Anxiety, Austin, Depression, Epilepsy, PTSD, Texas

Paul and his SDIT Jill

From our Austin trainer Maddie, who had her second session with Paul and his SDIT, American Staffordshire Terrier Mix, “Jill”. Paul has had epilepsy that started when he was 21. He had no prior history of seizures. He continues to have seizures despite changing medicines and upping the dosages. Consequently, he’s always worried that he will have a seizure and has developed anxiety, PTSD, and depression. He has no physical limitations other than not driving due to epilepsy.

Maddie writes:

“Today was my first meeting with Paul at his home after he adopted Jill 2 weeks ago, giving them time to bond. It went wonderfully! Jill can already “sit”, “down”, “stay”, “load and unload out of a vehicle in a controlled manner”, “heels” well slightly behind Paul and never pulls, doesn’t have a prey drive or any desire to pull Paul to meet strange dogs, she “waits” and follows Paul through doors, loves kids and adults, and was perfectly fine when I had her leash as well. That is well over half the Public Access Test! However, we have to work on her “coming” when called. Paul and I think she has a history of abuse before being rescued… this is because she loves to give kisses and snuggle, but if you stand up and walk toward her or call her while standing she does not want to come. However, if you are sitting on the floor, she comes perfectly. We think that the standing person (being so much bigger than her) makes her scared. She also is frightened by loud, unexpected noises, but recovers quickly. We spent the whole session figuring out what her comfort zone was in relation to coming when called.

The only things to work on for the PAT are: “coming” when called, “leaving” food that is dropped, and continuing to “heel” when Paul drops the leash.

I noticed immediately that Jill seemed much less skittish than when she was first adopted from the shelter, and was very comfortable in her new home. Paul also took Jill to meet his family and their dogs. He said at the first meeting, she was overwhelmed and a bit intimidated by his parents’ Great Dane. But after getting to spend time together, they have become great friends! Jill has decided the Dane’s orthopedic bed is her own! And they love to play together in the yard. On top of this, last week Jill accompanied Paul to his office out of the house, and she was a gem the whole trip. Great job Jillybean!”

Paul’s homework is to work hard on having Jill “come” when called. He will start by calling her while sitting on the floor, then his knees, then sitting on the couch, then standing. Hopefully, with this slow change, she will begin to see she can trust him not to hurt her. She loves to snuggle with him so I know she loves her knew dad, she is just too nervous because of past experiences.”

Anxiety, Austin, Fibromyalgia, Military, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD), Texas, Veteran, Wounded Warrior

Wounded Warrior Krisia and her SDIT, Corgi “Bear”

From our trainer, Emmett, who had his fourth session with Wounded Warrior Krisia and her SDIT, Corgi “Bear”! Krisia suffers from severe anxiety, obsessive compulsive disorder, and fibromyalgia.

Emmett writes:

“Today, at Target, we worked on reinforcing Bear’s” sit/stay” and “down/stay”, as well as introducing Bear to blocking Krisia with “covers”. Krisia can become very anxious or pained (fibromyalgia) if strangers get too close to her. We are working on having Bear block (cover) on command in front of Krisia as well as behind her.

We also worked on having Bear heel through tight quarters, as well as having him do controlled meet and greets by several strangers. We also had two different willing strangers hold Bear’s leash while Krisia walked off in preparation for the Public Access Test.

Since our last session, Bear has improved tremendously!! He used to be a bit distracted in new environments, and would slide into a “down” when asked to sit and stay. He now (80% of the time) will stay in an upright, seated position when asked for a “sit/stay” which is HUGE progress. He also accepts treats much more politely now that Krisia has been working with him on that.

So far Krisia and Bear are doing wonderfully! They will be working on Bear’s “cover” while Krisia is visiting family in Puerto Rico.

Agenesis of corpus callosum (ACC), Central Texas, Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas

Lovely post from the mother of Jayna

A lovely post from the mother of Jayna, was born with a very rare medical condition called Agenesis of the Corpus Callosum, and her SDIT, “Brian”

“A successful end of the first day of school for Brian! The School Administrator wrote, “All is good. Brian is doing well. Jayna seems a bit distracted….but that will get better every day. The kids here have had Service Dogs before at school. They know they are not allowed to touch or talk to while he is “working” during school. That probably helps keep him calm, too. Brian knows what he is doing….smart dog. Jayna just needs more work with commands and how to give treats at right time. The thing to find out…….we have told kids while he has vest on…he is working which means no petting. Did the trainer say that when no vest on he knows that means playtime? Jayna is trying to play and tells kids to play with him….just don’t want to confuse this with what the trainer taught him. Just let me know so we are all on the same page.” She then wrote, “He will be a great fit here.” This was a beautiful report and we are so thrilled!! God is showing His grace and favor and we are so honored that He saw fit to bless our daughter NOW in her life! What a blessing!!

