‘The Human Whisperer’: Dog Helps PTSD Survivor Live Life

You often hear about service animals that help someone who is blind or otherwise incapacitated live their everyday lives in a way that resembles some sense of normalcy.

This is a story about a dog who is helping a Memphis-area veteran live what many would consider a normal life after a traumatic brain injury while serving in the United States military. The Commercial Appeal tells the tale of Chauncey, who they deem the “human whisperer,” and his owner, Melissa Maher:

“‘He can sense my pulse going up,’ says Melissa Maher of Bartlett.

“‘The physical, stress reaction when you start getting nervous: The heart beats faster. You breathe faster. May start fidgeting or pacing… Those queues he picks up on long before I’m aware of it. He can bring it to my attention so that I can remove myself from the triggering situation or use coping skills.’

“Chauncey communicates with Maher in several ways to snap her out of the dark places her mind is headed.”

The non-profit K9s for Warriors, who trained Chauncey, said the service animals are trained to do the following to help PTSD victims like Maher:

“… a service dog is trained to respond to this awareness by performing tasks to lessen the distress. Examples of these tasks include: licking, pawing or bringing a toy to break a disturbing episode; performing a sit/stay facing away from the warrior to ‘watch his back’; blocking an unwanted person from advancing too close by performing a stand/stay sideways in front of the warrior; forging ahead around a corner in front of the warrior; reminding the warrior to take medicine; safety checking a room before the warrior enters; or nudging the warrior while thrashing due to a nightmare.”

As Maher said on the website of the Memphis Advanced Toastmasters Club, even small things can trigger her PTSD symptoms, making the most normal everyday tasks a challenge.

“I am a U.S. Army veteran and I have PTSD. Something as mundane as walking into a drug store and asking one of the employees a question would have me in a cold sweat, heart pounding, and stuttering. Yes, stuttering,” she wrote.

The CA reports that to train K9s like Chauncey to be able to assist PTSD victims like Maher, it can cost upwards of $10,000.

While the cost may seem high, the payoff for individuals like Maher is priceless, as they get their life back and have a friend to see them through even their darkest times, as the paper reported.

“She has returned to school, getting an associate degree from Southwest Tennessee Community College and enrolling at the University of Memphis.

“Maher never goes anywhere without the affable dog. Chauncey, sleeping in bed between her and husband Tom Maher, wakes up Melissa when he senses the anxiety spurred by her nightmares.”

While it is unknown whether the service animals will help prevent what has been an epidemic of military suicides, this program does seem to show progress is being made for PTSD victims.

[Image via Memphis Advanced Toastmasters Club]