Equipment, Experience, General, Hearing

Some pretty neat people in this world, aren’t there?

I couldn’t be prouder of all of you. You’re all such compassionate, caring people – friends, not just clients. I have to make a comment, however, on one friend/client (who shall remain nameless due to her beautiful humility). This woman, brilliant and as kind as they come, had a budding career at the age of 35 as an Industrial Engineer. While overseeing the construction of a bridge, a truck lost control and ran through the site, forcing her to plunge many, many feet flat on her back into the water below, breaking her back and ending what was sure to be an extremely promising career. Although she suffers with almost daily severe migraines and pain, she has not an ounce of negative energy about her. She gets by with the supportive love of her husband, and the beautiful, deaf SDIT bulldog that she rescued because no one wanted her. She has trained this dog to know almost every command using American Sign Language, and the dog is perfect in public. Every day, their bond is getting stronger and stronger. When this client is about to get a migraine, she experiences vertigo. She has fallen in the past. Well, the other day, she called to tell me that her dog did something miraculous. The client was feeling fine, and the next thing she knew, her dog alerted her and pressed it’s body up against hers tightly – just seconds before this client experienced a severe bout of vertigo. The dog broke her fall, and saved the client from falling all the way to the ground. The dog also stood there by her side until she used the dog to brace and regain her balance, then led her to bed, where the dog stayed by her side as the migraine set in and wouldn’t leave. When the client told her husband what had happened when he arrived home, his eyes filled with tears because he now knew that he did not have to feel so worried about his wife falling while she was alone – and that she had a perfect companion who would not leave her side when she was ill.

It doesn’t surprise me that this dog loves her “mom” so very much. Not only did she rescue her from sure euthanasia, but she gives her so much love and respect every day – even believing that although she was deaf, she could learn to be a Service Dog for the mom’s specific needs. THAT is love. Well, this woman, who again shall remain nameless (but I’m sure if you read earlier posts, you will recognize her – she can’t and shouldn’t go unnoticed!) drove to our partner non-profit rescue, www.in-dog-we-trust.com, run by Cherry Jenkins, a good 40 minute drive, and opened up her trunk, saying, “Come with me – I have something for you”. Inside were bags of dog food, leashes, collars, harnesses and a box of brushes. “Its all for you” she said. Cherry wrote, ” I’m still thinking I’m going to wake up in a minute and I just dreamed it!!” This dear client has also established a $100 donation to In Dog We Trust to be repeated every month.

Some pretty neat people in this world, aren’t there?

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!!!!!

Anxiety, Fibromyalgia, Mobility, Pain Management, Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy

Every dog has a unique skill

1 Comment

Another wonderful and challenging experience while training in Houston! Service Dog training, while I consider it, for me, to be the best job in the world, has many ups and downs – and you learn, especially with each down, something new. Having done this for so long, I have the battle wounds to remind me of the downs – which I actually consider learning experiences. I have so many scars – bit marks, severe scratches, a broken hand, broken fingers – you name it – but each one has served as a learning lesson to me. With this particular loving, gentle client, Marissa, who has severe Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy (RSD) at such a young age, her painful nerve condition leaves her living every day in constant pain. Marissa also has anxiety issues, which is understandable because when she goes out in public, which isn’t often due to her unstable gait, she uses either a cane, walker, or wheelchair.

When I arrived at Marissa’s house, I was greeted by the most beautiful, massive dog, and Marissa in her wheelchair. The dog started barking at me, and Melissa didn’t know why. She was literally dumbfounded, and said “Titan” had never barked like that at anyone. I hadn’t even entered the house. I peered into the house and saw a very young toddler crawling on the floor about 15 feet behind us – her family was there visiting from close by – and remembered an “incident” I had had years ago with a normally passive German Shepherd. I said to Marissa, “Just close the door, I’ll stay here, and put the baby in another room or have the mom take the baby out of the house. The family decided to leave so we could work in peace, out came the mom and baby, and after they left, I rang the doorbell again. This time, “Titan” had nothing but kisses and hugs and licks and rolling onto his back in a submissive position instantly. It was like a completely different dog. That’s the protective nature of the Cane Corso, and although we want Titan to be protective, he had to learn when it was appropriate and when it was inappropriate.

