Successful Transitioning Stories

By Dr. Julie Ducharme www.synergylearninginstitute.org

Little Angles Dog Training

Since this month is service dog theme, I was very excited to highlight Little Angles Dog Training. I have known the founder of this program for 20 years before she even started the facility, Katie Gonzales.

Katie always had a love for animals and training them. Whenever I was at Katie’s house she always had dogs, and I would say wow you are like a dog whisperer, she could train them in minutes and watch how well they would respond. It only made sense with such great skills with animals that she would create Little Angels Service Dog company, a full-fledged training facility and school that serviced not just people in San Diego her home base but soon all over the world.

She currently has a facility in San Diego, one in New Hampshire, and a long waiting list of people in need. Even more poetic Katie got married to a Navy man and became a mil-spouse and started to learn firsthand how our military men and women often needed a support animal when they transitioned out. And today they have helped countless people in need of service animals. In this article I’ll be focusing on the veteran side of their business but please know they serve so many in need and please check out their website. Katie’s programs even extend to autism assistant, hearing assistant, mobility, psychiatric, seizure, diabetic and even a prison program in helping prisoner reform. I can’t say enough about Katie and what she and her teams do to better the lives of so many people in need.

Katie how did you start Little Angels? I started out training pet dogs for people and the money I made from that I would then use to train service dogs for free for people who were disabled and the first one I did was for a boy who could not walk on his own and was made fun of at school by the kids. When he got this dog, he went from being made of fun to being the most popular kid in school. Dogs can create this amazing social bridge.

What differentiates your training from others?

We are 1 of 2 accredited organizations in the world that will train psychiatric service dogs for a civilian mostly this is for veterans dealing with things like PTSD. We are also the only accredited organization in the world that will train a psychiatric dog for a child.

Can I get set up with a dog right away? We have over 200 people on our waiting list from Israel, Ireland, England, Canada, and all over the US. I wish we could say yes, this is quick and easy but the need for service dogs is a big one, especially for our veterans

You mention that your dogs can even sense seizures, how are you able to train them for this?

So many people have seizures and epilepsy is much more common than people realize and when you have a family member, child or adult who have seizures one of the most common ways they die is in bed. And if you have someone in your life like this you get no sleep.

The way we train the dogs is like a game, we put a box with a treat in it as well with a gauze that has saliva from a person who has had a seizure. The dogs not only responded to this but started to alert the seizure patients ahead of time before it happened because they wanted to get the treat. This is changing peoples’ lives as the dogs can alert them minutes in advance even up to an hour in advance of a seizure.

How specifically have you helped veterans coming back from war?

We have had some great success with our dogs and vets, when someone comes back from war they can’t just go to Target and just walk around an isle and then hear a sudden commotion where maybe something gets knocked over but to them it sounds like something in their past and it triggers them. Having one of our dogs the dog can smell the anxiety coming on and they will start to paw at their owner to calm them down. They also provide deep pressure therapy which is like a weighted vest. Which also helps calm anxiety.

It’s so tough for our veterans to come back with a disability that people can’t see. They assume they are fine and have no idea what they are dealing with but the dog can sense it and can provide support for our veterans dealing with anxiety, depression, PTSD, mobility issues, and seizures. And our dogs also provide great companionship as well.

Being a mil-spouse, I have firsthand accounts with my husband dealing with PTSD and this service is so important for our veterans and I am thankful I can use my passion to help them.

If in need of any of services of Littles Angels Dog Service, please visit her website. https://littleangelsservicedogs.org

Hear Katie speak on her passion and how she trains dogs to know when a seizure is coming www.tinyurl.com/Katie-Gonzales

Finding a job in the civilian world may seem easy at first. After all, you have learned skills, practiced leadership and demonstrated initiative that will make you successful wherever you go.

The reality, though, is that it can be difficult. In fact, it can be downright depressing, demotivating and you may feel totally disillusioned.

Veterans In Transition is dedicated to you and to helping you succeed in your transition.

For editorial & monthly columns regarding transitioning to business, career advice, tips, workshops, transition to education, entrepreneurship, straight-forward legal tips for Military and Veteran Business Owners and more visit Veterans In Transition at www.tinyurl.com/SDVM-Transition

For more help on active duty transition, education, and more click the link below www.synergylearninginstitute.org