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About seven years ago, a mother trained a Collie to assist her daughter Susan, who was battling panic attacks due to auditory and visual hallucinations. "The mother reported some tremendous gains," says Joan Froling, service-dog trainer and consultant with Sterling Service Dogs in Sterling Heights, Michigan.
"Susan began using her Collie, Kira, to do 'reality checks,' discerning from the dog's reactions whether phenomena--like the doorbell ringing or the strangers Susan spotted in a room--were real or something she could safely ignore," says Froling. "Eventually, she was able to stay home alone, which was a huge step toward independence." Because her service dog was trained to turn on the bedroom light and inspect her bedroom, the young woman gradually...
