Presley is not just any dog. He is one of the first in his breed to be trained as an assistance dog for his owner Petry. “As soon as he puts on his yellow vest, he changes.”
Every day, 23-year-old Petry from Son en Breugel struggles with her anxiety disorder. The barrier to going outside is high. But since she has a dog she has to. She says: “That was actually the reason for purchasing it. You have to walk a dog. And with an anxiety disorder you are more inclined to stay indoors all day.”
“Because of his race, almost no one wanted to train Presley”
On the advice of her doctor, the idea arose to train him as an assistance dog. Quite strange, because they are usually Labradors or golden retrievers. “I was often told ‘no’. Because of his race, almost no one wanted to train Presley.” Until she ended up at the TeamDogs foundation. “They looked more at the contact between me and Presley. Does he listen to commands? And can he focus when necessary?” He showed that he really wants to work for it. They started the two-year training a week ago.
Presley’s training costs will not be reimbursed. This varies per municipality. That’s why Petry is one crowdfunding started, hoping to raise the necessary amount for his training.
“So far he is picking up the lessons quickly”
Presley is now learning to recognize the first signs of a panic attack. Petry: “Most people then start to cry or move restlessly. We imitate this so that he learns to lie quietly against me at such a moment. So far he has picked up the lessons quickly.”
Such an attack can occur at any time. She has suffered from it since she was fifteen. She hopes that Presley can give her back some freedom in the future. “Although it remains a husky-like dog that is in its adolescence. He can be stubborn,” she admits. “But as soon as he puts on his yellow vest, he changes.”