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German Shepherd Therapy Dogs
Helping Military Sexual Trauma Victims On The Road To Recovery
Jessie Simmons
University of Cincinnati
Veterinary Social Work Practice 2168 (001)
Professor Burge
November 1, 2016

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Abstract
The Veterans Administration does not cover the $20,000 cost of therapy dogs for soldiers who
suffer from mental trauma as a result of their time in service. However, Military Sexual Trauma
(MST) is one of the most common types of psychological trauma that veterans suffer (U.S.
Department of Veterans Affairs, n.d. p.1). Military Sexual Trauma is defined as constant sexual
assault or harassment during one’s time in military service (U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs,
n.d. p.1). The 1 in 4 female and 1 in 100 male veterans who suffer from MST struggle to
establish healthy and trusting relationships after their abuse and project their emotions inward
leading to a host of other psychological problems that impact their daily lives (U.S. Department
of Veterans Affairs, n.d. p.1.). Small-scale studies with sexual assault survivors have shown that
therapy dogs increase the survivor’s comfort level to the point where they feel safe enough to
leave their homes (Bernier, 2015 p. 1). German shepherds are one of the most common types of
service dogs used for this therapy as they are easy to train and excellent listeners (Dakota, 2015,
p.1). As a result, some German Shepherd Service Dog Breeders (GSDBs) set up owner-based
training programs that teach the German Shepherds how to assist their owner during times of
emotional distress (Dakota, 2015, p.4). Some breeders have focused their training and marketing
efforts to veterans who have survived service related sexual abuse.

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Military Sexual Trauma is a mental disorder that stems from “unwanted sexual touching,
grabbing, threatening or offensive remarks about a person’s body […and] threatening or
unwelcome sexual advances”. The Veteran’s Administration has recently developed a screening
program for veterans who have ben sexually abused in the military (U.S. Veteran’s Affairs
Department, n.d. p.1). A Veteran’s Administration psychologist asks victims a series of yes or no
questions about their mental and emotional state (U.S. Veteran’s Affairs Department, n.d. p.2).
The questions are entered into their national database which has been compiled from
psychological commonalities other MST sufferers (U.S. Veteran’s Affairs Department, n.d. p.2).
If enough of the answers match the person is considered to have MST.
What are the psychological impacts of MST? Many veterans with this psychiatric
disorder report having trouble establishing regular sleeping patterns and feeling strong emotions
towards particular life changes, particularly depression and irritation (U.S. Veteran’s Affairs
Department, n.d. p.2). In addition, people with MST reported having trouble remembering
events, paying attention and concentrating (U.S. Veteran’s Affairs Department, n.d. p.1).
Roughly 30% of MST victims develop Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) at some point in
their lifetime (Bernier, 2014, p.1). PTSD in MST victims manifests in the form of isolation.
MST victims tend to feel “edgy” or “jumpy” in the outside world. (U.S. Veteran’s Affairs
Department, n.d. p.3). Something as simple as an MST victim encountering a member of the
gender who assaulted them, can set them off an MST survivor and trigger flashes of repeated
abuse and degradation (U.S. Veteran’s Affairs Department, n.d. p.3). The lack of trust that MST
sufferers feel towards the outside world causes them to have a difficult time forming professional
and personal relationships (U.S. Veteran’s Affairs Department, n.d. p.4). MST sufferers
sometimes turn to drugs and alcohol to cope with their abuse (U.S. Veteran’s Affairs

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Department, n.d. p.4). While local Veterans Administrations across the country provide
counseling for MST sufferers, it is sometimes difficult for them to open up to another person
because of the abuse they have suffered (Dakota, 2015, p.1).
If individuals with MST have a difficult time establishing bonds with people, then what
about animals? German Shepherds have worked alongside individuals in the military for
decades. Now German Shepherd Service Dog Breeders (GSDBs) have started training their
German Shepherd puppies to function as therapeutic agents for people with mental illnesses.
This can be costly and time consuming for GSDBs, which is why there are so few who are
training German Shepherds for therapeutic purposes (Dakota, 2015, p.2). If a soldier is injured in
combat, they usually need a dog to complete tasks for them such as picking up items and opening
doors (Dakota, 2015, p. 2).
But for psychiatric needs, a dog has to do ‘work’ which involves learning over time the
handler’s physiologic baseline, what shifts from that baseline mean, and how to respond.
This cannot [just] be trained by a school /program. This is something that has to be owner
trained. The dog has to be with his partner to learn their baseline, so that they can discern
when something is awry and begin to respond to that (Dakota, 2015, p.2).
GSDBs offer two avenues for people interested in acquiring a German shepherd therapy
dog. The first option is working with a dog that comes from a nationally approved German
Shepherd Service Dog Program (Dakota, 2015, p.3). The German Shepherd Service Dog
Program has locations all across the country and usually requires prospective handlers to visit
their facilities to establish a relationship with the dog while they are being trained (Dakota, 2015,
p. 3). The transition period between when a prospective owner visits a therapy dog and adopts
that dog lasts between 3 days and two weeks, depending on the extent of the mental illness
(Dakota, 2015, p.3). The visits allow the German Shepherd to get a sense of their owner’s
baseline personality when they are not under duress (Dakota, 2015, p.3). A more cost effective

