Inmate-trained dogs give veterans some love 2016

With the exception of cat people who believe their kitties are the most sublime creatures on Earth, I think the rest of us can agree that dogs are man’s, and more than a few women’s, best friends.

The question is whether that friendship and loyalty are easily transferable?

The answer appears to be “yes” based on the experience of Puppies Behind Bars, a program that pairs service dogs, trained by prison inmates, with military veterans suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder.

The transfer of allegiance to the veterans from the inmates, who have typically spent at least two years with the dogs, occurs over a 16-day period when the groups work together.

It may have something to do with the breed—all are Labrador retrievers—and the fact the dogs know that every executed command comes with a treat. “Ronald, you have to kibble her every time,” Ms. Stoga chided a participant who forgot to reward his dog when it used a cord to open a door.“It is instantaneous,” said Gloria Gilbert Stoga, the founder and president of Puppies Behind Bars. “The dogs know who they are supposed to attach themselves to.”