Category Archives: Mobility

Anxiety, Mobility, San Antonio, Texas

Liz and Smokey

An update from our trainer extraordinaire, Cherry, who is working with Liz. Liz has a very special situation. She wants her Yorkshire Terrier mix, rescued by Cherry with In Dog We Trust, trained for her parents as a Service Dog. Her mom and dad had a wonderful dog, Missy, who died of cancer a few years ago and they spent a lot of money to keep her alive. Liz wants to foster and train Smokey for her mother, who is 75. Her mother is changing and wants a dog again to sit in her lap and pet all day. Her mother cannot get around very well now, uses a walker, does not drive anymore, and has fallen 5 times in the last 5 months. Liz’s father, who is 78, walks her by carrying her purse and holding onto her mother’s arm. They go to Walmart everyday in Schertz. Liz’s mother is losing a little of her mind in some ways but is still sharp in others. Liz’s deepest hope in her heart is that with a trained Service Dog, her parents will get out more and add to the quality of their lives, taking Smokey to Walmart and doctor’s appointments, and be encouraged to try new places. How beautiful and compassionate is that?

Liz also finds that Smokey helps her with her anxiety levels.

Cherry writes about their first session together:

“I had a wonderful training session with Liz and little Smokey. Smokey was found terrified in the middle of a busy highway. I told my husband to stop the truck! And despite cars and trucks honking at me, I got to the middle of the road and scooped Smokey up in my arms and took him home.

After 3 weeks of flyers and advertising and no one even looking for him, we got him neutered and soon he was ready to go…we put him up for adoption, and Liz and her husband came straight over and adopted him on the spot!

SDIT Smokey absolutely adores them both and they are doing so well as a family. Our training session was spent discussing how it is important to get everyone on board when it comes to Smokey’s training. Visitors, family and anyone else must respect that Smokey is in training and is not to be spoiled by picking him up when he demands it.

It is quite common with “cutie pie” dogs that people are tempted to spoil them, but it is important that everyone is on the same page if Smokey is to learn proper Service Dog work.

I am very fond of giving visual examples to explain myself, so I told Liz that it’s similar to when a mother says it’s ok for their child to jump on the bed but dad says it isn’t. Rules must be rules period.
We also talked about treats, using low fat ones for training, and not to give raw hides to chew as they can break off and choke the dog.

Smokey is doing well, although at the moment he is beyond spoiled! However, with consistency and adhering to clear commands, there is no reason why Smokey cannot take his training to a good level.
A great ending for a terrified little dog in the middle of a highway, and Liz is already benefiting from holding him close when she feels anxiety creeping in!”

Anxiety, Mobility, San Antonio, Texas

Nancy and SDiT STELLA!!

From our dear trainer, Cherry Jenkins, with In Dog We Trust rescue, who is training with Nancy and her SDIT, Stella! Nancy struggles with mobility issues, vertigo, and anxiety.

“I had a wonderful training session today with Nancy and her SDIT Stella! Its always nice when I see clients that have done their homework and topped up on training – and it was very clear that Nancy had been working hard with stunning Stella!

We have done sessions at home and in a supermarket setting, so today was getting Stella used to being in a restaurant. She laid down beautifully next to Nancy and while the table legs prevented her from going right under, she was able to tuck herself in close. Nancy’s homework of not allowing Stella to beg at the table at home paid off because Stella knew to lay quiet and ignore the food on the table.

Dedication like this to one’s service dog in training means the PAT will not be far away for these two!

WONDERFUL WORK, CHERRY, NANCY, AND STUNNING STELLA!!!

