Professional dog whisperers Mark German and Susan Herbert train rescued dogs to be service animals for veterans suffering from PTSD and Traumatic Brain
Professional dog whisperers Mark German and Susan Herbert train rescued dogs to be service animals for veterans suffering from PTSD and Traumatic Brain Injury at their Rendon-based non-profit. (CROWLEY STAR/KYP SHILLAM)
Sometimes, medication does not come in the form of a pill.

At Hounds Helping Heroes Heal (H4), a Rendon non-profit which trains service dogs for disabled American veterans, healing comes complete with paws and wagging tail.

"The connections these veterans make with their dogs is amazing," said Susan Herbert, the president and co-founder of H4 Ranch. "Veterans with Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome and Traumatic Brain Injury may still have both arms and legs, but their wound is on the inside. They are reclusive and isolate themselves. Our goal is to reintegrate them back into society so they can't hide in their room anymore."

Statistically, 22 veterans commit suicide every day. Flashbacks, rage, helplessness, guilt, anxiety, mistrust, nightmares, and insomnia are just a few symptoms a well trained service dog can soothe.

"We don't teach them useless commands like sit and stay. We teach them commands that mitigate a disability," Mark German, a professional dog whisperer and trainer, said.

"They wake up vets from nightmares. They do security enhancement tasks to ease their veteran's mind. If their vet says, 'who's there?' the dog will search the house and let them know the area is clear. If they say, 'cover me' the dog gets behind the veteran and looks backward, protecting his back from danger and giving him peace of mind."

Sudden, overwhelming thoughts of danger are a constant companion for PTSD vets, German said.

A Navy corpsman (medic) from 1977 to 2005, German suffers from PTSD. With his service dog, Buckaroo, he deals with the irrational fears, guilt and rage that can suddenly crowd his mind.

"I was on the crash crew for the Harrier when we first got them. Pilots were crashing all the time. It was my job to shovel them up off the runway and cart their burned bodies away," he said matter-of-factly.

Like most medics, German grappled with the guilt of "playing God."

"Who do I save? I had to make the decision who lived and who died. I've been through guilt, depression, anxiety, anger – I still go off sometimes. Then there's the isolation," he said, absently reaching down to pet one of the 15 dogs at H4.

There are no kennels at the ranch. All the dogs, rescued from shelters, are in training to live in a house, sleep on or near the bed, go to the grocery store and live life with their veteran no matter where their day takes them.

"A lot goes into the selection of the dog," said Herbert, who prefers labs, lab mixes, golden retrievers, Australian shepherds and great Danes. "Bigger guys need a bigger dog. When you have a 230 pound man who needs balance assistance, you need something like a Dane."

The more social a dog is, the better it fits the profile German and Herbert are looking for.

"Shelters are filled with dogs that suffer from separation anxiety. They don't make good pets because they don't like being alone, but they can make good service dogs because the point is they are not going to be alone. They will go everywhere with their vet," Herbert said, noting H4 gets many inquiries from dog owners wishing to give their pets to the program.

"This is not a dumping ground. All our service dogs are hand selected based on what we're looking for. We don't take drop offs. We're not here to relieve people of their pet responsibilities," she said.

For the first 60 days at the ranch, the dogs learn to live in a pack and be dogs again.
"Most people have treated their dogs like children. They are not people," German said, noting he's written a book on the four essentials to a stable dog. "They need canine instincts to be successful service dogs. Once they are stable and their behavior has been corrected, we can begin taking them out into social settings like the pharmacy or the store."

Important that the dogs are comfortable and attentive to their masters in all settings, the dogs spend another month or so learning to work.

"Most of these dogs just want a job," Herbert said, noting her service dog, Maverick, is the light of her life, alerting her to sudden sleep attacks caused by white lesions on her brain. "They want to be needed and the guys need their 'battle buddy' to help them feel comfortable."

And they are not just needed by the veteran. Herbert said these service dogs are invaluable to caregivers and spouses.

"If your husband won't leave the house because he's depressed or fearful, you have to go to the store, and the pharmacy. When they avoid social settings, that puts more responsibility on the spouse who already does so much," Herbert said, noting many spouses begin to feel resentful and overwhelmed. "These service dogs are not just combating suicide, loneliness and fear, they're combatting marital problems, abuse and divorce."

In less than two years, H4 has placed 11 dogs with veterans from Hawaii to Puerto Rico, Rochester, New York, to Fargo, North Dakota, and beyond. They personally deliver the dogs and spend as long as it takes to acclimate and train the veteran and their new buddy.

"All our veterans know they can call us anytime to talk about the dog or anything else they want," Herbert said, adding the most frequent call she gets is when a vet and their battle buddy are denied access to a public place. "I help them stay calm and, most of the time, I end up explaining and educating store managers and even employers about service dogs and federal law.”

For those who live close, the ranch is a safe haven.

"We understand what they're going through. Many of them come out here and just hang out. They help with the dogs or just relax," Herbert said, adding the H4 Facebook page has become a touchpoint with those they serve. "They know that with their dog, they're safe."

Those wishing to support H4 are invited to a Charity Quarter Auction and Shopping Event to benefit the non-profit from 10 a.m. to noon, Saturday at the Knights of Columbus Hall, 2625 S. Cooper St., Arlington. In addition to the quarter auction, there will be a 50/50 raffle, bake sale and vendor booths. H-4 places fully trained shelter dogs with U.S. Military veterans across the country suffering from traumatic brain injury and post traumatic stress syndrome. For more information, contact www.h4hero.org.

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