PTSD, - Page 1

what about it?

I'M sorry, I hit the wrong button on the keyboard. My question is do you think ptsd, and several topics lately have to do with nervous conditions in dogs. Would the causes be environmental, or genetic. I'd like to here some opinions.
Hank

Not sure this is the right title, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and what context are you refering too; abused dogs or dogs that experienced trauma during service.

I have seen quite a bit of this in people through my work it can be sudden through a nasty incident, pro longed i.e. a detective working for 5yrs dealing with paedophiles and their victims, even guilt where officers swapped shifts and something terrible happened(near miss).

I don't see this in people as being a genetic weakness but different things affect different people differently, often regarded as the body's normal reaction to abnormal experiences and treated as an injury despite the social stigma.

I am curious what's your experience with GSDs, and how it was diagnosed, what examples you have, how was it treated.

Regards

Ronin

Ronin

My question is not intended to be a indictment or criticism. Just that there seems to be alot of discussion about problems due to stress or nervous conditions.

I am just curious what some may feel could be a reason. My question is for information only, as
without discussion on cause, how can there be correction, or can there be correction?

My experience is I had my first GSD in 1957 and have had them ever since except for short periods of time. And I've never personally had a case like these.

I realize people and dogs both have variable threshholds while dealing with stress, while we would not test a human to see if he or she had a threshold high enough to hold up under the conditions of living life itself, dogs are evaluated for nerve, or should be before being placed into service.

Hank

Desertdog,  

Did you or your dogs ever experience war or some other stressful event?

The reason I'm asking is because I experienced a very traumatic event (witnessed one of my students struck and killed by a bolt of lightning outside of my school; he died at my feet) about 4 years ago and though I don't suffer from PTSD, I can certainly understand how soldiers who are exposed to traumatic events suffer from it.  No one, unless they have experienced such a traumatic event, can understand this.  The same is true with service dogs.  

All my dogs go for some form of protection. I pressure my dogs probably as much or more than any one I know. But listen you guys have been questioning my motive for my question. It is not about me or my dogs. It is simply request for information ONLY. I have not one thing forsale. If it is becoming a problem because I hear alot more about it than in the past, What is the cause, and what can be the solution, That is all. I would think any dog owner would be concerned to find out is this a nerve problem in our breeding programs, Is it in our evaluation of dogs being placed, Or could it be due to training , or is it stresses are being put on our dogs that have not been experienced before. Someone mentioned he could not believe dogs are stressed any more than they were in the campaigns in the pacific in WW2. Since I was not there I don't know but would like to hear not a bunch of bickering, but some discussion on this problem to see if it is something that can be helped, or do we just ignore it and hope it goes away.
Hank

Yes Mr. Turner like many I have held many young people, while they were dying. I have talked to many young kids, knowing the decision they were about to make would be the end of there life. Knew a beautifull teanage girl that went to the emergency room because her pretty face had been cut all to pieces with broken bottles, but refused help because her being a minor they would have to notify her parents. Many more, I know your grief for such things. That is my concern also about our dogs. My hope is both people and dogs can be helped. If we don't try to understand why it is happening, we will never be able to help, that is all.
Hank

I think I know where you are coming from, I have read about dogs that have this. I don't think without seeing the dog and the handler while on active duty, that one could really know what was going on. 

Going on what I have been told about MWD from the past, is that they either had problems in the beginning and were washed, or worse, or they went about their duty without a bunch of real problems. 

Unfortunately was it the dog, or was it the handler that caused the problem ? No one can answer unless they were actually working with both overseas.