Stryker was one of the dogs at the booth at that time.  When we have a veteran that is ready to be paired up with a dog, we introduce that person to several candidates and allow the dog to make the choice - the bond is stronger and magic can happen.  Stryker kept gravitating back to Jason that day and Jason visibly started to relax (it was an indoor venue with tight aisles and a lot of people - usually a trigger for veterans).

We had another booth at an outdoor event the following weekend and Jason and his family were there the whole day spending time with Stryker. There were still things to be worked out - Stryker's mischievousness, the Whites' cat (greyhounds tend to have a strong prey drive), and their busy schedule (Ethan's a hockey prodigy - he did intense training and played in leagues with players older than himself).

When it's right, it's right.  Something magical did happen when Jason and Stryker became "battle buddies".  Suddenly, Stryker realized that he needed to calm down and mature up to be able to help Jason...and he did.  Not only did he stop his bad habits, he left the cat alone (eventually they became friends), and he began to anticipate Jason's needs.  We can't teach that - it is intuitive in some dogs.  

One of Jason's PTSD symptoms was a short temper.  Driving involved a lot of road rage.  A 7 year old son dragging his feet pushed buttons that raised Jason's blood pressure and caused him to yell.  He wasn't always the best company in the presence of Julie's friends.  During training with him, I witnessed this...we were at the hockey rink and Ethan was taking his time getting changed for practice.  Jason got hotter and hotter - then Stryker came in and bumped him (this is a way to distract someone and redirect them).  The more upset Jason got, the more Stryker pressed into him.  Soon, Jason was laughing at Stryker, and the mood was broken.  Jason told me stories about Stryker physically bumping him across a room to get him away from someone upsetting him.  Stryker became a backseat driver - he would sit directly behind Jason when driving and put his head on Jason's shoulder to keep him calm.  For many years,  Stryker was at Jason's side helping him navigate life.

We received one of our greatest testimonies from Jason stating that Stryker saved his life, his marriage, and his relationship with his son.

Unfortunately, Jason contracted lung cancer from his time aboard ship.  While he fought valiantly, with Stryker at his side, he lost his battle.  We were heartsick.  Stryker followed him several months later dying from osteosarcoma (bone cancer - greyhounds are very susceptible).

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