In turn, I immediately texted our trainer, Jackie, and she was so thrilled. She and I both think Brian is a natural at being a Service dog. A few tweeks to be made, but they are both well on their way to a great educational experience together!

Thank you for all of your support. We are planning on a training session at Toys-R-Us this weekend…and I can already hear the “Mama, I want…”

In His Love,
Katherine”

El Paso, Fibromyalgia, Mobility, PTSD, Texas, Veteran, Wounded Warrior

Wounded Warrior Marsha and Charlie

From our trainer Terry, in El Paso, who had his third training session Wounded Warrior Marsha and her SDIT, German Shepherd “Charlie”! Marsha suffers from PTSD, fibromyalgia, and mobility issues.

Terry writes:

“Today’s session was Marsha and Charlie’s first exposure to the shopping mall. It was exciting and interesting to see both Marsha & Charlie’s reaction to the people and movement within a congested mall setting!! Both parties did well on their first outing. As expected, Marsha and Charlie were a little anxious at the beginning. But after a lot of walking, talking, shopping, and exposure to different settings within numerous stores, they both calmed down and took things in stride. We also made a quick pass through the food court! Charlie was curious for sure, but was not overly distracted! Good job!

Marsha has had a number of back surgeries, which greatly hinder her mobility and motor skills. She performed marvelously through this exercise. What a trooper!

Depression, Medical Alert, PTSD, San Antonio, Texas

CONGRATULATIONS TO HEIDI AND SERVICE DOG BRYNN

CONGRATULATIONS TO HEIDI AND HER NOW SERVICE DOG, Labrador/German Shepherd mix, BRYNN!!! THEY PASSED THEIR PUBLIC ACCESS TEST!!!!

Our trainer, Sue, has been working with Heidi, who suffers from anxiety attacks, crowd anxiety, dissociation in public and in times of high stress/PTSD exacerbation, memory deficits resulting in difficulty maintaining medication schedule, and depression symptoms.

Sue writes:

Brynn passed every part of the Public Access Test – just had a little bit of difficulty doing quick turns – but soon adjusted.

We had another training session after the test when Heidi returned from her vacation to address a little bit of pulling issues at Costco. We tried the Head Halter in to try to curb Brynn’s pulling as the Martingale did not work well and a prong collar worked sometimes but needed to be replaced with a different tool. The Head Halter worked automatically! At Costco, I showed Heidi how to work on finding store anchors and safe zones to calm Heidi down from perceived threats and increased anxieties due to triggers. I showed Heidi how to use Brynn as a buffer by automatically placing Brynn in a cover between other humans or carts at places like checkout aisle intersections, and for Heidi and Brynn to be more alert to humans that are coming from right or left side, so that the client can also try to take routes without human traffic.

As homework, we also discussed new exercises to try for 3 weeks to have Brynn start reminding Heidi to take her medications. We also discussed starting using non-verbal (hand gestures) to train Brynn to do instant “covers”, in a heel position from the front, back, and sides.

Brynn no longer pulls on the leash! Heidi can go shopping at Costco in short sessions now that she knows how to find her anchors and safe zones. Brynn did awesome on the vacation with family and horses!

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

Wounded Warrior, Thomas and his SDIT, Samanatha

From our wonderful trainer, Cherry, who met with Wounded Warrior, Thomas and his SDIT, Samanatha. Thomas suffers from Migraines, syncope, seizures, PTSD, anxiety, and severe depression.

Cherry writes:

“This story may touch your heart. I had a wonderful assessment with Thomas and his SDIT Samantha. Thomas and his family chose sweet Samantha from the pound with the intent of her being a Service Dog for him. She was super cute, so they adopted her and took her home. Not long afterward, they discovered sweet Samantha is DEAF! Not wanting to give up on their sweet baby like some do, Thomas decided he would teach her sign language; and so far she has learned Sit and Come by sign alone!!

Samantha heeled well in PetSmart, ignoring most distractions – even the cats! She has an amazing bond with Thomas, so I know this team will do well!

Thomas’ homework was to continue having Samantha heel, performing “watch me”, and practicing “cover”. He will also keep on practicing the sits and stays.

