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Anna Kukharets
Davey Mills
English IV
12 October 2016
Are Dogs Who Suffer With PTSD Worth Saving?

I.

Introduction
A) PTSD vs. C-PTSD

II.

Body

A) Cause of Canine PTSD

1) Military War Dogs
2) Abused Dogs
3) Traumatic Weather
B) Arguments
1)Animals are not Human
2) Too old to train
3) Too aggressive to deal with
C) How to Help
1) Set up programs to train
2) Become a trainer
3) Adopt
III. Conclusion

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Anna Kukharets
Davey Mills
English IV
12 October 2016

Are Dogs Who Suffer With PTSD Worth Saving?

Many soldiers that come from war are not only physically wounded but also
emotionally wounded. Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) occurs after someone
has been through a traumatic event that puts their life or other lives in danger. PTSD
is very common among military personnel because they constantly experience
situations that put their lives in danger. According to the article, PTSD by the
Numbers , approximately 40,000 military members who have returned from Iraq or
Afghanistan have been officially diagnosed with PTSD which makes their life back
home very difficult to deal with because they constantly have a struggle with
depression, suicidal thoughts, substance abuse, drug use, and other anxiety
disorders to cope with that traumatic stress that they have endured. There are many
programs set up around the country to help these soldiers transfer into a the civilized
life after being in war. As of 2016, there are over 100 programs open to help

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ex-military men with PTSD but there are only a few number of programs open to help
the dogs who also suffer from PTSD. There have been many studies that prove that
C-PTSD is a real disorder that some dogs have to deal with. Canine Post-Traumatic
Stress Disorder (C-PTSD) is a type of anxiety disorder seen in dogs that have
experienced some sort of trauma. The disorder is usually triggered by sudden
accidents, emotional disconnections, physical or emotional abuse, and negative
interactions with other dogs or animals. Dogs suffering from C-PTSD exhibit similar
symptoms to humans such as depression and anxiety. Many dogs who are
diagnosed with this disorder have also shown more signs of aggression, which
depending on the level of trauma, that aggression could be minor or it could scale to
a severe unhealthy mental instability that makes the dog believe that everything and
everyone is going to enforce harm. So as their instincts kick in, they began to attack
more viciously and more forcefully. (Canine PTSD Awareness). There are also
programs that have been set up to began helping these dogs adjust to the real life
and to control themselves. Many people believe that the dogs are not worth saving
because they would become to much to handle as well as too vicious to deal with.
Another reason why less people are concerned in helping the canines is because
many of them believe that no one can teach an old dog new tricks. Through all the
controversies, what people do not understand is that there are programs set up to
take the dogs in and train them to control themselves and use their skills for a better
purpose.

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Walter Burghardt Jr., chief of behavioral medicine and military working-dog

studies at Lackland, estimates that at least 10% of the hundreds of dogs sent to Iraq
and Afghanistan to protect U.S. troops have developed canine PTSD. The mans
best friend has been used in warfare since ancient times; and today, thanks to
specialized training, these canine warriors are taking on crucial military roles and
have become one of the most important guardians of national security for the United
States. Debbie Kandoll, who founded Military Working Dog Adoptions, stated from
her research that a typical war dog can save the lives of one hundred fifty humans
throughout its service in the military. US representative Walter Jones says, Those
who have been to war tell me that the dogs are invaluable. He adds, They are just
as much a part of a unit as a soldier or marine. While active on duty, the dogs are in
charge of doing varies task forces that puts them through danger and traumatic
terrors everyday. They are expected to hold a particular defensive position and If the
position is threatened, they chase down intruders, pin them in place, and injure them
or even kill them. They are also trained to locate wounded soldiers and bring them
back to safety. Injured troops that were located in concealed areas, were unable to
be reached by the medics so the four legged warriors were sent out to rescue them.
Their excellent sense of smell and keen hearing allows the dogs to be able to find
these wounded soldiers and alert their masters. Another task that the dogs are
required to do is sniff out dangerous explosives. Thirteen IED detection Labrador
retrievers were sent over to Iraq and Afghanistan in 2007. As of 2012, that number
has increased to around 600. All of these different jobs and responsibilities have a

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major impact on the animals mentality and it causes some of the canines to suffer
with different levels of PTSD. When asked about how her ex-military canine acts at
home, Oksana Cody stated that everything would be fine until he heard a loud noise.
Almost automatically,the dog would began to get worked up, run in circles, howl, and
bark for hours. She says that the program where she adopted Phoenix, warned her
about his C-PTSD and trained her how to deal with him.(Perry).

