STERLING, Virginia — It takes a special puppy to become a service dog.
Only one puppy from each litter is qualified to be a service dog for a veteran, and sometimes, none of them have the temperament, according to Suzanne Ager, a puppy raiser.
Between 11% and 20% of veterans returning from Iraq or Afghanistan suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), according to the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs.
The service dogs for veterans provide assistance to those who have physical or emotional disabilities. The dogs learn nightmare and anxiety interruption when they are in school, according to Michele Khol, a trainer for the Assistant Dogs in Training Program.
Every day in the United States, 22 veterans commit suicide.
“Literally, after a couple days, you see such a difference in how the puppy is changing the veteran’s life,” said Ager.
To perform nightmare interruption, each puppy will learn his veteran’s anxiety signature.
Eagle, a one-year-old puppy, is training to become a service dog with four others at the facility.
He has to learn how to open a drawer, pick up objects and stay focused when there is food in right in front of him.
Each puppy has a different personality. Khol says trainers, like her, make sure the puppy is a good match for each veteran.
The puppies at a training facility, like Veterans Moving Forward, come from breeders. The breeder selects and donates a qualified puppy from the litter. When the puppies are eight months old, the final training begins.
There are about 10 facilities around the Washington D.C. area which provide service dogs for veterans.
During the training period, the puppy stays with the raiser until he is ready for a veteran.
“The smiles that we see on the veterans, the laughing and joking around that they are doing, that’s really what makes it worthwhile,” said Khol.
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