I am going away to visit my family in Europe for a few weeks, but Thomas has great support from trainer Letty, who will be there if he needs her. Letty is proficient in sign language, and has her own deaf Service Dog. Thomas was super excited to start training. What a wonderful person to want to continue working with Samantha even after he discovered she was deaf! A war veteran with a huge heart, what could be better? :)”

Anxiety, Austin, Bipolar, Military, MST, Pain Management, PTSD, Texas, Veteran, Wounded Warrior

CONGRATS TO WOUNDED WARRIOR, RANDI, AND SERVICE DOG, YORKIE GUNNERSON

CONGRATULATIONS TO WOUNDED WARRIOR, RANDI, AND HER NOW SERVICE DOG, YORKIE “GUNNERSON”!!!

Emmett, our trainer in Austin, helped this wonderful pair pass the Public Access Test! Randi suffers from Anxiety, Bipolar Disorder, PTSD, MST (Military Sexual Trauma), and Migraine Headaches that leave him physically paralyzed.

The PAT was held at Home Depot in Georgetown, TX.

Emmett writes:

Wounded warrior Randi and her now Service Dog Gunner (Gunnerson) did AMAZING on their public access test! Randi served in the Air Force and after some time began training with Gunner. He is an incredibly bright Yorkie and is ALWAYS focused on Randi. The highlight of their public access test was Gunner demonstrating his “leave it”. Randi threw out a few treats, commanded him to leave them and walked Gunner through. He did not so much as sniff at them! Gunner also did exceptionally well on the obstacle course we created from the carts at Home Depot. He sat and greeted a stranger with ease as well as kept composure when his leash was taken. Randi and Gunner’s dedication was very apparent. Congrats to this team! You have done phenomenal! We will continue to work on disability related tasks.”

The following were perfect:

CONTROLLED UNLOAD OUT OF VEHICLE,
Dog did not try to leave vehicle until given release command.
The Dog waited in the vehicle until released.* Yes
The Dog waited outside the vehicle under control. Yes
The Dog remained under control while another dog was walked past. Yes

APPROACHING THE BUILDING:
Relative heel position, not straining or forging.
The Dog stayed in relative heel position. Always
The Dog was calm around traffic.* Yes
The Dog stopped when the client came to a halt. Always

CONTROLLED ENTRY THROUGH A DOORWAY
The Dog waited quietly at the door until commanded to enter.* Yes
The Dog waited on the inside until able to return to heel position.* Yes

HEELING THROUGH THE BUILDING
The Dog was within the prescribed distance of the client. Always
The Dog ignored the public, remaining focused on the client. Always
The Dog readily adjusted to speed changes. Always
The Dog readily turned corners–did not have to be tugged or jerked to change direction. Always
The Dog readily maneuvered through tight quarters. Always

SIX FOOT RECALL ON LEAD
The Dog responded readily to the recall command–did not stray away, seek attention from others, or trudge slowly.* Yes
The Dog remained under control and focused on the client.* Yes
The Dog came within the prescribed distance of the client.* Yes
The Service Dog came directly to the client.* Yes

SITS ON COMMAND
The Dog responded promptly to the command to sit. Always
The Dog remained under control around food–not trying to get food and not needing repeated corrections.* Yes
The Dog remained composed while the shopping cart passed–did not shy away, show signs of fear, etc.* Yes
The Dog maintained a sit-stay while being petted by a stranger.* Yes

DOWNS ON COMMAND
The Dog responded promptly to the command to down. Always
The Dog remained under control around the food–not trying to get food and not needing repeated corrections.* Yes
The Dog remained in control while the child approached – child should not taunt dog or be overly dramatic.* Yes

NOISE DISTRACTIONS
If the Service Dog jumps, turns, or shows a quick startle type reaction, that is fine. The Service Dog should not show fear, aggression, or continue to be affected by the noise.
The Service Dog remained composed during the noise distraction.* Yes

RESTAURANT
The Service Dog is unobtrusive and out of the way of patrons and employees as much as possible.* Yes
The Service Dog maintained proper behavior, ignoring food and being quiet.* Yes

OFF LEAD
When told to drop the leash, the team maintained control and the client got the leash back in position.* Yes

DOG TAKEN BY ANOTHER PERSON
Another person can take the dog’s leash and the dog’s partner can move away without aggression or undue stress on the part of the dog.* Yes

CONTROLLED EXIT
The Service Dog stayed in relative heel position. Always
The Service Dog was calm around traffic.* Yes
The Service Dog stopped when the client came to a halt. Always

CONTROLLED LOAD INTO VEHICLE
The Service Dog waited until commanded to enter the vehicle. Yes
The Service Dog readily entered the vehicle upon command. Yes

TEAM RELATIONSHIP
When the Service Dog did well, the client praised the Service Dog. Always
The Service Dog is relaxed, confident, and friendly. Always
The client kept the Service Dog under control. Always
The client was prepared with proper working materials and equipment in case of an access confrontation (laws, etc.). Yes

OTHER
Were there any unique situations that made any portion of this test not applicable (write comments below)? I marked “yes” for dog waited until exited the vehicle but Randi physically removes him to keep his joints in the best shape (it is a very high truck). That’s the only “non-applicable” part.