Other types of dogs that experience C-PTSD are the ones that go through
abusive situations. There is a shocking number of animal cruelty cases reported
every day and there are even more cases that go on never being reported. 70.1% of
all animal abuse is directed towards dogs. Every year, about ten thousand dogs die
because they have been bred to participate in dogfighting which is when two dogs
fight each other to their deaths and the dog to die first loses. People create this event
for the sole purpose to gamble with entertainment. Many people abuse their
canines because they believe that it is the only way to receive obedience from them.
Researchers suggest that when humans are afraid of something, they take it out on
those that are helpless and wont fight back most often. When this abuse occurs
successfully, it then begins to breed a harshness and numbness to the pain of
animals. But the abuse that hurts the dogs does not always have to be as severe as
a beating, it can also be something small like leaving the dog outside on a hot day, or
even inside of a car. Scientists have shown that something so small can cause brain
damage to the animal in as little as 15 minutes, altering his actions and mental

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stability. Dogs respond differently to each form of abuse. They can go into
depression, react with aggression, and/or run away. About half of all dogs who wind
up in shelters end up being put down because most began to show symptoms of
C-PTSD which scare many people off ,especially those who have children. So most
of the canines remain unclaimed. (Animal Cruelty Facts and Stats).

The last factor that could cause a dog to develope C-PTSD is severe weather
conditions. Dogs can be thrown into a state of extreme stress over a variety of
natural disasters like hurricanes, tornadoes and thunderstorms. Dark clouds and
thunder rolling in, signal that a change is coming and many times it also triggers the
animal's senses before it even hits humans. Thunder that makes a very loud noise,
shakes the house and makes a flashing light can all scare the dog because the
sound for them is magnified much more then it is for us. For some dogs, all these
sudden flash actions of lightning, thunder, strange smells from the atmosphere, the
smell of approaching rain and the wind, can all cause them to become anxious. Its
not just the visual effects, smells and sounds that bother some of these dogs but it
could also be the factor that storms also create a static charge that affects the dogs.
They try to squeeze themselves behind the toilet tank, jump into the bathtub, or any
confined small location where they are grounded and can stop the buildup of static
electricity on their coats. Fear of storms is found more often in working and sporting
breeds than other breeds. Shelter or rescue dogs are more prone to storm related
phobias that may have developed in their old home. About 30% of all dogs show

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signs of storm related stress which could be caused by being caught in a storm, left
outside during a severe weather or, home alone when a bad storm occurred. Kristi
Gelfriend recalls a time when she left her dog outside in the yard over the weekend
during a severe thunderstorm. When she came back, they had discovered that the
dog had passed away from a heart attack. All these events add stress and anxiety to
the dog which can also play a key role in them developing the disorder. (Cole).

Many people argue that as humans we have a responsibility to protect the

dogs and get them the help they deserve while others claim that because dogs are
not humans, we do not have to bother. Some people believe that we should not be
putting in so much money and resources into programs that could potentially add
more dogs to a shelter. All they would do is suffer, so why not just let them have it
easy says Charlie Callaway after reading a brochure about a new facility that
Brother Wolf dreams of opening to help animals who suffer with PTSD. What many of
these people not understand is that everything that humans do has an effect on
these animals whether it is direct or not. Every action that we take towards animals
leaves an imprint in their minds of either a good memory or awful emotion. As much
as many people want to state that they have no claim to an animal, the attachment is
already made and as the bigger and more intelligent species, it becomes the human
job to care for them. There are also many families that do consider their dogs as part
of the family and there are others who consider them their only family. Two thirds of
Americans live with an animal, and according to a 2011 Harris poll, 90 percent of pet

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owners think of their dogs and cats as members of the family. These relationships
have benefits. For example, in a survey by the American Animal Hospital
Association, 40 percent of married female dog owners reported they received more
emotional support from their pet than from their husband or their kids. Having such a
strong connection with humans, many organizations have enrolled dogs into being in
service to those who need them. For example, service dogs help the elderly, blind, ill,
or depressed. Through all of this, dog's show that they contain a connection with
humans whether they wanted it or not. (Herzog).