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approach to matching a German Shepherd with a perspective owner is training the owner versus
training the dog. The American German Shepherd Rescue Association and the German Shepherd
Dog Club of America can also pair prospective owners with reputable German Shepherd
breeders (Dakota, 2015, p.3). Breeders that go through these organizations offer German
Shepherds at greatly discounted prices (Dakota, 2015, p.3). There are benefits and disadvantages
to either option. Purchasing a German Shepherd from a certified GSDB ensures that the dog has
been determined to have the right temperament to act as a therapy dog (Dakota, 2015, p.4).
Furthermore, German Shepherds from a GSDB have passed certain tests that are required of
therapy dogs (Dakota, 2015, p.4). Finally, owners and German Shepherds are paired together by
licensed professionals who have experience pairing dogs and humans based on their
personalities. The downside is that many people cannot afford the $20,000 cost of a German
Shepherd from a GSDB. One of the benefits of owner training a German Shepherd therapy dog
is that it saves a great deal of money (Dakota, 2015, p.4). Another positive is that the prospective
owner is involved in the dog’s training process from puppyhood to adulthood (Dakota, 2015,
p.4). One of the biggest drawbacks of owner training is that many people do not research
German Shepherd bloodlines and are therefore disappointed when the Shepherd that they
purchase does not follow directions were (Dakota, 2015, p.4). It is recommended that people
who decide to owner train not only research German Shepherd breeders and bloodlines, but also
hire a dog trainer with a personality like theirs to pursue training, work with the dog (Dakota,
2015, p.4). Dog trainers who work with owners to train a prospective German Shepherd therapy
dog are still cheaper than buying from GSDBs (Dakota, 2015, p.4). Trainers with a similar
personality to the owner establish a sense of dominance with the dog and know certain
commands to engage dogs from a variety of different backgrounds (Dakota, 2015, p.3).

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Whatever the route a propective German Shepherd owner decides the training is the
same. In an ideal world, the German Shepherd therapy dog should be trained as a puppy so that
the owner and the puppy can bond as quickly as possible (Dakota, 2015, p.5). As mentioned
before, the puppy begins to learn the baseline personality of their owner and over time learns the
postures, gestures and facial expressions of their owner when they are feeling “average” or
neutral (Dakota, 2015, p.5). The dog will also notice how the owner’s body language changes
when s/he looks upset or distressed (Dakota, 2015, p.5). When the dog responds in a way that the
owner likes or finds helpful they are positively reinforced. Over time the response that the dog
makes when the owner’s mood negatively changes, becomes an alert to the owner (Dakota,
2015, p.5). MST sufferers who may be about to have a panic attack or suffer from a flashback
often benefit when the service dog alerts them, and they can get somewhere private to breathe
and collect their thoughts (Dakota, 2015, p.5).
The Veteran’s Administration does not pay for therapy dogs for victims of MST or any
other psychological condition that stems from serving in the armed forces. However, the
Veteran’s Administration is conducting a study called the Frankhen Study that…
Test[s] the efficacy of psychiatric service dogs for veterans living with mental health
disabilities. The problem is that the Veteran’s Administration is willing to provide service
dog benefits for veterans with physical disabilities, even though, service dogs for this
purpose have never been assessed scientifically for efficacy (Dakota, 2015, p.4).
The Veteran’s Administration is putting forth a double standard; they are willing to fund service
dogs for veterans that have physical issues but not mental illnesses like MST. MST sufferers
frequently feel discriminated against because of the stigma that comes from having a mental
illness (Dakota, 2015, p.5). The fact that the Veteran’s Administration refuses to adhere to a