Mobility, Psychiatric, Seizure, Virginia

7 year-old Aiden and SDiT Coe

Trainer Catherine, in Virginia, writes about her recent training:

I met with 7 year-old Aiden, who suffers from multiple physical disabilities, seizures, and some cognitive disabilities, and his mother, Amie. Since Aiden is nonverbal and although he can use sign language, can do minimal signs, I do 95% of the training with Amie. They adopted 1 year old Lab/Beagle mix, Coe from a rescue when I did an evaluation on him and found him to be a lovely match for the family! The last two weeks has been spent with Coe settling in. He’s adjusting super well! Amie says he has some fear of loud noises, but we suspect he was an outside dog prior to his rescue, so once he’s exposed to noises, he seems to adjust really well. They’ve been working on “sit”, “down”, “touch”, and “heeling” nicely on a leash. Coe walks beautifully with Amie, and Coe will even let Aiden hold the leash and not pull at all! Aiden cannot walk on his own, so eventually Coe will learn to help balance him. Coe loves to sit with Aiden on the couch and when Aiden has seizures and falls over, Coe is amazing about staying put and making sure that Aiden doesn’t fall off! The bond these two have is BEAUTIFUL!

I took my SD Baron’s vest over just to try it on to see size-wise what kind of vest would be good for Coe. It fit perfectly and something amazing happened. As I watched, Jay (Amie’s boyfriend) was helping Aiden to walk and Aiden grabbed a hold of the loop on the back of the vest Coe was wearing and with Jay’s help, leaned on Coe and the 3 of them walked all the way across the basement and back…WITH NO TRAINING!!!! I stood there absolutely amazed!!!! I know this dog is going to do great things for Aiden and I can’t believe I forgot to get pictures. I’ll have to get some next time!”

WHAT A BEAUTIFUL THING TO SEE, CATHERINE, AIDEN, AND COE!!!!!!!!!!!

Equipment, Experience, Military, Mobility, Navy, San Antonio, Texas, Veteran, Wounded Warrior

Talk about inspirational people!

Talk about inspirational people!! All of you are such inspirations to us at Service Dog Express!!

Here is an update on 53 year-old Wounded Warrior John, and his 8 year-old SD, Sancho. They keep on truckin! Even though John has suffered many strokes and a heart attack, he still wakes up every morning focusing on the positives in his life – especially the love he has for his best buddy, Sancho. They continue to go on walks with John in his scooter, and some days, John will walk without being in a scooter to keep his legs moving. He takes SUCH good care of Sancho – teeth cleanings, joint supplements, and keeps himself busy by reading all he can about dog training. John has difficulties finding words sometimes because of his strokes, and his memory can sometimes escape him, but nevertheless, he persists and usually expresses more concern about how I am doing when we talk or visit than how HE is doing. What a compassionate, selfless man! Here is a recent update from John’s wonderful caretaker, Mary:

“Hello,
These are the photos I forgot to send yesterday. This is a quiet Walmart. We went here to get some vitamins and flavored water with my sister, Kathy, who suffers from schizophrenia. A few customers noticed Sancho’s adorable shoes, and he attracted so much loving attention! Sancho was on his best behavior – as usual – and everyone there talks about how calm and sweet Sancho is! The bottom picture is John talking with the optician at the Walmart.”

NEVER GIVE UP!!!

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

CONGRATULATIONS to Wounded Warrior, Blake, and SD Zoid

A HUGE CONGRATULATIONS to Wounded Warrior, Blake, and his now SD, Zoid!

Due to deployments, Blake is usually in a wheelchair and met the amazing Zoid through Cherry Jenkin’s In Dog We Trust rescue after contacting us. It was love at first site. Our trainer, Brenda, who is a paraplegic in a wheelchair with her SD Murray, trained with Blake and Zoid about how to use and work with Service Dogs while in a wheelchair. They did an amazing amount of work together and Blake followed training advice to a tee! He and Zoid have an indescribable bond.

Unfortunately, Blake recently found out he developed lung cancer due to exposure to toxins while deployed. He is moving to Arkansas to be near family while he undergoes treatment for this. Luckily, through Skype and videos, as well as through emails and on the phone, Brenda has determined that Blake and Zoid are now an official SD team!!

We at Service Dog Express have the utmost admiration for Blake and his always upbeat, positive attitude. We are confident that Zoid will be there for him as he fights this new battle, offering comfort and support. Please send prayers for healing, and please honor Blake by showing how much his resiliency is an inspiration for all of us!!!