ADA Rights, Equipment, Experience

Client speaks up about fake Service Dogs

1 Comment

I LOVE IT when our clients speak up about how fake Service Dogs are not only a danger to others, but have the serious potential of ruining access rights for valid SDs or SDITs. Here is a submission from our amazing client, Ryan, who just passed his Public Access Test with his dog, “Brinn”.

“Hello everyone. I live in Converse, and my Service Dog Brinn passed her Public Access Test this past weekend. I wanted to let everyone know that there is a lady in Converse that is taking her untrained dog into stores up and down FM 78. I ran into her just now in Walmart. She admitted to me that her dog was “just her pet”, not a Service Dog or SDIT. When she said that all you have to do is say “It’s a Service Dog and they let you in, I immediately snapped and threatened to throw her out myself and asked an employee to call a manager. I went directly to the front of the store and made a complaint to a cop and the store manager. The girl is 5’3” tall, in her mid twenties, about 100 to 120 pounds, with shoulder length brown and blond hair. She has a dermal piercing on her upper lip on her right side. She is usually dressed very “scantly” . Her dog looked to be a black lab, about a year old and around 45 pounds. The dog had an orange collar and standard 6′ orange leash.

Please help me and all of us who have legitimate SDs or SDITs any way you can by informing the stores that you frequent on easy ways to identify a service animal, and the questions they should and are legally allowed to ask. The last thing any of us need is this woman’s dog biting a child or attacking a legitimate Service Dog, and causing the rest of us problems. Thank you.

THANK YOU RYAN FOR DOING THE RIGHT THING!!! ANYONE WHO LIVES IN CONVERSE, PLEASE, IF YOU SEE THIS WOMAN IN STORES, NOTIFY THE MANAGER. It’s not the poor dog’s fault. I feel sad for the dog.

Ryan and his SD Brinn
Military, Mobility, PTSD, San Antonio, TBI, Texas, Veteran, Wounded Warrior

CONGRATS TO WOUNDED WARRIOR RACHEL AND SERVICE DOG, “BEAR”

CONGRATULATIONS TO WOUNDED WARRIOR RACHEL AND HER NOW SERVICE DOG, “BEAR”!!!!! Rachel suffers from diagnosed with PTSD and a TBI after a vehicle accident where she was the sole survivor. Her previous Service Dog was killed by her neighbor. Bear was given to our family in the aftermath of the loss of her beloved “Toby”.

Wonderful trainer Letty writes:

“Congratulations to Rachel and Bear for passing their PAT (Public Access Test)”. Rachel, who is active duty and will be moving to Alaska in a few days, has come a long way in a short amount of time. She and Bear worked extremely hard and are now a confident working team. The love and partnership between the two of them is both beautiful and inspiring to watch. Congratulations again and thank you for all you do in our Armed Forces!”

Agenesis of corpus callosum (ACC), Dallas-Fort Worth, Experience, Texas, Waco

Jayna Curlee and her Service Dog in Training, Brian | Kids & Family – YouCaring

The Story of Jayna & Brian

Our daughter, Jayna Suzanne, was born with a very rare medical condition called Agenesis of the Corpus Callosum.  Agenesis of Corpus Callosum (AgCC) is a rare disorder that is present at birth (congenital). It is characterized by a partial or complete absence (agenesis) of an area of the brain that connects the two cerebral hemispheres (taken from RareDiseases.org).  In Jayna’s case, she has a “complete agenesis” which means that the Corpus Callosum (AgCC) is completely absent or not there.  This condition is said to happen in 1:4000 of the population (taken from Caltech University, April 2007).  Persons with agenesis of the corpus callosum may have neurological problems, such as seizures (60%), intellectual impairment (70%), and psychosis (taken from National Center for Biotechnology Information, 2010).  Our Jayna does suffer from seizures and intellectual impairment although her seizures are in remission as of date and we’re praying she doesn’t have any more, however, that could change at any point. AgCC is not an illness or disease.  It is a deformity where the brain did not form while in the 12th – 22nd week of gestation.

See More at: Jayna Curlee and her Service Dog in Training, Brian | Kids & Family – YouCaring