testimonials
HAILEY Y.
"I met Tom Tackett in January of 2016, to say the least this would be something that changed my life. Tom runs Tackett Service Dogs, a program that trains service dogs for individuals like myself- I have been diagnosed with Generalized Anxiety Disorder, Panic Disorder and PTSD for over 3 years, after attempting 15 different medications with no relief and horrible side effects- we ran test that showed my body cannot absorb traditional psychiatric medication. Before I got a service dog my life was a constant state of panic attacks, paralyzing fear and anger. I started out with my German Shepherd Kaya needing basic obedience, we then went into the service dog program in March of 2016. She is trained to block, cover, interrupt, stand and brace which all help mitigate the effects of my disorders. Kaya graduated from the program in December of 2016, and she has completely changed my life. Since having her as my service dog my quality of life has improved greatly- I cannot thank Tom enough. Tom also has a passion to help veterans and I volunteered for his non-profit Patriotic Service Dog Foundation. I saw Tom change the lives of the most deserving veterans by getting them paired with a service dog. To say that service dogs save lives is an understatement- I saw them save and vastly improve the lives of veterans, and I saw my own service dog give me life back. So thank you Tom and everyone at Tackett Service Dogs, for giving me not only my best friend- but my life back."
"I met Tom Tackett in January of 2016, to say the least this would be something that changed my life. Tom runs Tackett Service Dogs, a program that trains service dogs for individuals like myself- I have been diagnosed with Generalized Anxiety Disorder, Panic Disorder and PTSD for over 3 years, after attempting 15 different medications with no relief and horrible side effects- we ran test that showed my body cannot absorb traditional psychiatric medication. Before I got a service dog my life was a constant state of panic attacks, paralyzing fear and anger. I started out with my German Shepherd Kaya needing basic obedience, we then went into the service dog program in March of 2016. She is trained to block, cover, interrupt, stand and brace which all help mitigate the effects of my disorders. Kaya graduated from the program in December of 2016, and she has completely changed my life. Since having her as my service dog my quality of life has improved greatly- I cannot thank Tom enough. Tom also has a passion to help veterans and I volunteered for his non-profit Patriotic Service Dog Foundation. I saw Tom change the lives of the most deserving veterans by getting them paired with a service dog. To say that service dogs save lives is an understatement- I saw them save and vastly improve the lives of veterans, and I saw my own service dog give me life back. So thank you Tom and everyone at Tackett Service Dogs, for giving me not only my best friend- but my life back."
RYAN L.
How do you put into words events or people that change your life? Different events affect people in different ways, and over the past year the difficulty of a wife and best friend deployed, brought challenges I never thought I’d face in my life. How these challenges would have affected my life will forever be a question I will not have an answer for. Had it not been for Ares, I know my experience would have been significantly different.
Ares is a 15-month-old, 105-pound Cane Corso, also known as an Italian Mastiff. He came into our life when he was eight weeks old and four pounds! Over the past 13 months we’ve watched him grow with our family, along with children, dogs, seniors, and those who have health problems. Without the training we have received from the folks we now call family at Tackett Service Dogs, we may have never been able to bring happiness to all those listed above. Most importantly, Ares has brought a new sense of purpose into my life, one that helps me wake up every morning knowing I have something to care for beyond myself.
I have served as a Marine for 14 years, and have grown through the ranks from a private-first-class to a captain. After serving in Iraq in 2004-2005 in Al Anbar province, three years after my return I suffered from issues related to PTSD and TBI. Having a service dog in my life, helps bring me back to the moment upon receiving the unconditional love that a dog always provides. Ares could care less if I had a good day or a bad day; the only thing Ares cares about is pleasing me, and I can only wish that I can bring him that same joy. With gums flapping in the wind during every car ride, never a day goes by that he doesn’t bring a smile and joy into my heart.
Lastly, none of this may have been possible without the help of Tom Tackett who brought Ares, my wife and me into the Tackett family. I will forever be indebted and grateful for the opportunity I received to train Ares into a partner and a friend that can always be by my side, and who always bring me back to the moment. My life will forever be better for this incredible opportunity.
– Ryan
How do you put into words events or people that change your life? Different events affect people in different ways, and over the past year the difficulty of a wife and best friend deployed, brought challenges I never thought I’d face in my life. How these challenges would have affected my life will forever be a question I will not have an answer for. Had it not been for Ares, I know my experience would have been significantly different.
Ares is a 15-month-old, 105-pound Cane Corso, also known as an Italian Mastiff. He came into our life when he was eight weeks old and four pounds! Over the past 13 months we’ve watched him grow with our family, along with children, dogs, seniors, and those who have health problems. Without the training we have received from the folks we now call family at Tackett Service Dogs, we may have never been able to bring happiness to all those listed above. Most importantly, Ares has brought a new sense of purpose into my life, one that helps me wake up every morning knowing I have something to care for beyond myself.