Anxiety, Experience, Mobility, Panic Attack, San Antonio, Texas

It’s SUPER SERVICE DOG to save the day

What a WONDERFUL training session Laurie had with Nette, who has mobility issues and anxiety due to a stroke, and her beautiful SDIT, Ella!

Nette has just been doing a wonderful job training Ella between sessions. Ella knows all the basics – sit, down, stay, come, controlled load and unload, wait, and heel. She stays by Nette’s side and is of great comfort to her. Nette is beginning to take Ella out more and more, and her comfort level going out is increasing as she becomes more confident in Ella’s training.

We went to Costco and worked on training with electric cart, with Ella safely tied to it in a perfect heel position near Nette. We did sharp turns slowly so that Ella could get used to maneuvering alongside the electric cart safely and confidently. She learned SO quickly! It is helpful for Nette to know she can use the electric carts because sometimes her balance is off due to the strokes. We also walker Ella through the various sections of Costco, like the meat and bakery, and she did wonderful “leave its”. We also worked on Ella’s stay and come since we had an audience! Everyone was in love with beautiful Ella! We practiced staying focused while doing these tasks even with people watching, and Nette stayed calm and focused, which helped Ella . They have such a beautiful bond, and Nette is so compassionate and loving toward Ella – it’s truly beautiful to watch.

Nette sent me the following update on Ella!

“Just wanted to give you update on Ella. She turned one last week – can’t believe it! We are still working on meet and greets; she still gets really excited and forgets to stay sitting, but it’s more with kids than adults. Several weeks ago, I started teaching Ella the command: “take me to the car”. I would pick random times to suddenly stop and give the command, walk out to the car, and then give her treats. My purpose for this is that sometimes I become very panic-stricken if I am in a crowd and disoriented. I thought this might help me feel a little more confident about trying new places. In addition, my mobility is becoming more limited and I am spending more time in wheelchairs and electric carts.

Anyway, today was not a training exercise – but something triggered a panic attack in me, and I asked Ella to take me to the car – and she did it!! Usually, she looks back at me for assurance – but it seemed like she knew this was different. It’s a small thing, but it feels very empowering.”

NETTE – WHAT CLEVER AND HELPFUL TRAINING YOU ARE ADDING TO THE BASICS TO HELP YOU! WHAT ELLA DID BY TAKING YOU TO THE CAR IS NOT A SMALL THING – IT IS A HUGE TRIUMPH FOR BOTH YOU AND ELLA, AND IT SHOULD FEEL EMPOWERING! I HOPE YOU ARE FEELING MORE AND MORE CONFIDENT AND ASSURED THAT ELLA CAN DO HER JOB WHENEVER YOU NEED IT – AND THE FACT THAT SHE DID NOT LOOK BACK FOR ASSURANCE BUT JUST DID WHAT SHE HAD TO IS A HUGE ACCOMPLISHMENT. SO PROUD OF YOU!!!

I added this other quote from Nette’s FB page. It describes her and her husband to a tee.

Anxiety, Houston, Mobility, Texas

Cane Corso – SDiT Titan

From our wonderful trainer, Kendra, in Houston, who is working with Marissa, who suffers from severe mobility issues and anxiety, and her SDIT, gorgeous Cane Corso, Titan!

“We had a two hour training session. At first Titan is very intimidating from his pure size but he is so well behaved! He already knows “sit”, “down”, “leave it”, “stay”, “bracing”, and firm “covers”. He does get too excited at times so we started training “go lay down”. It’s a certain spot where he can go to just chill out and calm down. This spot will also be used for door manners. Titan will alert to the door, then be placed in his spot and taught to stay there until released. I talked with Marissa about being the pack leader and not letting Titan in front. I taught her how to claim her space and not just let Titan run in the doors ahead or through her. And she did beautifully! I told her to open the door fully instead of just cracking it open and stand in the door way (claiming her space) and tell him to sit once, then “Wait” for him to listen. This will build respect and Titan will learn to look to Marissa for direction on his next move. Once he was sitting calm and looking at her, he could enter in a calm manner. After she did this, Titan came in nice and calmly. We worked on “watch me” with distraction, and “stay” until released; we also worked on “sit/stay” at a distance. I also started to work on him leaving my hands alone if I have a treat in them; not nibbling on my hands. Marissa and Titan will continue to work on duration with the commands he knows well, will continue to teach “go lay down”, and Marissa will make Titan calmer by doing state of mind training with him. They will continue work on Titan’s door manners as well. Our next session will be outside.”

