Page 796 - Total War on PTSD

assistance with training their MWDs; and I assist Veterans who are dealing with PTSD issues as well as those who need assistance with their PTSD Service Dogs. As before, I find myself able to set an example for others while using Myah as both an MWD or Service Dog example.
What I see is what she does for people who are around me who have PTSD or other issues. She responds to them instantly. She'll find somebody who really, really has something triggered, and sit with them, and calm them right down. You take her to a PTSD meeting and it's like you took a bag of Valium to the meeting. Myah is especially in tune with the Soldiers during the PTSD group meetings we attend. While she starts every meeting by my side, I always give her free reign of the room. Whenever she senses that one of the Soldiers needs her attention, she will immediately relocate to be by their side...allowing them to pet her and helping them relax. She's damn good at it. She always sits with whomever needs it. She's never left me when I've needed it, but she saw a woman at one of our meetings who broke down and started crying and I swear that the tears didn't get down to her cheek before Myah was there and licking her face.
The response Myah gets from everybody is like 'Canada's Service Dog'. She's there for anyone and everyone, no matter what. I know a lot of people have those 'Please Ask to Touch' or 'Please Ask to Pet' patches on their dogs, but I don't go by that. I really encourage people, if they need something, pet her. That's what she needs. She loves it...and it's good for everybody around her. If I'm at a mall, there may be a mother with a little tiny child, and the mother looks at me like, can my child pet your dog, because it says on her vest "Please Ask to Pet", I always say "of course he can" or "of course she can". She goes to church on Sunday's and visits Sunday School with all the children. She adores children. She is just a lamb. People love touching her and she just accepts it and gives it back in spades. I just wish you could meet her.
796 of 1085