I have served as a Marine for 14 years, and have grown through the ranks from a private-first-class to a captain. After serving in Iraq in 2004-2005 in Al Anbar province, three years after my return I suffered from issues related to PTSD and TBI. Having a service dog in my life, helps bring me back to the moment upon receiving the unconditional love that a dog always provides. Ares could care less if I had a good day or a bad day; the only thing Ares cares about is pleasing me, and I can only wish that I can bring him that same joy. With gums flapping in the wind during every car ride, never a day goes by that he doesn’t bring a smile and joy into my heart.
Lastly, none of this may have been possible without the help of Tom Tackett who brought Ares, my wife and me into the Tackett family. I will forever be indebted and grateful for the opportunity I received to train Ares into a partner and a friend that can always be by my side, and who always bring me back to the moment. My life will forever be better for this incredible opportunity.
– Ryan
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ANNA M.
Tackett Service Dogs is a phenomenal organization and I can't thank trainers Tom, Del, and Milan for all of the work they put in to me and Auggie, my service dog. They are highly skilled, experienced professionals and they love what they do. Because of them, and their work with us, I truly feel that I have my life back. Walking through the world with Auggie has given me the confidence to go about daily tasks, that I wasn't able to do before. I cannot recommend them enough. Thanks, Tackett! Best wishes, Anna |
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AMY
My thirteen year old son has Asperger’s and I have been on quite a journey since he was about one and a half and I suspected that he may be touched by a Pervasive Development Disorder. Many years later, it was finally confirmed that he was on the Autism Spectrum. Shortly after my son’s diagnosis, Tom Tackett and his service dogs came into our lives.
We have been given the chance from Tackett Service Dogs to provide a service dog for my son and are training a puppy for this monumental task. Fast Eddie is an amazing pup in training and he has already shown so many benefits for my son, even though he is a service pup in training.
Eddie has been a constant companion for my son, which he so needs. Fast Eddie has also taught my son responsibility, as he is old enough to understand and care for a dog. My son walks this wonderful pup around our neighborhood with his red training bandana, and everyone stops to talk with my son on topic about Eddie. Amazing!
Eddie had a few digestive challenges during the summer and went to stay with Tom so we could figure out the issues. I have to say that my son was not the same without Eddie around.
Eddie stabilizes my son and Tom’s commitment and understanding of Autism and other disorders is invaluable. I truly believe in pet therapy as I have seen the benefits with my son before my eyes! We work with Tom and Eddie at least one to two times a week, and, wow, is Tom an amazing trainer! Our family can’t wait for Eddie to be a certified service dog and a huge part of our family!
Sincerely,
Amy (Woof) as my son would say
My thirteen year old son has Asperger’s and I have been on quite a journey since he was about one and a half and I suspected that he may be touched by a Pervasive Development Disorder. Many years later, it was finally confirmed that he was on the Autism Spectrum. Shortly after my son’s diagnosis, Tom Tackett and his service dogs came into our lives.
We have been given the chance from Tackett Service Dogs to provide a service dog for my son and are training a puppy for this monumental task. Fast Eddie is an amazing pup in training and he has already shown so many benefits for my son, even though he is a service pup in training.
Eddie has been a constant companion for my son, which he so needs. Fast Eddie has also taught my son responsibility, as he is old enough to understand and care for a dog. My son walks this wonderful pup around our neighborhood with his red training bandana, and everyone stops to talk with my son on topic about Eddie. Amazing!
Eddie had a few digestive challenges during the summer and went to stay with Tom so we could figure out the issues. I have to say that my son was not the same without Eddie around.
Eddie stabilizes my son and Tom’s commitment and understanding of Autism and other disorders is invaluable. I truly believe in pet therapy as I have seen the benefits with my son before my eyes! We work with Tom and Eddie at least one to two times a week, and, wow, is Tom an amazing trainer! Our family can’t wait for Eddie to be a certified service dog and a huge part of our family!
Sincerely,
Amy (Woof) as my son would say
CURTIS & MYRNA
“We were looking for a home and personal protection dog. After talking to a number of people in different parts of the U.S. we settled on Tackett Service dogs. When we came to your place, we watched you work with a couple of protection dogs, and were impressed with their performance. Most of all it is you that works so well with the dogs, training and giving the personal service that one needs.
After talking about your program, we settled on buying Anna, an imported German Shepard that had a Schutzhund 3 rating…She was delivered to us just as you said with all her paperwork in order and a high degree of training. What I needed was the training…She knew it all,… and I had to learn how to work with her. This is important, as I did not want to buy a dog with a video taped to her crate and a letter wishing me good luck. This sort of thing cheats the new owner out of the service a dog with such advanced training can provide…A new owner needs instruction, training and follow-up for some time…You provided that and more…Your knowledge of dog behavior and training has guided me through the process with much ease. It is important to work with a local person so one can get the help one needs, sometimes on a daily bases, for a while as the dog and new owner makes the transformation through the training and bonding which takes place. Things come up during this process and one needs to have their trainer avail to guide them. I have learned a lot of dog behavior and understand better the needs of the dog and how to work with her.
