Page 1052 - Total War on PTSD

Duke is getting old, and the hardest part of that is ultimately losing him for good. He's been with me for so long, and he has changed so many people's lives, not just my own. I'll always remember his smile and the way he loves to have his belly rubbed. There will never be another dog like him. He brings a smile to my face and knows how to make me laugh. He gives me hope that every day will be a great one. At night, when it's getting close to bedtime, a Duke lies quietly at the foot of the steps and waits for us to head upstairs so he can go to bed. He'll lie on his bed and watch us. Sometimes I think he knows when we're talking about him because he'll grumble at us as if to tell us that he knows exactly what we're saying.
If I wake up in the middle of the night because I am having a flashback of the war, Duke will comfort me and let me know everything is okay. He is always there when I'm having a bad night and my PTSD kicks in. I've been waking up like this every night for over 10 years now, and the nightmares I live through each and every night of my life will haunt me until I am in the ground. But even though I fight these demons constantly, I refuse to give up, and I try to have a normal life. Having Duke with me for the past decade has helped me tremendously to achieve that kind of normal life. Remembering back through the years of Duke's life, I realize just how much he has done for me...not to mention all of the experiences we have had. We met the President of the United States, he was in a movie, we traveled the world and met people and Duke brightened their lives along the way. Now it's time for Duke to retire and for me to find a new Service Dog to fill his 'shoes'.
Finding the right Service Dog to fill his shoes was very difficult. I was trying to find the right dog that could love me and be in tune with my individual needs like Duke is. Finding Sasha, who is a Red Nose Pit Bull Mix, was a blessing because she got a new home and I got new dog to be trained to replace old Duke. Looking at Sasha from the time I got her a couple of years ago until now, she has really blossomed into the best Service Dog. When I got her at the age of 18 months, she was never potty trained or anything. Once she come home, she had to be crated for a couple of weeks when I was out and about. This was the case until she got into a training program and I had her shots up-to-date. After everything was done, she was never in a crate again. One funny thing she does is cock her head sideways whenever I talk to her. It looks like she is hearing everything I say and that she understands every word. Her toothy smile reminds me of one of those dogs from a dog toothbrush commercial. She loves to go to the dog park.
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