Chrisine & Jax
I thank God for Soldier’s Best Friend, because now I have a certified service dog that I can take wherever I go, which makes me more confident and less hypervigilant. I also had the best dog trainer, who was patient, caring, and encouraging. Jessica Parker trained with Jax and I twice a week, and she sent us homework every Friday. She believed in us, when I seriously thought we could not get through the program. She helped me see things from a different perspective, which I needed because everything was doom and gloom. She helped me understand the meaning of reset when we were training Jax, which entails walking Jax away from the task and having him redo the task after a small break. I, too, can reset my way of thinking by being more positive and determined. Jax and I failed the Pat#3 test, and I cried. I drove home wanting to quit the program because I honestly felt that my dog could not complete any tasks without being given a doggie treat. My trainer sent me a long text message about what her game plan was for Jax and I to pass our retake test. She went on to say that Jax and I can pass the test, because she knows that I practice with my dog daily. She told me not to be discouraged, because dogs are like humans, they too have off days. That’s when I realized that I was being too hard on myself and Jax. The program isn’t easy, but it is doable. It is amazing how much I learned about caring and training a dog, but I also learned about myself too. I am grateful for this opportunity that SBF provided with the dog training and all the sponsors and donors that contribute to a great cause that truly makes a difference in our Veterans' lives.
One memorable experience I want to share is the time Jax had to jump into my car with the command of “UP!”. I told Jessica that I don’t think my dog can jump into the car, because he is too small, and he has short legs. She laughed. She said he can do it; he just needs to practice. We walked out to the parking lot of SBF, and I opened my car door and Jessica took Jax for a short stroll and turned him around and ran with him to the car and patted the car seat and said, “UP!”. Jax just stared at the car not knowing what he needed to do, so she told me to get in the car. She said, “I am going to run him to the car again, but I need you to say COME AND UP”. Wow, the second attempt was a complete success. Then Jessica told me to try it, but it took me the third try for Jax to finally jump into the car. It was amazing. Jessica video the jump, so I have proof that my dog can jump into the car. Like I said, I had the best dog trainer, because she believed in us.
