Category Archives: Texas

Anxiety, Depression, El Paso, Military, PTSD, TBI, Texas, Veteran, Wounded Warrior

Wounded Warrior Ethan, and SDIT Shae’mus

From our trainer, Terry, who has been working with Wounded Warrior, Ethan, and his SDIT, Mastiff Mix, “Shae’mus”. Ethan suffers from PTSD, TBI, anxiety, and depression. This was Terry’s sixth and seventh session with Ethan.

Terry writes:

“What can I say about these sessions? Priceless!!! We had a family outing at one of our favorite restaurants in El Paso. Before entering the Service Dog Express Program, Ethan rarely left the house, and family time outside the house was non-existent. Today the proof is in the pudding, and the pictures are worth a thousand words! Now, Ethan, with the assistance of his SDIT Shae’mus, are enjoying an active, meaningful, and productive life, while reestablishing the loving bond with his family and friends. That is the true value of the Service Dog Express program!”

At the next session with Ethan and SDIT, Shae’mus, we met at the Mall, went to the park, and went to a restaurant in El Paso.
This was a round robin training session. I, Ethan, and Shae’mus, engaged in three different areas, similar to how I conduct my testing to prepare for the Public Access Test. I opened up the session by explaining what I expected on testing day, and demonstrated each exercise if the client was not sure how to perform the task. Ethan and Shae’mus needed minimal guidance if any! It is truly rewarding when you arrive on site, and the client is already their early practicing there craft! That is dedication and commitment for success. The sessions went very well, and am confident that Ethan & Shae’mus will do well on their Public Access Test. Keep up the great work!”

SO proud of all of you – Ethan, Shae’mus, and Terry – and you are right – that IS what we strive for!!!! Congratulations!

Anxiety, Cancer, Depression, Medical Alert, PTSD, San Antonio, Texas

Laura and Little Pumpkin

From our trainer, Cherry, who is working with Laura, who suffers from cancer, recovered congestive heart failure, high blood pressure, Graves disease, anxiety, depression and PTSD. Her SDIT is little “Pumpkin”.

Cherry writes:

“Laura and her SDIT little Pumpkin are doing really well! Laura puts a lot of time into training her little darling and the results were clear at today’s session.

Pumpkin has mastered her sit and stay at 6 feet! Quite a feat for a little dog that loves to be close to mommy. A tiled floor like Target is great for training because the tiles are exactly one foot in length so its easier to gauge a six foot recall by counting the tiles. Pumpkin is also doing really well with walking with the cart and keeping close to Laura.

Pumpkin is an amazing emotional support for Laura and knows when she is showing signs of anxiety; Pumpkin will jump right up into her lap and reach to wash her face with kisses to ease her tension and it works!

Laura’s homework is to practice Down and Stay, which Pumpkin finds more of a struggle to perform, but with Laura’s determination I know they will get there!!

Agoraphobia, Panic Attack, San Antonio, Texas

Roxanna and “Abby Rose”

From our busy trainer, Beverli, who had her first session with Roxanna and her SDIT, Red Australian Cattle Dog, “Abby Rose”. Roxanna suffers from agoraphobia (difficulty leaving her home due to anxiety), and panic attacks.

Beverli writes:

“Today I assessed “Abby Rose” to get a baseline for where she was in her knowledge of basic training skills. We all went for a walk, and I taught Roxanne to reinforce “heeling”. I also showed Roxanne how to redirect Abby Rose when she heard another dog, or saw a person walking on the sidewalk. Abby Rose is a very friendly dog, so she wants to meet and lick everyone we pass! We will be working to help Abby Rose learn to ignore other people and dogs we encounter in public.

We started learning the “touch” command today, as a building block for anxiety and panic attack service work. Homework given for the next session was working on “touch”, and “heeling with random stop/sits, with Abby Rose’s focus on Roxanne.”

Abby Rose has a wonderful bond with her Roxanne. She has a great work drive, and is a fast learner. She and Roxanne will do great in our course!

