After we finished our walk, we went inside the house and worked on “stays” and “waits”.

At our next session, Amanda made the trip to my house. At first, Diezel was very distracted all the scents of our horses, donkey, and many dogs, which was to be expected. We worked with Diezel on trying to keep his focus on the task at hand, and we rewarded him handsomely each time he remained focused. We worked on loose-leash walking and heeling with directional changes, trying to make the training firm but fun. By the end of our first session, Diezel was focusing so well on Amanda and was not very distracted at all!

We practiced “accept restraint” – a game used to desensitize a dog to various circumstances like a vet visit, or a grooming, or something simple like accepting training equipment. We also practiced what I call “take it”, where the handler tosses a treat for the dog to retrieve and then commands the dog to return. This game can be used to teach the dog to fetch a toy, then eventually personal items.

At the most recent session, we reinforced heeling maneuvers, focus, loose-leash walking, wait, stay, and take it. I had to remind Amanda a little bit about the importance of stepping off with the correct foot when beginning a walk or commanding the dog to stay/wait. I believe our body language speaks volumes to the dogs we are working with, far more so than our words, so it I absolutely imperative that we are consistent in not only the correct sequence of gestures, but way we hold ourselves with confidence and authority.

We have now reached the end of our obedience behaviors and from now on we will be working out in a real world environment to solidify, generalize, and strengthen our dogs working behavior and our bond with the animal. We will be learning “cover”, and whatever helps to soothe Amanda’s anxiety and stress. Both Amanda and her husband have confessed to me that they are very proud of the state of calm confidence that has been instilled into Diezel as a result of our training. In the beginning he was a big wrecking ball – unable to sit still and keep focus on anything, but at the end of our last session he was sitting calmly and confidently in front of them, fully receiving pets from them.