re: Service Dogs for Vets

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I don't have one. What has helped me the most was telling my wife a couple of months ago something that I did while in Iraq during Desert Storm. I held it in for a long time. Biggest thing to me is that returning vets need to not be judged for the actions, and be willing to speak about it.

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I have yet to tell my wife everything, I just can't bring myself to do it.

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you'll get hate by people who have no clue and that weird guy in this thread that needs us all to know him

guessing he starts his Facebook conversations with "as a Veteran"

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So that's what this thread turns into .... you again.

This is sad.

Wait until I tell my D-Day story later tonight. I'll really be dancing in your head for free.

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guessing he starts his Facebook conversations with "as a Veteran"

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You about to piss off all the ROTC and non-wartime "Heros"...

I own that same model couch LOL!

Thats a nap takers dream!

She gets it.

A service dog is a dog trained for a specific task like a seeing eye dog, epileptic detection, etc.

What service animal are Vets getting? Something that senses something psychological like stress?

I get having a dog as an emotional support animal to be there to enjoy being with and comfort you, I’m just curious otherwise what they are doing?

The fundamental reason for a service animal is to use the dogs senses that were beyond human ability.

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I could probably use one and don’t have it. I never met a fellow combat vet that didn’t benefit from their dog. Are there ones who maybe bullshitting, maybe. All the ones I know are legit.

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Same here ..... although I've heard of one or two through the rescue channels that were repossessed. One up in Charlotte not that long ago and it was a major pain in the arse getting that animal back from that Veteran after that Veteran was jailed.

Being awarded a legit, trained and screened, Service Dog is no joke imho. They're few and far between, hard to come by and treated like gold. There are $1000s of dollars invested in their rescue, care and training before they are awarded to veteran service members. The animals and veterans are both vetted. Then they're matched. Then they're boarded together where they go through weeks of training and bonding before they're graduated and sent back out into the world.

99.9% of the time they go to combat vets .... for a reason.

Mine is very intuitive of my ..... well, it doesn't matter. We're connected. She actually knows me better than my boy Rhett did and he was with me for 14 years. He and I had a different relationship because he was a male and I was much younger and more physically active and demanding at the time. Us older guys who qualify ... we're awared them to keep us active and bonded. Mine and I walk every day. Keeps me healthy .... as healthy as can be expected. She goes everywhere with me. She loves my wife, my kids and grandkids. She's super protective of me at the park and when parking .... and I am showing my age and stage, a little bit hump back from the rucks, knee replaced, hip replaced, one really bad ankle that is soon to be replaced ... quadruple bypass, arthritis, have lost some innards .... she's my girl. She's important to me. I appreciate her and love her.

I don't know why anyone would begrudge that.

I'll simply add this. Everyone reading this can take it for what it's worth. I spent all of my time ..... no, let me rephrase that. My entire career was in special units, all over the place(s), and with my Brothers .... all of them fellow hard chargers. We all excelled at what we did. Different mentalities than most can understand. All of us, at the very least, spent our years 100% of the time on jump status bounced about to various schools, various actions and operations, various missions. There are 1000s of us out there.

Over the years we lost quite a few. A couple in combat, more while contracting .... and then retirement comes along and ailments and injuries and pain catch up with us and ..... there are different kinds of pain.

I've lost a half dozen close friends I served with to suicide. I've known more. I volunteer, my dog and me, at the VA and we've known quite a few who just decided to check out. I get it. But of the six guys I actually served with .... two of them were very close. Super close, like brothers. I was the last person both of them talked-to ... one called to say goodbye, the other never gave me a hint what he was about to do .... before blowing their brains out.

They both suffered from constant physical pain, but also mental pain. One's Son went on to become a Ranger like his Dad and he ended up dying in Afghanistan. The other, also a retired CSM, just couldn't take the pain anymore ..... anyways. I know, for a fact, had they accepted the offer to adopt their service dogs ... I think both of them would still be with us. As a matter of fact I've never known a Veteran with a service dog to off himself. Not one. I'm sure there might be one out there, or two maybe ... but I've never known of one personally. I'll call and ask around about that tonight to see if anyone knows of one.

Mine knows something is bothering me (this thread) right now and she just came over and is giving me the look .... she knows, I don't know how she knows. Everything is totally quiet here in my mancave except for the lightening and thunder and downpour (which doesn't phase her and that's a key trait, for a reason). They just know. There is some really questionable information in this thread .... I dunno, whatever. I have no clue what "simpin" means .... anyways.

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I'm biting my tongue right now. No combat infantry vet would make the statement you just made. None

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Then you better bite that bitch off because it just happened.

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have yet to tell my wife everything, I just can't bring myself to do it.

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Talking helps. Doesn't have to be someone who experienced it. Just has to be someone who listens.

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PTSD hits everyone different. For one former soldier, it can be so bad that he has flashbacks walking into Target thinking that the enemy is waiting behind the doors. 

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That person needs anti psychotics. Not a dog.

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A service dog is a dog trained for a specific task like a seeing eye dog, epileptic detection, etc.

What service animal are Vets getting? Something that senses something psychological like stress?

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He said service dog, but meant "emotional support dog". Service dogs are trained to assist the blind, paraplegics, epileptics, etc