PTSD Therapy Dogs

Soldiers at Walter Reed Army Medical Center are helping to train PTSD therapy dogs. Check out more DoD videos at http://dodvclips.mil

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News & Politics

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• wounded
• warriors
• combat
• veterans
• PTSD
• Therapy
• Dogs
• Walter
• Reed
• Army
• Medical
• Center
• Soldiers
• dod
• defense
• military
• pentagon

[mausergirl]

@kgrluv - I will send you a message since there's a limit to how much I can post on here, so I can better explain.

[kgrluv]

@mausergirl Okay help me to understand. The report says "Therapy" and describes the dogs as " providing comfort" but that's not a" task" . So why change to "Service". That term and the training you describe for "Service Dogs" is never brought up in the report. Are the dogs classified as "Service Dogs" by law? Is that why you are saying they are "Service" not "Therapy"? Are the PTSD Dogs allowed the freedoms of a "Service Dog"? You seem very informed on the subject and I am not but I'm trying:)

[mausergirl]

@ kgrluv - A Service Dog is a dog trained to help an individual with a disability (such as PTSD) by doing specific, trained, demonstrable (on command) tasks for them - like fetching medication, providing balance/stability for the handler, picking things up, turning on lights, etc. "Providing comfort" is not considered a task because it's not trained nor done on command. And Service Dogs get to go everywhere their handler goes, not just in places that allow pets.

[mausergirl]

@ kgrluv - And the report gets it wrong. Therapy Dogs and Service Dogs are NOT the same thing.

A Therapy Dog is a dog that is the pet of its handler and goes to visit with other people, such as at hospitals or nursing homes. They have NO public access rights to places where dogs are not normally allowed except when visiting.

[kgrluv]

@mausergirl Why the report its self calls the dog Physical Therapy Dogs.

[mausergirl]

This is a great clip. One suggestion, however - I would change the title from "Therapy Dogs" to "Service Dogs". They're really two very different things and many people are using them as if they are interchangeable.