Of Interest to Vets and About Our U.S. Veterans

A number of years ago my grandkids gave me a small dog shortly after I retired. They had heard old people might live longer if they had a pet. She was just a baby and I thought had probably been taken from her mother too soon. I prepared her a bed in a basket in the corner of the bedroom. The first night when we went to bed she cried and cried. I got up, took her and my sleeping bag out into the backyard and we slept under a large pine tree. I woke up to her growling(I didn't realize she could growl). Someone had turned the bathroom light on in the house and she could see it. She watched the light and emitted a low growl until it was turned out. She was a white Sharpei and a good dog. I really don't know why I wrote this. There's no point to this story.
 
I take it that you lost her since then Drifter, if so, I'm sorry to hear that. Sharpei's are very nice, and it sounded like she was a good protector for her new master. Hope you enjoyed her company for a good long while. :)
 
RadishRose said:
Post is almost 5 years old.Back then people used a free photo hosting site that since demanded a high fee for use and deleted member's pics. The site and the member are long gone.
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Thank you Rose, I removed the old images from the hosting site that were no longer available.
 
ancient mariner said:
It hasn't been proven that dogs help with ptsd. As a matter of fact, it could make things worse.
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I disagree, maybe it hasn't been "proven", but pairing veterans suffering from PTSD with service dogs is fairly new. There have been many success stories, this is just one of them. More here.

Service Dog Lends War Veteran a Helping Paw

TRAVIS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. -- What if you are screaming for help, but no one can hear you? What if your life starts to crumble? Do you know where to turn or what options are available to veterans and service members?




Retired Air Force Tech. Sgt. Brandon Jones and his service dog, Apache, pose for a photograph in front of “Golden Bear,” a C-141B Starlifter aircraft static display at Travis Air Force Base, Calif., March 30, 2018. Jones served 11 years in the Air Force until he was medically retired due to post-traumatic stress disorder.

He credits his service dog, Apache, for saving his life. Apache is trained to alert him during PTSD triggers and helps him ease through those anxieties. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Lilliana Moreno

That is exactly how retired Air Force Tech. Sgt. Brandon Jones felt as he reached a breaking point in his military career and decided it was time to reach out to military agencies to get the help he desperately needed.

Jones reminisced on his childhood days growing up in Fayetteville, Georgia, and his love for airplanes.
“My dad would take me to the store and ask what I wanted for my birthday,” Jones said. “I would always pick an airplane. I just loved them so much.”

Apache Provides Comfort, Companionship
“Never did I think that I would have a dog that would help me get back to a stable life,” Jones said. “If I’m having nightmares, he will literally come and lick me until I wake up. When he senses an anxiety attack, he will put himself on me and he will force me to pet him.”

Jones credits his service dog, Apache, for saving his life.

“It’s been a life-changing experience for me,” he said. “He is the reason why I can go outside now. He is the reason why I can interact with people. And, most importantly, I can spend time with my family again.”
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Our puppy is too young and hyper to be of much help to Old Mack just yet, but I think the two of them are bonding a little, slowly. Until they become friends, I'll lick OM's face when he has a nightmare and hug him when he gets the terrors. It takes a lot of time and training to live as a spouse of a combat wounded veteran with ptsd. It will take a lot more time and training till No Name is of much help. Here's the link to Pets for Vets

https://www.petsforvets.com/
 
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