Ever hear of the expression, “What did we do to deserve dogs?” It’s one that we agree with wholeheartedly, and while we absolutely love that saying, there is another, more critical word that we think should be added to it: “What did we do to deserve service dogs?”
You see, these working doggos are some of the most incredible creatures we’ve ever seen. Luckily, these days, the Internet is full of heartwarming stories detailing the loyalty service dogs show to their owners.
One of the most incredible recent examples of a service dog doing something extraordinary was shared from a very unexpected source.
Why one woman videoed her airport near-emergency to educate the world about service dogs
One of the most incredible viral videos that we’ve seen in some time comes from a young woman by the name of Amber Aquart, a dog trainer with Pawsitive Development, a firm that trains service dogs.
Now, you wouldn’t necessarily be able to tell by just looking at fit, pretty Amber, but she is someone who is in need of a service dog, too.
As it turns out, the young dog trainer suffers from a debilitating anxiety disorder, which can be so bad that it makes daily tasks – such as waiting to board an airplane or walking through crowds – a potentially dangerous situation.
Amber tells A Plus that she relies on both of her service dogs, Tucker and Oakley, to calm her when she is about to have a panic attack. Through her training, the incredible pooches have learned to spot oncoming panic attacks, sometimes before their handler is even aware that she is about to have them. They do this by paying close attention to her heart rate, breathing patterns, and movements.
What’s even more amazing is that she has even trained both dogs to retrieve her medication if she is not able to do so herself. Incredible, right?
Well, what we think is even MORE incredible is the fact that the dog trainer was actually able to capture her dog, Oakley, doing what he does best: helping her get through a potentially traumatic anxiety attack while at an airport.
Amber posted the video to her Instagram, along with this caption:
There is so much to say on this matter, but I will just leave this video here for you to see for yourself. Sharing this video and these things make me vulnerable, but I’m sharing them with you so you can see how this dog has changed my life…
So, how exactly does a well-trained service dog ease their handler out of an anxiety attack? Well, luckily, we have the footage to show you how it works. Click on Amber’s incredible video below to get a sense of how service dogs help their humans on a daily basis.
We’d love to hear your thoughts on all things service dogs! Were you impressed by the video? Do you have a service animal of your own? If so, what do you want others to know about the animal?