Army, Experience, Military, Mobility, San Antonio, Texas, Veteran, Wounded Warrior

Wounded Warrior Blake with SDIT Zoid

From our dear, beloved client, Wounded Warrior Blake, with SDIT Zoid. We will miss you, Blake!!! We are all praying for your health, strength, and that this move will make your life easier!! Of course – we will continue contact with you and answer any questions you have concerning Zoid and making sure he passes his PAT! Remember that you can legally train your own SD – but we will Skype with you or you can send us videos of you and Zoid performing all the Public Access Test tasks. We are all just a phone call or email away – especially our wonderful trainer, shown in the picture, Brenda, who has been working with you and can help you the most because she has a SD and is permanently in a wheelchair – and thriving, just like you will!!! We love you, Blake!!!!

“Just emailing you to let you know that I may have to make the move to Arkansas to stay with my family for the foreseeable future. I really wanted to stay but with my health it’s not really possible. I want to of course keep Zoid and continue training and to have him pass the test. I’m not sure what we can do but if there is anything we can do to continue training, or any recommendations for me that would be great! Thanks for everything you, Service Dog Express, In Dog We Trust, and everyone who helped bring Zoid and I together. If it wasn’t for him, I honestly don’t think I would be in the wonderful place I am today. My health may not be the best, but he brings my spirit up literally all day long.”

Dallas-Fort Worth, Equipment, Mobility, Muscular Dystrophy, Texas

Vedant’s SDiT Simba

From our trainer, Candace, in Ft. Worth. She has been juggling an internship while training, so she apologizes that there are not more pictures. But we congratulate her on passing her internship!

“Simba, the Singhania family’s son Vedant’s SDiT, (Vedant has Muscular Dystrophy) has been on a little bit of a training vacation. But, he is doing wonderfully! Today, the family worked on retrievals! We practiced with one of Vedant’s socks, so that Simba can get used to bringing back things that smell like him. I showed them how to turn the command into a game, and their SDiT just had a ball (or sock!) We also addressed his digging behavior, which he has just picked up. It seems that it might be an anxiety issue when he digs. Also, it seems that the family were accidentally reinforcing that behavior by engaging him in a game of chase once they caught him digging. We are still working on this.

Vedant got a new electric scooter, so we practiced walking Simba with the scooter. He wasn’t scared, nor did he bark at it! They need to practice walking with Simba and the scooter outside, but it was too hot at the time I was there to do this. Simba is a dark dog and just doesn’t like the sun so much. He has quite a personality! There was a lot of review that happened to go over his basic and advanced training techniques. Simba is still so young and has come such a long way. He will be a great companion for young Vedant. The Singhania family is doing great with him!”

Austin, Mobility, Pain Management, Texas

Daveed and his SDIT Redmond

From our trainer, Andrew, who is working hard with 19 year-old Daveed, who suffers from mobility and other medical issues due to a rare disease called Polyarteritis Nodosa, and his SDIT, Redmond!

“On Monday, Sept 22nd, I had a training session with Daveed and his SDIT, Redmond. We worked on reinforcing the down/ sit stay, we worked on reinforcing a sit when Daveed stops walking, and while waiting for Daveed to climb the stairs. And I also introduced the first “find your spot” game to Daveed and Redmond, which is the act of the dog finding his designated spot in whatever room they may be in… They enjoyed it, we had a good session, and they are making considerable progress!”

SO PROUD OF YOU, DAVEED AND REDMOND!!