A heart-felt Thank You to all Veterans for your many sacrifices!!! 

Potomac Labradors strongly encourages veterans to have a furry companion.  We are making it our goal to give away one puppy to a veteran every year.  Please send us your information and tell us how you could benefit from having one of our dogs!  We may have contests on Facebook as well!

Can dogs sense PTSD?

Dogs can smell stress in our breath and sweat, enabling them to calm PTSD and anxiety sufferers before debilitating attacks happen.

Will the VA pay for a PTSD service dog?

The VA does not provide service dogs for physical or mental health conditions, including PTSD. VA does provide veterinary care for service dogs that are deemed medically necessary for the rehabilitation or restorative care plan of Veterans with permanent physical impairments. 

Does VA actually provide the service dog? 

Veterans approved for service dogs are referred to accredited agencies. There should be no charge for the dog or the associated training. 

You could either train your dog yourself or enroll them in a dog service training program.   Complete Basic Behavior Training.  Consider your dog's personality and ability.

Having a furry companion and/or service dog can help with issues such as, but not limited to:

- Anxiety
- Depression
- Bi-polarity
- Phobias
- Panic attacks 

Studies have shown that the softness and warmth of a cuddly animal has the ability to improve their owner's overall mood. 

Having another living being to care for can increase a sense of purpose and feeling of being needed. These animals are meant to give their owners relief from emotional discomfort. Therefore, an emotional support dog acts more like a "pet". They provide companionship and love.