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treatment plan that works for MST sufferers has caused a lot of resentment and unrest for those
sufferers who feel that their service dog is their life partner (Dakota, 2015, p.5).
Social Workers working with clients who are participating in the Frankhen Study have
noticed that German Shepherd therapy dogs are said to have changed the day-to-day lives of
MST survivors in many ways (Bernier, 2014 p.2). First of all, veterans with MST are more
willing to leave their homes because they feel that they have a protector with them in case
anything bad happens (Bernier, 2014 p.3). In addition, people with MST are more willing to
establish trust with human beings (Bernier, 2014 p.3). Social workers who worked with their
clients in the Frankhen Study encourage MST sufferers to start by allowing the German
Shepherd into their life to help and protect them and gradually, when they trust the dog they
begin to venture out and slowly learn to trust people (Bernier, 2014 p.3). The final way that
German Shepherd therapy dogs have helped people with MST is by decreasing their dependency
on narcotics (Bernier, 2014 p.3). Spending time with the service dog automatically elevated the
moods of people with MST and they no longer felt the need to overuse alcohol and illegal drugs
to cope with their trauma (Bernier, 2014 p.3).
People with MST who cannot afford to purchase and German Shepherd therapy dog are
frustrated by the lack of access to therapy dogs (Bernier, 2014, p.4). An organization called
Service Dogs for Victims of Sexual Assault (SDVA) “trains dogs as service animals for crime
victims/survivors. These specially trained dogs are trained to mitigate each victims/survivor’s
disability and instill realistic confidence in victims/survivors who are still addressing the traumas
of their rapes, assaults, or stalking experiences” (SDVA, 2006, p.1). The 100% free program
states that under the Americans With Disabilities Act, people are entitled to receive certain
services that help them participate in society. The program spays and neuters all therapy dogs,

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provides educational programs that explain why therapy dogs are important for people with
“invisible” disabilities and provides free training for the dogs (SDVA, 2006, p.1). Dogs who
enter the program are between the ages of 1 and 6 and undergo the same training as the German
Shepherds in the German Shepherd Service Dog Program (SDVA, 2006, p.2). Fortunately, Dogs
that do not pass the therapy tests are placed in regular homes.
Unfortunately, once an individual with MST has a service dog, there are still people in
the public who seek to pry into their lives and the life of their service dog. For example, anyone
with a mental health issue who has a therapy dog has to deal with people who come up and pet
their dog without their permission (Dakota, 2015, p.5). Petting an animal at work can distract the
animal from their job, which is why it is important to always ask before petting a service dog. It
is important for the public not to be offended if an MST sufferer does not allow people to pet
their therapy dog (Dakota, 2015, p.5). Since many people with MST suffer from trust issues they
may not trust a person’s intentions with their therapy dog or that the dog will be able to get back
to their task (Dakota, 2015, p.5). MST sufferers also have trouble controlling their emotions and
at times will react more strongly than other people with mental illnesses, if someone grabs their
therapy dog’s vest or leash (Dakota, 2015, p.5). Also, people have a tendency to talk to the
therapy dog and not the person (Dakota, 2015, p.6). Veterans with MST have already
experienced feelings of powerlessness and invisibility. When people look through them and
instead interact with their service animal this can set off old feelings that may hinder their path to
recovery (Dakota, 2015, p.6). A person who uses a therapy dog is more than the the dog
accompanies them through life. All in all, since people do not know what the person with the
therapy dog is suffering from, it is always important to respect their right to self-determination as
well as their relationship with their therapy animal.

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Sexual assault in the military is something that has only recently received a lot of
attention from the media. As a result, local Veteran’s Administrations are still unsure of the
different methods for treating this psychiatric condition. It is important for social workers to
participate with their clients in research studies that the Veteran’s Administration conducts such
as the Frankhen Study. The more social workers agree to participate in pet inclusive treatment
studies the more likely it will be that the Veteran’s Administration will pay for therapy dogs and
count them as a viable treatment option. Choosing the correct breed to be a therapy dog is
important; German Shepherds are one of the most popular service dogs because of the breed’s
ability to follow directions and pick up cues. As a result, there are many service dog
organizations that exclusively train German Shepherds to be service and therapy dogs. Social
workers would serve as excellent mediators between GSDBs and local Veterans Administration.
GSDBs can work with social workers in Veteran’s Administrations to pair MST sufferers with
the correct dog. The Frankhen study is supposed to last for 4 years and hopefully the results will
shed new light on the viability of therapy animals in assisting those who serve our country, on
their path to recovery.

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References
Bernier, L. (2014). Service Dogs For Victims of Sexual Assault. USA Today, pp. 1-3.
Dakota, D. (2015). The Intelligent German Shepherd Dog Excels as The Ultimate Human Service
Dog. German Shepherd Breeders, 1-7. Retrieved October 20, 2016.
Service Dogs for Victims of Sexual Assault. (2006). Service Dogs For Victims of Sexual Assault.
Retrieved October 30, 2016, from http://www.iaadp.org/attack.htm
U.S. Department of Veteran's Affairs. (n.d.). Military Sexual Trauma. Retrieved October 5, 2016, from
http://www.ptsd.va.gov/public/types/violence/military-sexual-trauma-general.asp