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

Update from Vietnam Vet – Denise

It’s truly wonderful to hear news from our clients about how their Service Dogs continue to help them in ways they didn’t even expect – this is a result of consistent training even after they have passed the Public Access Test and BONDING!

From our client, Denise, a Wounded Warrior from the Vietnam Era who passed her Public Access Test with the help of trainer, Brenda, and her Service Dog, Sandy! Denise is wheelchair-bound, but she tries not to let that inhibit her!!! This also highlights the importance of letting Laurie contact the airlines for you when you are traveling.

“Good Afternoon Laurie! Sandy and I are doing well also. As you can tell Sandy and I are on the road again. We are on our way to Houston for our family reunion, so I need your help again with arrangements for our trip. Whenever you contact the airport for me things run so much smoother, and I really appreciate that help from you. So I am sending you our itinerary for our trip and I would appreciate your help again.

I wanted to tell you something about the training I received for Sandy. I know Sandy was trained to help me with my PTSD, but I had no idea how well she understood her role until I got back from California. About two weeks after I returned, for some reason I had a meltdown. I was hysterically crying and unable to stop. All of a sudden, I started calling for Sandy; the next thing I knew I heard her jump out of her chair, come running through the apartment, jumped and flew through the air, jumped on top of me and pressed herself on me and held me down to calm me down, and she didn’t leave until I calmed down enough to fall asleep. It happened a second time and she did the same thing again. So I want to thank you again for your training course! Thank you so much for your help and understanding.”

Doesn’t something like that just fill your heart with joy?

PTSD, San Antonio, Texas

Congratulations, team! Rachel and her now SERVICE DOG, “Bella”

Congratulations, team! From our wonderful trainer, Sue, who has been working with Rachel and her now SERVICE DOG, “Bella”! They passed their Public Access Test! Rachel is 7 years old and was diagnosed with PTSD this past year. Her triggers are loud noises and “knocking” sounds, where she tends to shut down and dose not communicate well in crowds. Sue worked with Rachel and Rachel’s mother, Rebecca throughout the process.

Sue writes:

Rachel and Bella are an awesome team. We started 10 March 2015 and worked within her financial means. Rebecca and Rachel were very dedicated to training. When we first started training, Bella used to be bird, dog and cat reactive and pull on a leash. Not anymore!! Bella ignores distractions like this, gets along with other dogs and cats now, and heels perfectly. Bella knows how to use the elevator and has ridden the bus. She goes with Rachel to her equine therapy sessions. Bella is still a little scared of the horses, but we keep her at a tolerable distance from them. She also walks Rachel to school. When Rebecca and Rachel go to stores, Rachel has her own special short leash that I had her pick out and Bella walks between Rachel and Rebecca. Bella walks very nicely by a grocery cart.

I still have Rebecca take Rachel and Bella on short trips to the stores and to the grocery store during low traffic times. I have them go to restaurants where they can eat quickly or have the waiter bring their food in a to-go box in case they have to do a quick exit if Rachel starts to experience severe symptoms.

I will continue doing other training with them as they can afford.

Someday, it would be nice to allow Bella to go to Rachel’s school, but that is hard to do within the school district – but we will work on that. So, right now Rachel can have Bella go with her in public and to restaurants without having panic attacks. Rebecca has a plan for restaurants and stores in case Rachel has her anxiety attacks. A family member is usually with them in case they are needed.

Rachel has had fewer meltdowns since we have trained Bella!”

Autism, San Antonio, Texas

Alexand his gentle SDIT, “Will”.

Laurie had her first session with adorable 4 year-old Alex, who has autism, and his gentle SDIT, “Will”. Alex lives with such a loving family. They have been through so much financially but they keep the faith and Alex’s mom, Brandie, makes sure that Alex gets the best OT and PT and other therapies he needs to try and develop his full potential.

