Puppy in Training

Smart, Beautiful, Wise… that's Kaiyo! Well, at least that's the meaning of her name. We are paws-itive she is SMART and BEAUTIFUL (just look at her) and hopeful the wisdom will come with time and experience.

After being diagnosed with arthritis at nearly 10 years of age, we retired my husband's first PTSD service dog. Kazu is now living "the dream," rolling in the grass, investigating bugs, and soaking in all the lovings from family. Although she's retired, the desire to serve remains present. Kazu is still very driven to offer assistance so long as it doesn't involve a car ride or quick movement. While Kazu continues to hold a special place in my husband's heart as his first service dog, Kaiyo is a wonderful addition, eager to learn, and the biggest sweetheart. 

But how do you train a service dog in the middle of a pandemic? Well, this was very tricky. In the training phase, where we usually would have been out and about- exposing the puppy to new sites, surroundings, and experiences, many of our go-to training sites were closed, limited capacity, or essential shopping only.

So we adapted and overcame. We did a lot of work around the house and outdoors, took her out where and when we could, and focused on what we could control- obedience, exposure to the great outdoors, and task work. Kaiyo is now 2 years old and has learned so much, including several tasks. With our state's reopening, we've been able to expose Kaiyo to more public places. We continue to work with the trainer and hope to have her fully trained within a year and promise to provide more updates!

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What is a service animal according to the ADA?

"A service animal is defined as a dog that has been individually trained to do work or perform tasks for an individual with a disability. The task(s) performed by the dog must be directly related to the person's disability."

How does a service dog help with PTSD?

Service dogs for PTSD are becoming more common. The tasks a service dog is trained to perform can help to alleviate many PTSD symptoms. Each dog is trained specifically for its handler and helps to increase physical, emotional, and social independence. 

What are some of the tasks my husband’s PTSD service dog is trained or training to do?

🦮Nightmare and flashback interruption

🦮Getting Help

🦮Leading to an exit when having a panic/anxiety attack or in a stressful situation

🦮Creating a buffer zone for personal space

🦮Grounding through nudging, pawing, and licking