PTSD and service dogs

Everyone is familiar with dogs trained to assist and guide the blind, but most are unaware of how many patients with other medical conditions are getting assistance from trained dogs, known generally as service dogs. It is evident the dogs are trained to react to specific situations, but the question has been raised as to whether reliance on the dogs is interfering with the veteran overcoming the disability.

An example of this occurs when a veteran with post-traumatic stress disorder cannot enter a room with strangers because of anxiety about the unfamiliar situation. A dog can be trained to look for threats upon entering the room. Knowing the service dog has assured the safety of the situation gives the veteran the confidence to resist the anxiety. Does the veteran become too reliant on the dog to deal with his or her fear, and does that reliance remove the incentive to deal with the cause of the anxiety?

The use of service dogs question is being addressed by a Veterans Affairs research study "to determine if there are things a dog can do for a Veteran with PTSD that would qualify the animal as a Service Dog for PTSD." The VA website says, "Currently the VA will not provide service dogs for physical or mental conditions including PTSD." If a veteran obtains a trained service dog, which is deemed medically necessary, the VA will provide veterinary care for the dog, but it will not pay for grooming, boarding or other normal expenses associated with dog ownership.

Service dogs are trained for a specific job and should not be confused with therapy dogs, although service dogs also provide support for patients through companionship. Actual therapy dogs have a similar purpose but without being trained for a specific task. They are used to visit hospitals, nursing homes and certain child-care facilities. They are often used to reduce stress in people who have had surgery or suffered some type of trauma or loss.

Jack Dragoni attended Boston College and served in the U.S. Army in Berlin and Vietnam. He lives in Chaffee, Missouri.