The family has had Will for a while now – rescued from a shelter – and Will is very accustomed to Alex’s behaviors. Alex’s mother, Brandie, said that Alex’s meltdowns can be very severe, but Will is used to them and tries to nudge or lick him when this is happening. When I arrived, I found a very well-trained dog in Will, who could “sit”, “down”, “sit/stay”, “down/stay”, “come”, and “heel” extremely well. Alex had just woken up from a nap when I arrived, and he was such a sweet, shy child! Since this was the first time we met, I wanted it to be a positive experience, so I played hide and seek under the kitchen table with Alex, calling Will over and giving Will treats when he continued to stay. I eventually got Alex done with playing hide and seek, and said, “Let’s play hide and seek with Will!” So Alex came over, and I put Will in a sit, and I coaxed Alex to pet Will, play with his ears, say his name, and say “I love you Will”. Then Will would go to his favorite hiding place near the couch, so I brought Alex by the hand, all the while saying silly things to him about Will, and when he saw Will, I called Will and he came out. So it was like playing hide and seek with the dog! Each time I lured Will out, I clapped my hands and had Alex pet Will and say things like “Good dog, Will” and “Your my best friend, Will”. Will seemed to love the attention, and Alex was definitely engaging in interaction.

Then, Alex, Brandie, Will and I went on a short walk outside, and I held the leash and gave the end part to Alex. Will stayed in a perfect “heel”, and I showed Alex how good he was doing and we would stop, have Will sit, have Alex give Will a treat, and say “Good Will”. The walk was nice and sweet. When we got back inside, I encouraged Alex to give Will hugs, and talk to him as much as he could to praise him.

The goal is to encourage the bond between Alex and Will, and to have Alex have as much body contact with Will so that eventually, when Alex starts to go into a meltdown, he will feel more inclined with Brandie’s help to seek out Will to apply deep pressure therapy.

Anxiety, Depression, El Paso, Panic Attack, Texas

Evalynn and SDIT Oreo

From our super trainer, Terry, in El Paso, who is working with Evalynn and her SDIT, Chihuahua “Oreo”! Evalynn suffers from severe anxiety, depression, and panic attacks. Terry is GOOD – Chihuahuas are not the easiest breed to train as Service Dogs, but he is doing a wonderful job and we are proud of both him and Evalynn!

Terry writes:

Today, Evalynn, Oreo and I trained at a restaurant in El Paso Texas – the Corner Bakery. Evalynn & Oreo’s first restaurant exposure went quite well! Oreo displayed a little uneasiness when we first arrived at the restaurant; realistically that is normal behavior. First exposures always take some getting used to. I will say that about fifteen minutes upon our sitting down, Oreo was more at ease, and started to sit and lay down while we were eating. There were continuous distractions in the busy restaurant, but Oreo was at ease with the distractions! When Evalynn proceeded to the restroom, Oreo did not whine or pull to accompany her, but Oreo kept an eye out for her until she returned to her seat. One of the major distractions in the restaurant was that there were other dogs in the place; that did not seem to faze Oreo at all! Keep up the good work Evalynn & Oreo!

PTSD, San Antonio, Texas, Veteran, Wounded Warrior

Wounded Warrior Paul and Bobby

Laurie had her first training session with Wounded Warrior Paul, who suffers from PTSD and other disabilities. Paul had started training his GORGEOUS Standard Poodle, “Bobby”, with a trainer before, but that trainer moved. So, Bobby and Paul have a lot of the basic training skills down pat, and they are a joy to work with.

Paul, unfortunately, was working successfully with Time Warner Cable in a cubicle, but when he mentioned that he would be bringing his Service Dog to work with him once fully trained, Human Resources said that they would NOT make accommodations for his Service Dog!! Paul had many meetings with the supervisors there in Human Resources, patiently explaining his rights and the fact that having Bobby there would not cause any disruptions but would help him during difficult calls from customers – but they denied him over and over! Luckily, Paul taped these conversations and I was able to listen to them. It took everything Paul had to calm his anxiety and PTSD during these sessions – he was practicing deep breathing – and even though everything the HR people were saying was against the law, Paul kept his calm. I was so proud of him – and SO angry with Time Warner! Paul has hired a lawyer to help him sue for discrimination, which is the absolute right thing to do – and I will be happy to help him after hearing the completely uneducated and uninformed way that the HR department treated him and Service Dog rights.