Now it has been almost 8 months since we got Anna…She is an integral part of our life and family. She is able to go most everywhere with me. I feel so protected by her…She is loyal, smart, loving and I trust her completely to take care of me and our household if that time should ever come. She also gets along great with my toy poodle, which was important to us,…I even learned things from you Tom to train my little poodle better which was a bonus. THANK YOU TOM, YOU ARE THE BEST. If anyone wishes to E mail us with any questions, please feel free to do so as I want to help anyone get a protection dog and I am willing to share my experience with them”
– Curtis and Myrna
“We were looking for a home and personal protection dog. After talking to a number of people in different parts of the U.S. we settled on Tackett Service dogs. When we came to your place, we watched you work with a couple of protection dogs, and were impressed with their performance. Most of all it is you that works so well with the dogs, training and giving the personal service that one needs.
After talking about your program, we settled on buying Anna, an imported German Shepard that had a Schutzhund 3 rating…She was delivered to us just as you said with all her paperwork in order and a high degree of training. What I needed was the training…She knew it all,… and I had to learn how to work with her. This is important, as I did not want to buy a dog with a video taped to her crate and a letter wishing me good luck. This sort of thing cheats the new owner out of the service a dog with such advanced training can provide…A new owner needs instruction, training and follow-up for some time…You provided that and more…Your knowledge of dog behavior and training has guided me through the process with much ease. It is important to work with a local person so one can get the help one needs, sometimes on a daily bases, for a while as the dog and new owner makes the transformation through the training and bonding which takes place. Things come up during this process and one needs to have their trainer avail to guide them. I have learned a lot of dog behavior and understand better the needs of the dog and how to work with her.
Now it has been almost 8 months since we got Anna…She is an integral part of our life and family. She is able to go most everywhere with me. I feel so protected by her…She is loyal, smart, loving and I trust her completely to take care of me and our household if that time should ever come. She also gets along great with my toy poodle, which was important to us,…I even learned things from you Tom to train my little poodle better which was a bonus. THANK YOU TOM, YOU ARE THE BEST. If anyone wishes to E mail us with any questions, please feel free to do so as I want to help anyone get a protection dog and I am willing to share my experience with them”
– Curtis and Myrna
KAREN S. AND BRODY
A therapy dog is a dog trained to provide affection and comfort to people
in hospitals, retirement homes, nursing homes, schools, hospices,
disaster areas, and to people with learning difficulties. ~ Wikipedia
A year ago this month, we found Tackett Service Dogs simply by accident in what seemed to be a rather round-about, cumbersome fashion. I had contacted my close friend and neighbor trying to locate our past dog trainer (from 11 years ago) since I had fallen out of contact with her; unbeknownst to me, the trainer had moved out of state. We wanted to train our new Golden Retriever puppy, Brody, and get him started with obedience puppy training at 12 weeks. When I put the word out, my neighbor/good friend proceeded to contact her friend, who was a dog owner, who then contacted her friend (3 friends removed) to come up with a referral—the name was then forwarded to me–Tom Tackett.
When I first spoke to Tom, he told me about his clinic in Orange; he was very engaging and seemingly knowledgeable about dog training and spent time answering my questions and concerns. Lest did I know, until the conversation unfolded, that Tom’s clinic and training grounds for Tackett Service Dogs is located close by and is essentially right in our backyard—I really liked that, and it seemed somewhat fortuitous that we try it out! I very much appreciated what Tom had to say and I liked his website, so we showed up at the very next class for puppy training. From the minute Brody and I approached Tom, I knew it was a match with great intention. They greeted us and especially Brody, and gave me validation that Brody would be a good candidate for their clinic—I’ll never forget Tom saying “Oh what a nice dog; I like his attitude”. And that first training session went great! It became clearly evident to me the amazing talent, experience and skills Tom possess and what they bring to the table of dog training.
Soon enough, Brody was on his way to becoming an obedient little pup. It’s rather easy being a golden retriever—we had that in our court—and given Brody’s calm demeanor, sweet and gentle disposition, and friendliness to strangers, Tom encouraged me to train him for therapy dog work. At about 10 months old, Brody began his therapy dog training—a 10-week course with other “to be” therapy dogs. I felt compellingly strong and convicted, and knew from the bottom of my heart that unequivocally, this sweet, loving, affectionate and obedient dog was born to serve; and that he was gifted to me to do so. It was my responsibility to make that happen. So we went to work. I was particularly impressed with Tackett’s varied, rigorous and comprehensive course as well as the therapy dog program(s) including, but not limited to the “Tutors With Tails” program, convalescent hospital and skilled nursing home visitations, special events spent with abused children and time spent with our U.S. Wounded Warriors. The training was excellent—sometimes tough, but a lot of fun and we all had a great time—including the dogs! It is true—they really do love to go to work. They will perform beyond your wildest expectations, which is so exciting to see and extremely rewarding. Brody graduated with his Therapy Dog Certificate in early June, at 13 months of age, just 10 months after we started puppy training with Tackett Service Dogs.
