Service Dogs

I need information on how a PTSD service dog (a Belgian Malinois, to be specific) would be trained.

Would they be trained specifically to deal with the person they'd serve? Can their training be customized, in that sense, or do all service dogs for PTSD get the same training?

Can service dogs also be trained in other areas? For example, could a dog previously used for combat be trained to provide PTSD therapy as well?

 

I can't find anything specific on whether a combat-trained dog could also be a service dog, but it seems like it's just dependent on the dog's personality/temperament. If the dog's still calm and amicable after being through combat, they'd probably be able to qualify.

Seems like there are a lot of places the can train a dog to be a service animals, so you could just take your dog there and try out the program. There are also places (I can across a few that focus specifically on veterans) that will provide an already-trained dog. For those I didn't find any mention of it, but for the 'bring your own dog' type places I saw recommendations that you go through the program with your dog so they can get used to your specific signs of distress, so I guess the answer to your first question might be "both, depending"?

Some resources:

• paws training center faq
• psychdogpartners faq
• canines4hope (there are some personal accounts here that I thought could be helpful)

 

I've had contact with a few therapy dogs used for various forms of anxiety, autism, etc., and for them, most of the training was done on a universal basis, without a specific person in mind, and then the dog and the future owner went in for training together to fine-tune things. The fine-tuning was as much training the owner as the dog. I'm not sure if it would be the same for PTSD dogs or not.

I'm also not sure about retraining the military dog for PTSD service, partly because the personality might be incompatible - the therapy dogs I've known have been really laid back and seem to instinctively respond to new situations with gentle curiousity or disinterest, both of which would likely be a pretty huge disadvantage for a combat dog, and partly because the training for a service dog is quite extensive and expensive, and I'm not sure they'd want to make that kind of investment in an older dog that won't have as many years of service ahead of it. If those two obstacles could be overcome, I don't see an issue.

 

Okay, so my sister has a service dog. We originally tried to go the route of buying a trained service dog, but she was waitlisted for years till my family just up & bought a puppy of the typical breed used for assisting her specific need type and then had all the professional training given to it.

I personally would say a dog used in combat would not be compatible as a service dog—only because it has already have certain instinctive responses drilled into it and it's likely it'll go with its earlier training.

For instance, if my sister is unconscious, her dog will lie next to or over her & protect her, never leaving her side, no matter what. So if the service dog hears gunfire or loud bangs, she will guard my sister ferociously but she won't leave her side.

I'd imagine a dog with military training would have different priorities if it heard gunfire or saw an aggressor/attacker. He might go straight to the offensive to protect, but leave his person untended/vulnerable by doing so.


Also, just to throw this out there.

A service dog is not a therapy dog is not a comfort pet. They are all distinct classifications and in the US, the service dog is protected in all circumstances to go everywhere and anywhere without discrimination.

Therapy dogs have less protections/rights, and comfort pets have little to none.

The biggest distinction is a service animal MUST perform an actual trained task that allows for the day to day life of the disabled (visible & invisible disabilities). This action must be able to be performed on command & able to be demonstrated at any time. It can be dogs that open doors and drawers or dogs that lead the blind, etc. For this reason, a service dog has the most protections and rights, as it has to be wherever it's owner is to be able to perform its tasks & duties daily and at any time.

For instance, my sister's dog can smell the chemical change on her breath and warns her when she's about to have an attack. She alerts my sister, makes her go to a safe space, and hopefully gets her to take her emergency medications. And then the service dog calms her & guards her until she's fully recovered.

Now, my friend has anxiety and a comfort dog. It actually is not a specially trained dog nor does it perform a specific task. He's just loving (although hyperactive) and soothes her. He is not given the same rights by law as my sister's—apartments do not have to allow the dog free of charge, he does not have the right to go into any restaurant or shop or place at any time.

I know Therapy Animals are higher up and granted more protections than Comfort Pets, but I also know there are less regulations & protections for them than service Animals.

Unfortunately, it all gets murky and confusing because a lot of people use the terms interchangeably.

 

Wow! That's very interesting. I did not know - never thought about - the difference between therapy dogs, service dogs, and comfort pets. Thanks!

 

I have a service dog named Bali

 

Is that one of those dogs that's so huge that people of smaller persuasion can lay against it like a couch? If so, that sounds like a good plan for someone who wants to be a comfort dog.

 

Perfect! That's Comfort Dog Aspirations, right there. (That and a really good groomer!)

 

Great Pyrenees is actually the breed of my sister's service dog.

She's luckily rather small for the breed, but still decently large.

This is little Addie at two year's old (she's a tight lipped, Badger G.P.—hence the lack of drool & the brown on her face)

The reason I'm lifting her is a recreation of a puppy photo at two months old. . .

 

I'm adding this resource to this older post because I saw a commercial on TV for an organization that trains dogs for wounded service members, and it sounded like that includes PTSD.

The name of the organization is Guardian Angel Dogs, and they are in the US. With this organization, each dog is selected and trained specifically for that person, so the dog's tasks are "customized" for their needs.