There was a split second there where his like, “wait, what? bro what are you doing?” 

On more serious note, PTSD dogs for veterans are so fucking therapeutic. They’re like the one person you can spill your guts to and never worry about ever being judged or have that secret divulged. There are times when I definitely prefer the company of a dog over a human. 

Therapy animals save lives.

These dogs are even still so much more amazing. They check rooms before their handler enters, so they can clear it to help the person feel safe. Like in the gif, they are there when panic attacks or nightmares occur, to be something for the person to help ground themselves on, or yes just to turn on the lights. Even more amazing, many people are able to reduce their medication when they have a PTSD service dog there to help them. These dogs are useful for not just veterans, but also victims of abuse, accident trauma, natural disasters, and others. Their training allows them to be useful in situations where medical assistance is needed, as well. Some PTSD dogs are trained to recognize repetitive behaviours in handlers, and signal the handler to break the repetition and stopping the behaviour and possibly injury. 

Service dogs in general are just awesome. Remember to respect any that you see out in public. They are not there for you to walk up to and play with, even the puppies!

I was reading an article of a service dog helping a person with schizophrenia. she stated that when she was seeing or hearing things and notices the dog is not reacting in any way, then she is able to ground herself, realizing what she was experiencing was not real and could work through it easier and is more able to ignore the delusions. And she pointed out she feels more comfortable with a service dog as well because well, dogs don’t judge and get angry for things like this

I teared up about this whole post to be honest.

Here lately, on my own, my dogs have literally been my lifelines. My nightmares have been killing me, but every time, they wake me up by first nudging me, and if that doesn’t work, outright barking, then grounding me by getting in the bed with me. One gets in the bed, the other patrols the room for me, and takes guard at the door, so I can sleep knowing my girls are protecting me.

Service dogs are the lifesavers of many, and should always be recognized for their strength and diligence.