That being said, Marissa and I talked about many techniques to correct this behavior so that is Marissa gives the command to Titan that whoever is at the front door is fine, he must immediately be welcoming. It will take a lot of reinforcement and practice for Marissa, and she will have to engage many others to help her in this process of ringing the doorbell, creating a space between the front door and the inside of the house that Titan CANNOT overstep, and overall working on creating boundaries both mentally and physically for Titan so that he is not punished for his natural well-meaning tendencies, but reining them in so that they are used appropriately.

For example, Titan knows all the Public Access Commands. This is a brilliant breed and he is a brilliant dog. We spent about 4 hours in the house making sure he could do all of that, and worked on bracing and covering for Marissa due to her disability. Titan was super. However, I received an email from Marissa the other day saying that Titan had gotten too good at covering – and although she definitely needed him to be able to do the command when out in public or in the house, he would cover standing with his body stock still in front of her, touching her legs (appropriate and needed for dogs that cover for emotional disabilities), but the touch of his body on her legs caused her nerve pain. So we went over a modified cover, where the dog is still in front of her, but at a slight distance away.

It’s truly amazing to see how different disabilities require such important but easy “tweeking” of commands and helpful behaviors. We always have to remember that every single client is different, even if the “disability” is the same – and every dog has a unique skill set that can be used for good or bad. Of course, after the long training session was over, Titan and I were snuggling and gently wrestling on the floor between drool drops (not from me!), but it was such an eye-opening experience for both Marissa and Titan, I hope. Marissa has since reported that Titan is doing perfectly in public, heeling, walking beside her wheelchair, adjusting to her gait without the wheelchair, and acting as the perfect Service Dog he will very soon be!!!!

Marissa has a never-give-up kind of spirit that is just outstanding. She has a 1 year-old Cane Corso as her mobility and anxiety SDIT. A member of the Mastiff family, the Cane Corso The Cane Corso is not recommended for novice dog owners. As a puppy, it requires strong leadership and consistent training. Its natural instinct is to be suspicious of strangers and for this reason it is highly encouraged to begin socialization as soon as possible. Ideally, the Cane Corso should be indifferent when approached and should only react in a protective manner when a real threat is present. Otherwise, the breed is highly intelligent, and easily trained. As a large and athletic breed, they need a lot of exercise. They are affectionate and extremely loyal to their owner, and bond closely with children and family.

Austin, Experience, General, Texas

Public Access Test Session

From our wonderful trainer in Austin, who has been working with client Lucia and her SDIT, Lily!
“Hi Laurie!

Lucia and Lily did a mock Public Access Test session yesterday at Target! We went through everything according to ADI standards, and Lily did phenomenal!

We have set a date for next Sunday to do the official PAT at a shopping center that has a Starbucks, Petsmart and other shops. We will plan to do this for a couple of hours and go into different environments.

Here are some pictures!”


CONGRATULATIONS, DEAR LUCIA AND LILY!!!! YOU WILL DO WONDERFULLY ON SUNDAY! JUST REMEMBER NOT TO BE NERVOUS – THERE IS NO NEED TO BE, AND IF YOU ARE NERVOUS, LILY WILL KNOW IT!

 

ADA Rights, Denied Service

Remember these 3 steps if you are denied entrance

To all clients – very important information. We, of course, have all had incidents perhaps where we were denied entrance with our SDs. It’s CRUCIAL that you remember these three steps if you are denied entrance.
1) Tell the person in charge that this is a Service Dog, and it is against Federal law to deny entrance.
2) If that doesn’t work, call your trainer or call me (210) 201-3641 to have us talk to the manager.
3) Call the police. They are well-versed in Service Dog accessibility. And make sure you notify the person in charge that you are calling the police and do it IN FRONT OF THEM. 911. Let them know it is a Federal offense and they will be charged with a misdemeanor and fined – in some states, it’s a felony.
You have to take these steps and stand up for yourselves and your SDs. Don’t leave. Do what is right. If you don’t have an ID for your SD with the Federal Laws on it, go to the Active Dogs site below and make sure you keep one of these cards or more on you at all times.

