Page 974 - Total War on PTSD

Georgia. She was adopted by us on Valentine’s Day, and she has impressed me with how smart she is. It only takes her about five minutes to learn a new command. I would have considered her as my prospect for a Service Dog, but she is scared easily and her bond with my wife Heather is very strong, and I did not want to take away from that. To honor Bear, my wife and I decided that all of our dogs in the future will have a bear themed name. Our middle dog, who is my Service Dog, is Kodiak, who is a seven-year-old German Shepherd and we got her at eight weeks old and had her as a pet for four years before she started training as a Service Dog through Dog Train Assist Guide Serve (Dog T.A.G.S.). Lastly, is Oso (Spanish for bear), a two-year-old Border Collie, who we got while on an Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America (IAVA) outing in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. Oso is very smart, and I may consider him as a prospect to replace Kodiak as my Service Dog when she retires.
I own a Jeep and Kodiak enjoys riding with me in it. I, of course seat belt her in, but when the doors and top are off, she enjoys riding and the scents that some along with it. She is my off- roading pal as well — when I am at a Jeep event, she will be the first to go to the Jeep following a day on the trails, knowing full well that we are heading out to ride the trails again.
Dog T.A.G.S. provides free training for Veterans diagnosed with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, a Traumatic Brain Injury and even Military Sexual Trauma. I received assistance with Kodiak’s training at the age of four in 2015. Kodiak’s tasks are varied, as I have a few disabilities. For my mobility issues, she assists me by supporting me when I get out of a chair (by bracing, allowing me to place some of my weight on her) and by picking things up and bringing them to me (such as my wallet, keys, cell phone and her leash. She will also bring my
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