Tahoe’s Story – A Service Dog’s Journey
Joel and Tahoe’s Story:
In 2022 Tahoe, a 6-month-old yellow lab, was rescued from a shelter. Unlike many young dogs, Tahoe wasn’t your typical rowdy adolescent. He was calm and sweet, despite lacking any prior socialization, a rare find. Our trainers knew right away, that he has a great temperament to become a service dog. Through dedicated training, Tahoe learned essential skills like house manners and crate training. He even stopped chewing up his beds and toys, which was his favorite thing to do!
As part of his training to become a service dog, he was exposed to various new and unfamiliar environments, people, and situations. Tahoe learned to retrieve objects, open doors, block people by being a barrier between them and his handler, and even provide comfort during anxiety episodes. Though Tahoe still had much to learn and achieve, his dedication was unwavering.
By early 2024, Tahoe was ready for placement – he completed his advanced training, and was ready to meet a partner and finalize his skill set to match his future partner’s needs. That’s when we connected with Joel, a young veteran, through a recommendation from another nonprofit supporting veterans. After the initial conversation with Joel, we felt he could be a great match for Tahoe. Joel was previously an Army combat medic (with special training to help with battlefield trauma) who, unfortunately, after his two overseas deployments, was suffering from PTSD. His experiences during his active duty lead to difficulty in everyday life.
In July 2024, we traveled to Palm Desert to meet Joel in person. Despite being nervous, Joel quickly connected with Tahoe, who calmed him by offering affection, even placing his face in Joel’s hands to help stop his nervous twitch. After a few hours together, we knew Tahoe was the right fit for Joel.
The bonding process began when Tahoe spent the weekend with Joel before we officially started partnership training. Most dogs typically take 1-3 months to bond with their new person, but Tahoe quickly became attached to Joel. By the time we met again the following week, it was clear that Tahoe was already responding to Joel’s needs.
The first day of partnership training took place at a mall where Joel struggled with the crowds by looking around nervously, but Tahoe was there for him. He would gently check in with Joel by tapping his leg and even laying at his feet to watch his back. These actions immediately comforted Joel.
The first few weeks were tough as Joel and Tahoe navigated their new relationship. All relationships are a bit of a learning curve, and this is no different. Tahoe was learning the new sounds and routines in Joel’s environment, while Joel was getting used to how Tahoe alerted him to potential dangers. With guidance, Joel learned how to communicate and work with Tahoe, including quieting him when needed and recognizing when Tahoe was just alerting him to unfamiliar sounds.
Joel’s home was over 1.5 hours away—so they were only able to meet once or twice a week. However, Joel checked in daily with questions, and each week we saw more progress. Joel became more relaxed in public and Tahoe responded even more attentively to him. Over time, their bond became undeniable with Tahoe instinctively blocking people from getting too close, and always being by Joel’s side. Their hard work paid off when they passed the Public Access Test with flying colors, and Tahoe officially became Joel’s service dog. The bond between them was truly inspiring.
Tahoe changed life at home too: he even stood by Joel’s side during his wedding, alongside his new canine companion, Anabel (a French Bulldog). They go on runs together, and tackle the everyday tasks as well! Joel now feels safer and sleeps sounder.
“Frequently, I tend to have bad dreams and remember certain moments that happened to me. But waking up and feeling Tahoe beside me reminds me that everything is going to be okay and that I’m home now and I’m safe,” said Joel. “He’s my battle buddy, which is a term we use for our friends that always have our back.”
In addition to this incredible success, Tahoe’s story was featured by Petco Love, Petco’s charitable foundation in their Veterans’ Day press release. It was an honor to see their story shared and we’re grateful for the support from Petco Love in helping veterans like Joel.
Tahoe’s journey from a shelter pup to a loving and dependable service dog is a inspiring story showing the power of training, trust, and the unbreakable bond between a service dog and their handler. We couldn’t be happier for Joel and Tahoe as they continue their journey together.
We recently (January 2025) checked in with Joel to see how things were going. It’s all good!!
“Everything is great, having the best life together. Tahoe just had his yearly physical, he is an 80-pound healthy baby boy. (…) We bought a new house, 5 minutes from the old one. He did great in the move, adatped well to the new house, and is happy because it is bigger. Just have to get used to walking the new routes. He still goes on runs with me 3 times weekly.”
Our Service Dog program is generously supported by select donors, so we are able to help our veterans and first responders receive a service dog at a very affordable cost. You can read more service dog success stories on our dedicated page!