IN THEIR WORDS

Relating to people became a struggle, but my Service Dog, Charlie understands me without any effort, and after training with Daniel De La Rosa, our bond is on another level. Before, I felt I was just existing. Surviving is exhausting. But now I feel like I can thrive, to participate in life again. Things are lighter now. I trust Charlie's senses and he trusts me. We're a team, we depend on each other, just like crews on the fire department.

Daniel has the skills to teach you to train your dog. His patience is never ending. He will train your dog, but it is you he must teach so you will train the animal forever. He accepts no excuses. He plays no games. He asks questions in a gentle way and you don't want to let him down. The truth, thus you never miss your at home training again. With Daniel always in your corner, your dog will do things you never thought possible. You realize you're​ the one who did it because he indeed trained you. Daniel can change lives, I know, He changed my whole family's lives."

Today was a small victory in a long war that I will be fighting with PTSD. Thanks to Doc and the support of my family, I survived a relatively busy day at Disney's Magic Kingdom. Doc did his job and provided much blocking and comfort. He is exhausted after a long day. Thanks also to Doc's trainer Daniel, & Sara SD4SM president for giving me Hero III "Doc" as my teammate to fight the battles with!

This past weekend Hero was 1 of 4 Service Dogs on a retreat for Veterans. He was the only one with a certified SD badge. ( which I know is not mandatory). 1 SD was very good used for mobility. One I can tell was pretty old and was told he was in the family some time before becoming a SD. The last one was a blood hound mix. This dog was completely out of control. My first encounter was in an elevator and he started howling and barking at Hero.. I couldn't take it and got off not even on our floor and took the stairs.. We then went to a park where 2 handlers were letting other people walk and hold their dogs. I've seen the one blood hound begging for food, barking the whole time at people and the other dogs. I also saw his handler feed him from the table a hot dog. I was in shock!! Not only me but a lot of people on the retreat were making comments about this particular dog.. I was approached by one of the people running the retreat and I was told that Hero was one of the best behaved and that Hero and I are disciplined on how we are in public. I am all for Vets getting SDs but there should definitely be a standard on how they behave!! Daniel you have done an amazing job and I was proud to have Hero with me so behaved and doing his tasks of creating space between me and other people and standing behind me watching my back. He did great, also lead me through a crowd at a faster pace. I think he sensed the anxiety! A great weekend for Hero and I to work together and bond!

Training my Service Dog with Daniel has opened up a new world of possibilities for me! I have a special bond with my Service Dog, Stella. As a combat Veteran, I rely on my dog for strength, peace of mind, confidence and companionship. Daniel taught me to trust my training, trust my dog, and most of all, to trust myself.