Autism, Houston, Texas

Congrats to JT and SD Maggie

A HUGE CONGRATULATIONS TO J.T. AND MAGGIE, IN HOUSTON, WHO PASSED THEIR P.A.T! I had the wonderful fortune of meeting 4 year-old J.T., who has autism, and his amazingly brilliant, dedicated, and kind parents in Houston to give J.T. and his now SD Maggie their final test. It was an incredible experience watching how much they have taught Maggie, how receptive she is to J.T., and how much of a difference their lives have changed as a result of being together! We went to Petsmart, and J.T. and Maggie were perfect – J.T. holds onto Maggie’s handle on her vest, and if J.T. starts to wander off, J.T.’s parents (always one of them present) give the command to hold on to Maggie, and J.T. does! Maggie herself knows all the dog commands beautifully, and is not distracted by anything. Her focus is always on J.T. If J.T. wanders off a bit, the parents just have to tell Maggie to “find the boy” and Maggie will lead them right to J.T. We also trained at Kohl’s, and it was just as wonderful. J.T. would walk next to Maggie, and if J.T. started to wander a bit, Maggie would instantly be by his side. We played some hide and seek games in the toy department of Kohl’s, and had so much fun. J.T. was enthralled by some of the toys at Kohl’s, and Maggie never left his side – no matter how long he looked! When J.T. has a bit of a meltdown, (which have decreased since having Maggie), J.T. tends to curl up in a ball on the floor – and Maggie will just step over him with her body covering him and J.T. calms down so much more. I am so proud of all the hard work this family has done, and feel absolutely confident that things will just get better and better for VERY smart J.T. and VERY smart SD Maggie! Again, congratulations!!!!!

 

Cerebral Palsy, Medical Alert, Psychiatric

A Better Training Day

From trainer Letty, who is working very hard with dear Brayton, who has multiple disabilities including Cerebral Palsy, and his SD, Midas. The last session was difficult, but this one went very well! Letty writes:

” We had a great training with Brayton and SD Midas today! We spent half our time at Kohl’s, and then spent a little time at Wendy’s. At Kohl’s, we worked on gait and controlled heeling. Brayton was able to walk between two SDs (my SD, Bentley) while maintaining control over his SD Midas with out stumbling or tripping! While walking slowly, Brayton does a wonderful job!

At Wendy’s, while SD Midas was under the table and Brayton was enjoying a Frosty, I was able to look at a flip book that Brayton’s amazing mom made. In it, she has pictures and an easy explanation of cues and reactions that Brayton uses for SD Midas. This flip folder was created to help Brayton’s teachers easily understand SD Midas and help with Brayton’s daily functioning.”

THIS IS WONDERFUL NEWS, BRAYTON AND MIDAS! GREAT TRAINING, LETTY, AND WHAT A WONDERFUL MOTHER BRAYTON HAS!

We are in “conversations” with Brayton’s school, Judson ISD, because, while they are excited to have the “first” SD at their school, they have also written that they feel they should not be expected to give queues to Brayton to help him with Midas. Not only does Brayton have CP, but he has limited vision and some learning disabilities. Of course, Service Dog Express feels that Judson ISD should be able to help Brayton with Midas, especially now that Brayton’s mother has written a detailed description of how to help facilitate this process in the special classes Brayton attends. So far, they have written that they feel they should not have to help with these queues. Well, that doesn’t sit well with Service Dog Express! So, we will be having a meeting on Tuesday with many of the staff at Judson ISD – I will most likely have to be on teleconference, and trainer Letty as well – but if they want the “honor” of having the first Service Dog to attend their school, they MUST be willing to assist Brayton with his queues for Midas. It’s their job. Please wish us luck!!! Brayton deserves this!!!!

General

Brandi And Her Son Alex

From our trainer Beverly, who is working with mom Brandi and her son, Alex, who has autism. They chose a wonderful dog, Will, who has been fostered and trained by Beverly.

“At our first session, I discussed with Brandi any concerns she had. Brandi states that Will does wonderfully with Alex, but she would like for him to go to Alex more if he has a meltdown and stay with him. She will work with Will by keeping him on a leash and bringing him to Alex if she notices him getting upset (before meltdown level), and engage Alex with Will by having Alex pet Will and encouraging Will to lick Alex to sense his body chemistry and to calm Alex.

I showed Brandi and Alex the “Leave it” game to practice with Will and how to work on “Watch Me” with him. Will already knows “sit”, “heel”, and how to “give kisses” to dear Alex.

Brandi is receiving funding from Any Baby Can to help with the training of Will. They are a wonderful organization, and we are grateful for their assistance!

Next session, we will take Will to Petsmart and work on store skills.”