ALYSON & JADE

Our Story

My name is Alyson Gruber, I got Jade in October of 2015, at the time I was a Sophomore in High School.  Jade is now 5 and is a Belgian Malinois from France.

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Although we did not purchase her directly from Black Paw Canine, the trainers at Black Paw have been with us every step of the way to help keep Jade on her toes and help me be a better handler to develop the best working partnership to fit my needs.

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Why do I need a Service Dog?  I was diagnosed with anxiety and dysautonomia (dysfunction of the autonomic nervous system).  I was pretty much housebound or only allowed to go out with family since I was passing out almost every day.  I was constantly missing class due to low blood sugar and low blood pressure.  I wasn't allowed to go anywhere alone for fear I would pass out and hit my head.  As a teenage girl, this was not how I wanted to go through my high school years. 

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Then I got Jade and she changed my life.  I was able to go to school, go to sporting events, and out with friends and family.  I was able to go back to the sport of Fencing and to refereeing fencing competitions. 

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Jade was trained to not only help me with my anxiety but also with my dysautonomia.  She carries a special bag with medication and my medical information.  If I do pass out she stays with me until I wake up or she alerts others nearby that I need help.  She also does deep pressure therapy for anxiety and wakes me up from nightmares.

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Having Jade in my life as my service dog has really changed my life.  I went from having no freedom to being a normal high school student to now college kid.  I know she really makes my parents feel better about letting me do things on my own and that I will be safe.  Since Jade can warn me before I faint I've had a lot fewer head injuries than before I had her.  She's also my best friend and we love to go hiking and swimming together.  I can't imagine my life without her!

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