Therapy Dogs and PTSD
Ben Geurts from Kaiser K9 came to our recent meeting to talk about using dogs to help ex-servicemen deal with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD.
Pretty much everyone has seen a Therapy Dog - like the dog that guides someone with impaired vision while they are walking, and accompanies them on trains.
And pretty much everyone knows that dogs are used in visiting pet programs in nursing homes, and rehabilitation hospitals. Programs my late wife Helen helped introduce in WA. I recently read that Therapy dogs have been used to calm people giving difficult evidence in court cases.
A veterinary friend told me about Ben and his research related to PTSD. This was a new one for me. Ben readily agreed to the invitation to speak to Applecross Rotary, as he had formed a view that Rotary was an great organisation which helps others in need.
Ben can’t remember why he joined the army when he was 19, but it was a voluntary decision. He spent three years in artillery and then transferred to the Military Police. He didn’t enjoy the work, but it triggered a desire to become more involved with the dogs they used. So he arranged a transfer to the RAAF dog squad.
Ben and the dogs served in peacekeeping deployments in East Timor, and he also spent time in the Middle East where our military units had respite during service in Afghanistan.
These experiences led directly to him deciding to leave the military and start a dog training business - Kaizen K9 (https://kaizenk9.com/)
Take a little time to look through his website - it’s very professional.
Ben told us about one of his jobs advising the WA Police Service about training their dogs, because there had been media reports about some of their dogs who seemed to get out of control when apprehending possible criminals. The issue came down to one thing - they wouldn’t obey their handlers when they tried to get the dogs to come back - they were literally out of control. Ben helped set up a new training program and advised on selection of puppies for training as police dogs.
Ben also trains pet dogs, runs Puppy Schools, offers Doggy Day Stays, and trains Sport Dogs. Even though he has now spent many years with dogs, he is still amazed about how many dogs can sense how you are feeling. He thinks it’s because dogs and humans evolved together.
Ben’s a very busy man!
But when he had the opportunity to look at a role for dogs in helping veterans with PTSD, he couldn’t say no. The work is funded by the RSL through the Department of Veteran Affairs.
He knows many veterans who have PTSD, including his brother who is severely affected. Many of them literally ’suffer in silence’, and don’t seek medical support.
Ben is currently training four dogs for this role, alongside their future ‘owners’. The dogs he is preparing to be the constant companion of people like his brother, need to have zero aggression, and be stress free - Ben calls them ‘Potatoes’. Once they have passed the Public Access Test (travelling on public transport), the dogs will spend the rest of their lives improving the lives of PTSD sufferers. Ben aims to have 8 dogs in training every year, if this current experiment works.
As a dog lover (don’t tell my cat) I am in awe of people like Ben - People of Action