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!
Category Archives: Army
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.
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!
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.
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!!!
Training With A Wonderful Wounded Warrior – Jesse
It’s been so long since I’ve posted about training with a wonderful Wounded Warrior – Jesse, who suffers from extreme PTSD. When I first met Jesse, he was so anxious just talking that he had a towel with him at all times to wipe away the sweat from his panic – just meeting a stranger. But he was so nice, kind, gentle-hearted, and eager beyond belief to start his journey with a Service Dog. Jesse is young, and served with the military for 4 years – but, as is often the story, he was immediately thrown into battle and now, he was a different man. He could barely be around any new people without actually just having to leave – always apologizing profusely – but he would have such severe panic attacks that he had no choice. Jesse met Sasha, who had been fostered by Barbara – and his whole world has changed.
Jesse met Sasha, lovingly donated by Barbara who felt Sasha had a higher calling – and she was right. Since Jesse adopted Sasha, his world has changed. I noticed each time I met with him, he seemed happier, so much more hopeful – and was completely committed to taking the best care of Sasha. He literally doted on her like she was a queen – buying her the best of toys, food, and all things doggie. They had an instant bond, and from day one, they have been inseparable – sleeping together, playing, and week by week, starting to go out into public places that otherwise Jesse would have never dreamed of going to. I have watched their progression, and Jesse followed the training manual to a tee, training Sasha to perform as many commands as possible. Sasha is brilliant, and picked up commands easily. But Jesse had finally found his best friend, and life has changed so much for him.
Now, Jesse has a girlfriend. Now, Jesse has had the courage to get a job. Now, Jesse can go into places in public with Sasha and last longer and longer without the anxiety being so bad that he only lasts a few minutes. He looks forward to his future, has regained hope, and has found joy in a world that formerly looked hopeless to him.
Jesse, Sasha, and I have trained in several public places, and you can just see how much they love each other. Sasha can “sit”, “down”, “watch me”, “heel”, “load and unload”, “cover”, and does one thing that really helps Jesse – Jesse has extreme anxiety reactions to loud, unexpected noises – but Sasha is not bothered by them at all – and so Jesse sees Sasha’s reaction and knows “it’s ok”. I am so proud of Jesse, and they will soon be passing the PAT.
One thing I noticed instantly is how Sasha’s coat is changing. It is so shiny, soft, and always smells dreamy! That’s because Jesse love giving her a bath every week! He gets up every morning and makes Sasha eggs to go with her regular food!
Congressional Inquiry to the VA for SD costs
OK! THIS IS SERIOUS!!! What I need from as many Texas wounded warriors as possible is an email or documentation regarding any physicians, counselors, psychiatrist, etc., who have “recommended” that each of you would benefit from a Service Dog. Congressman Pete Gallego’s office is taking on this matter of the VA saying veterans can benefit from Service Dogs, but the VA refuses to pay for it. PLEASE take the time to send me the information so we can get this changed – even if you already have been through the training process, you deserve reimbursement. My direct email is [email protected]. If you are in the middle of the training process or about to begin, you deserve reimbursement. But I NEED YOUR HELP to make this work. Here is the latest email and phone call I received from Gallego’s office. Of course, I will be filling out the privacy release form for myself to go ahead with these inquiries today. This currently applies to Wounded Warriors living in Texas.
“Laurie,
I have attached a privacy release form for you to fill out yourself. I am going to send an inquiry to the VA as to why they do not pay for the dogs that they are prescribing to Veterans. On the second page of the form make sure you write in detail who it is that writes the prescriptions as well as who makes the decision that the Vet needs a service dog. If we can get the VA to pay for the dogs, it would really help these guys out and it would probably streamline the process and standardize it as well. If you have any questions at all please do not hesitate to call me. On a personal note, as a Veteran I wanted to thank you for making this your life’s work!
Kind regards,
Joseph Van Kuiken
Caseworker
Office of Congressman Pete P. Gallego (TX 23)”
Welcome Piper Tensely Willis!!
CONGRATULATIONS to Wounded Warrior Christopher and his wife Megan, who just had a baby girl – Piper Tensley Willis!!! Christopher and his wonderful SD Maggie were apart for the first two days while in the hospital – humble Christopher didn‘t want the attention to be on, in his words, “the guy with the dog” instead of his wife! How sweet! But it was difficult for him being in a small room with tons of activity and overwhelming amounts of people, trying to get some sleep with an unlocked door – totally understandable with someone with PTSD. He didn’t sleep for 36-37 hours after he took an Ambien after the nurses tried to reassure him everything will be okay. He even woke up several times to change his daughter.
He then decided to go home and get Maggie. When he was walking back into the hospital, he was stopped by Security. The officer wanted to know if I had Maggie’s “papers” with him. He told him no and that ADA states that he didn’t need to have paperwork. He informed me Security at the New Braunfels hospital has had to call the police a few times to confront people with fake service dogs. Maggie had her vest on and she was being her normal laid back self. We (the officer and I) went around a few times and I assured him my SD wasn’t a fake.
Christopher then talked to the nurses on the floor and they stated that they had already talked to their head nurse and she was aware of Maggie and was okay with her! Yay! The nurses on the floor said that they would talk to the officer if he comes to the floor. I reassured him that if he had any other problems, he could call me asap on my personal cell phone.
Christopher wrote that he was not upset nor mad at security here. He said that security had seen a pattern of events and was just acting accordingly (in security’s eyes). Christopher knows about fake service dogs in the news and also believes they are on the rise. But he didn’t feel that an officer confronting him in the dark in front of the hospital requesting papers was the right approach. I agreed. And, of course, SDs are allowed in any hospital except in certain areas where patients are immunosuppressed or there is radiation.
I will contact the hospital to ensure that this doesn’t happen again. BUT, in the meantime, the great news is that everyone is back home, healthy, and happy!!! I asked how is Maggie responding to the baby, and reminded Christopher to let the bonding between Maggie and Piper start as soon as possible. Christopher said that Maggie was doing great! Maggie is great. He was holding Piper trying to calm her, and Maggie laid her head on Christopher’s lap, saying that Maggie’s mothering nature has shined through again!
WE ARE SO, SO HAPPY FOR YOU CHRISTOPHER, MEGAN, PIPER, AND MAGGIE!!!!!!!