So in that tangled friend-of-a-friend-of-a-friend referral a year ago, was the treasure of two of the most qualified, intuitive and professional people in this field of dog training with the ability to take us in a direction of obedience, respect and love and to complete the charge of training us for therapy dog work. It has not only given my dog a wonderful and fulfilling job but it has also challenged me in unexpected ways, ultimately matching and meeting a personal goal of mine to serve others. It is in every sense of the words, a prayer answered. And I now know that what first appeared as an accidental moment was not one at all—it was an opportunity-window and an open door to a new, rewarding and very satisfying life experience. Thank you, Tom for your selflessness and your time and support of many dog and human for this purpose. We now view it all as something much bigger than ourselves.
– Karen and Brody
A therapy dog is a dog trained to provide affection and comfort to people
in hospitals, retirement homes, nursing homes, schools, hospices,
disaster areas, and to people with learning difficulties. ~ Wikipedia
A year ago this month, we found Tackett Service Dogs simply by accident in what seemed to be a rather round-about, cumbersome fashion. I had contacted my close friend and neighbor trying to locate our past dog trainer (from 11 years ago) since I had fallen out of contact with her; unbeknownst to me, the trainer had moved out of state. We wanted to train our new Golden Retriever puppy, Brody, and get him started with obedience puppy training at 12 weeks. When I put the word out, my neighbor/good friend proceeded to contact her friend, who was a dog owner, who then contacted her friend (3 friends removed) to come up with a referral—the name was then forwarded to me–Tom Tackett.
When I first spoke to Tom, he told me about his clinic in Orange; he was very engaging and seemingly knowledgeable about dog training and spent time answering my questions and concerns. Lest did I know, until the conversation unfolded, that Tom’s clinic and training grounds for Tackett Service Dogs is located close by and is essentially right in our backyard—I really liked that, and it seemed somewhat fortuitous that we try it out! I very much appreciated what Tom had to say and I liked his website, so we showed up at the very next class for puppy training. From the minute Brody and I approached Tom, I knew it was a match with great intention. They greeted us and especially Brody, and gave me validation that Brody would be a good candidate for their clinic—I’ll never forget Tom saying “Oh what a nice dog; I like his attitude”. And that first training session went great! It became clearly evident to me the amazing talent, experience and skills Tom possess and what they bring to the table of dog training.
Soon enough, Brody was on his way to becoming an obedient little pup. It’s rather easy being a golden retriever—we had that in our court—and given Brody’s calm demeanor, sweet and gentle disposition, and friendliness to strangers, Tom encouraged me to train him for therapy dog work. At about 10 months old, Brody began his therapy dog training—a 10-week course with other “to be” therapy dogs. I felt compellingly strong and convicted, and knew from the bottom of my heart that unequivocally, this sweet, loving, affectionate and obedient dog was born to serve; and that he was gifted to me to do so. It was my responsibility to make that happen. So we went to work. I was particularly impressed with Tackett’s varied, rigorous and comprehensive course as well as the therapy dog program(s) including, but not limited to the “Tutors With Tails” program, convalescent hospital and skilled nursing home visitations, special events spent with abused children and time spent with our U.S. Wounded Warriors. The training was excellent—sometimes tough, but a lot of fun and we all had a great time—including the dogs! It is true—they really do love to go to work. They will perform beyond your wildest expectations, which is so exciting to see and extremely rewarding. Brody graduated with his Therapy Dog Certificate in early June, at 13 months of age, just 10 months after we started puppy training with Tackett Service Dogs.
So in that tangled friend-of-a-friend-of-a-friend referral a year ago, was the treasure of two of the most qualified, intuitive and professional people in this field of dog training with the ability to take us in a direction of obedience, respect and love and to complete the charge of training us for therapy dog work. It has not only given my dog a wonderful and fulfilling job but it has also challenged me in unexpected ways, ultimately matching and meeting a personal goal of mine to serve others. It is in every sense of the words, a prayer answered. And I now know that what first appeared as an accidental moment was not one at all—it was an opportunity-window and an open door to a new, rewarding and very satisfying life experience. Thank you, Tom for your selflessness and your time and support of many dog and human for this purpose. We now view it all as something much bigger than ourselves.
– Karen and Brody