# VA to resume study of PTSD Service Dogs



## Lauri & The Gang (Jun 28, 2001)

VA To Resume PTSD Service Dog Study - Forbes



> The Department of Veterans Affairs plans to restart a study evaluating the use of service dogs to assist veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder.
> The study was suspended in August 2012, for the second time, when VA alleged that a vendor violated its contract and endangered the health of its dogs. At the time, according to my reporting for_ The Atlantic, _VA had paired 17 veterans with service dogs. The goal of the study, which was mandated by Congress in 2009, was to serve as many as 200 veterans.
> VA expected to resume the study in less than a year, following an investigation and changes to the study design.
> 
> ...


So there's alot more to the story you can read for yourself at the link I posted above ... my question is regarding this statement:



> *One of the new stipulations requires dogs to meet standards set by Assistance Dogs International or the American Kennel Club*.


Ok, WHAT?!?! The AKC 'standards' talk about what a specific breed should look like. From the little I have read on the ADI website they talk about the HOWS of service dogs.

How could those two organizations possibly have similar 'standards'. The new stipulation says " ... meet standards set by Assistance Dogs International *OR* the American Kennel Club.

So, in theory, I could use an English Bull Dog as a service dog even if it was dog and human aggressive because it meets the AKC standards.

Sounds like someone was NOT doing their research!! Why don't they have dog knowledgeable people making the rules??


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## ILGHAUS (Nov 25, 2002)

Yeah, the AKC Standard bit jumped out at many. Seems like more incomplete reporting at work.

What was referred to by the VA was the new AKC Program The Companion Canine (CGCA) as part of their testing requirements instead of the older standard used by many - the CGC.


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## Darkthunderplotts (Oct 28, 2013)

There is a fella working on a project for ptsd service dogs called Battle buddy while his dog is a GSD named Atlas I see lots of breeds represented in the pictures


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