00:00Two-year-old Capri is being picked up for work from her foster family. Capri is one
00:09of around a dozen Labradors currently in training with Integra Service Dogs.
00:14Today we'll be doing, working on a lot of our contact skills, just that really nice
00:18contact that can ground a handler and really calm them if they're becoming elevated.
00:25Labradors not suited to being guide dogs come here for a career change, learning to
00:30see and smell mental health symptoms like anxiety, hyper-awareness and flashbacks.
00:36A lot of things that you and I take for granted in everyday life, so just building the confidence
00:40to go outside in the busy public space, to build new skills in communication and loyalty
00:45and trust.
00:47Integra started in 2015 when co-founder Ben Johnson realised the power of a well-trained
00:52lab.
00:53It's important to give someone a new sense of purpose and focus and skills, and critically
00:57to keep that individual alive at that point in time, to give them a sense of motivation
01:02and routine and reward.
01:04It's now the largest service dog charity in the country, matching a dog's strengths and
01:08personality with the handler's needs.
01:11Come on, get dressed.
01:13Australian Army veteran Chris Hodder lives with PTSD. His dog Bella has been trained
01:18to recognise his symptoms.
01:20PTSD can make you very aggressive, very uneasy, and they bring back the ease, and Bella has
01:29changed my life for the better.
01:31Because where I was apprehensive, where I had anxiety and was always on edge, she's
01:39taken that away.
01:41Bella was paired with Chris three years ago.
01:43And she just sat straight down next to my feet, so it was sort of like an instant bond,
01:50and that night, it was funny because I had a horrendous nightmare that night, and she
01:54woke me up.
01:55She actually nosed me on the face as if to say, are you okay?
02:01And they've been inseparable ever since.
02:03She's not a pet, she's my mate, she's my confidant, she's the one that keeps me on track.
02:11A man and his dog in emotional lockstep.
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