Another statement that people say against the programs that help with
C-PTSD is that the dogs become to old to be trained or taught a new way of living.
Other claim that it could be done and they put it to a test. According to Pat Miller,
older dogs are in fact perfectly capable of learning new tasks or behaviors. The
oldest dog that was ever enroll in one of Mrs. Millers training classes was an
11-year-old Labrador Retriever, and she performed just as well as the much younger
students. Adult dogs are often considered even easier to train than pups, simply
because they have the ability to focus for a longer period of time. Most adapt fairly
quickly to new routines. Many people also believe that because they also suffer from
C-PTSD it will be even harder to train but what they do not understand is that every
animal can be trained whether they are old or ill. More effort would just be required to
accomplish the goal.(Miller).

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One of the last claims that people make is that because some dogs that suffer
with C-PTSD develop aggressive niches that tend to scare enough people not to train
them. Aggressive behavior problems in dogs can be classified in different ways.
People can determine what motivates the dogs has to behave aggressively by
looking back in their history and being sure to calmly approach all factors to help the
dog overcome their fear or aggression. This is not the job for every person but their
are trained professions that devote their work for the sole purpose to make sure the
every best friend is brought back home. (Teaching Old Dogs New Tricks).

Over the past five years, more people have started organizations, programs,
and facilities in the sole purpose to help the animals who were impacted by PTSD
cope in their new reality as well as easing some of their trauma. Just like with
humans, PTSD also is a lifelong disorder for animals. Because PTSD will never go
away for the animals, many professionals plan on working with them until it is at least
subdued. The groups also encourage many people to get involved with the
organizations through volunteer work, advertising, awareness, and financing. Most of
the organizations are nonprofit so much of their finances rely on donors and
sponsors. Examples of organizations are the National Center for PTSD and the DDoc
Foundation. Spreading the awareness of the disorder will open up many
opportunities for other foundations to develop and create a better future for the
animals. Another action that people can participate in is becoming their dogs own
trainer. With just some simple everyday tasks and changes, many people could help

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their animal. When asked about how she trains her dog that suffers with PTSD,
Oksana Cody stated that she first did some investigating and found the root to her
dog's triggers and niches. Once she made that discovery, it made it easier for her to
hit the problem with caution. One thing that triggered her dogs howling and static
behavior was loud noises and she said that the way she dealt with it is to try to make
the dog as calm as he can and began to perform normal activities so that he can see
that it is not harming to him in any way. People can also get involved by adopting the
dogs from the organizations or at least fostering. The Canine Veteran Assistance
Program participate in both adoptions and fostering programs. After the animals have
been trained, they are given away to homes that are able to care and maintain a
healthy life for them. The sad reality is that there are some animals who do not get
adopted and are later transported to shelters. ( PTSD: National Center forjPTSD).

In conclusion, Many canines suffer from PTSD from various factors. It can be
triggered by being apart of a traumatic event such as being a veteran war dog. It was
also be caused by an abusive source or harsh weather. Many people believe that
dogs are not worth saving but according to the studies, they have proved to be more
beneficial to us then most of anything else. There are many organizations set up to
spread awareness about the disorder and also to help the dogs live as much as a
normal life as they can. Everyone and everything deserves a chance to be saved
whether it is a human or just a man's best friend.

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Canine PTSD. Combat Canines: The DDoc Foundation,
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Dogtime. Teaching Old Dogs New Tricks - Dogtime.Dogtime, 2015,

dogtime.com/lifestyle/dog-activities/1161-training-adult-senior-dogs-aaha#!

Perry, Tony. Military's Dogs of War Also Suffer Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. Los
Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 2012,
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Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder: Can It Affect Your Dog? Cesar's Way, Feb.
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.PTSD: National Center for PTSD. Dogs and PTSD - PTSD: National Center for
jjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjPTSD, www.ptsd.va.gov/public/treatment/cope/dogs_and_ptsd.asp.

Miller, Pat. Training An Older Dog. Whole Dog Journal,

www.whole-dog-journal.com/issues/10_12/features/training-older-dogs_15990
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hhhhhwww.canidae.com/blog/2014/07/why-are-some-dogs-afraid-of-thunder-and-ligh
hhhh tning/.

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