# Did anyone watch Dogs of War last night?



## Bear GSD (Apr 12, 2012)

I happened upon the new series on A&E last night. It's a series about Veterans with PTSD and the process and training they go through to get paired with service dogs. I thought it was very I interesting and not at all sugar coated.


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## CharlieB.Barkin (Apr 21, 2014)

It's premiering on Sunday for me. I have my t.v. set to record it.


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## DonnaKay (Jan 20, 2014)

I watched it and thought it was interesting. They went into more detail then I thought they would about what the soldier had gone through and still going through. I would have liked to have seen more about the training they did with the dogs. The little bit they showed almost seemed like an after-thought. All in all, it was fairly decent but not quite what I was expecting.


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## ILGHAUS (Nov 25, 2002)

On the whole I liked it and it has the possibility of bringing a strong message to those who are not very aware of what our military individuals go through afterwards. I did very much like the fact that it showed how the giving of a dog to this veteran affected the way his wife then felt. Through her actions and tears we could see a life partner feeling left out and probably feeling guilt that she began feeling as she did. She spoke through tears of after being "the one" who took care of her husband for ten years she now had to accept the dog as being a major player in her husbands life. I am sure this is something that if not all then most front line supporters feel in this situation.

A major concern of some in the SD community is that many individuals already think of PTSD as a mental health issue that only our veterans go through. We all need to remember and help educate others that it can affect anyone that has gone through a traumatic event. Police Officers, Fire fighters, assault victims and others going through a major disaster in their life along with those who have suffered in a war action can be victims of PTSD. 

As a stickler on obedience, I was disappointed on my perceived level of training that the dog had when given to the new handler. I am hoping that will be clarified in an upcoming show. Right now I am going to give the organization the benefit of the doubt that the lack of obedience training was just due to the handler needing more training. This first show had the dog looking more like a nicely mannered ESD or a SDIT with some beginning obedience rather than a trained SD. I am interested in watching more shows and hope that this is clarified very soon. There would be nothing wrong with the giving of a SDIT to a veteran where the two than had to learn together as a team to go to a SD level, but that should then be how the dog is presented through the show and through Paws and Stripes in the media coverage.


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## ILGHAUS (Nov 25, 2002)

The website itself shows the dogs at a higher level of training than what was presented during the first episode of the TV series. So like I had just posted, I am going to wait to make my own final thoughts on this. It would have been in my opinion better if even just one minute of the first show would have touched on this topic. 

Watching several shows will, again in my opinion, have more of an impact on how I look at these dogs then looking through their website. And as I tried to state in my previous post I am waiting to see how the next show -- possibly two -- leaves my own thoughts on the organization and the level of dogs they are turning over.

As this show deals with vets and their dogs that is the section that I will be thinking about and addressing in this thread. I fully believe our warriors who have gone through **** on earth deserve our best efforts in supplying what they need to help them cope in the short run and to help them heal as much as possible in the long. 

There is a need for both great ESDs and top level SDs being offered to any vet who after a careful and educated process makes a decision for either one to be added into their life.


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## annap24 (Jul 22, 2014)

Did anyone watch this week's episode that aired last night?


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## Lin (Jul 3, 2007)

I haven't seen it, but reading your post TJ I hope thats clarified. I'm really shocked at the so called level of obedience I see in many working SDs.... I wonder how many are fakes, how many were turned that way due to lousy handling, and how many came from poor organizations. I think its a really important issue that too many turn a blind eye to.


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