Paul is no longer working for Time Warner because of this, which makes things very difficult for his budget. However, he has a wonderful attitude and a clear, smart head – I hope that he triumphs in this case, and we will continue training “Bobby” – which will undoubtedly be a breeze! They have such an amazing bond!

Anxiety, Experience, Fibromyalgia, Mobility, San Antonio, Texas

Natalie and Pearl

Laurie had her first training session with Natalie, and her yellow Labrador, “Pearl”. Natalie is barely 30, but has endured over 20 surgeries in her lifetime. She has severe Rheumatoid Arthritis, and has many other autoimmune diseases that keep her in constant pain. She has to get bi-monthly infusions that have side effects similar to chemotherapy, so she is always feeling quite ill. However, she manages to take care of her dear father, who is deaf and has the beginnings of Alzheimer’s. They live off of meager disability payments each month despite their severe illnesses, but they have a passion for stray dogs – they have six right now that have over the years just shown up at their door. They pay for the dogs and all their shots and upkeep before they pay for their own food. It’s a sad situation, but somehow, they’ve made it work so far.

Laurie writes:

I initially went over to train Natalie’s dad’s “buddy” first as a hearing dog, but they decided that Natalie needed a dog for mobility more importantly. Luckily, Pearl, who showed up at their door about 2 years ago all skin and bones, is tall and strong enough to offer that mobility.

We had our first session at PetSmart. Natalie was there with Pearl, and her father came with his pup. I could not believe how well-behaved Pearl was! They initially had her on a harness, but Pearl could still pull Natalie, who has to use a cane, walker, or wheelchair to get around do to her many leg surgeries. So, we put on the right collar for Pearl, and she began heeling perfectly! We went all through PetSmart – Pearl acted as if she had been doing this for years! Natalie had her walker, and Pearl learned to maneuver with it just perfectly. Pearl was kind and gentle with other dogs, with children (would go into an automatic “sit”), with male and female adults, and never barked once. Pearl was not distracted by any noises I created, and was not even distracted by the cats there or the birds. She can “sit”, “down”, “stay”, “heel”, “control load and unload” into and out of the car, “wait” at doors, “leave it” (although she really didn’t focus on anything but Natalie), and she was fine with me taking her for a walk, too.

I showed Natalie how to use Pearl’s shoulders to brace when Natalie was having difficulty getting up from sitting positions or sitting down. Pearl also started learning “covers”, and responded very well. I also showed Natalie how to walk with Pearl if she didn’t have access to a walker by using Pearl as a brace against her leg.

All in all, it was an incredible first session for a dog that had never done any training outside the home! The session lasted quite a while, but Natalie’s dad was very patient and just strolled around the store with his scruffy little buddy! This team will pass the Public Access Test soon. We will need to work on “sit/stay” and “down/stay” quite a bit more, as Pearl wants to be near Natalie, but I don’t think this will take long. We also practiced tying Pearl to a shopping cart and Natalie used that while I took her walker, and Pearl navigated forward and backward and around tight corners extremely well!

Anxiety, El Paso, Military, Panic Attack, PTSD, Texas, Veteran, Wounded Warrior

Wounded Warrior Tonya and Bella

From our excellent trainer, Terry, in El Paso, who had his second session with Wounded Warrior Tonya and her SDIT, Yorkshire Terrier “Bella”! Tonya suffers from PTSD, severe anxiety, and panic attacks.

Terry writes:

“We started today’s session at the park, reinforcing the basic commands “sit”, “down”, “avoiding noise distractions”, and “six foot recall on lead”. Next, we moved to a store setting for the initial exposure to a public place with both Tonya and Bella. The key to success is repetition; doing it the same way, at a particular time, with the same commands, and performing the exercises correctly over and over until they are consistent. One of the key factors is, practice-practice- and more practice! Our overall session went quite well! I could tell that Tonya and Bella are putting a lot of time into their practice sessions. Keep up the good work, and success will surely come during test time!