Soldiers Team Up With Shelter Dogs in Operation Heroes & Hounds

Tamar Geller is a celebrity canine life coach with a client list that includes Oprah Winfrey, Natalie Portman, Ellen DeGeneres, Owen Wilson, and Jon Stewart. But long before she had this star-studded client list, Geller was an Intelligence Officer with the elite Israeli Army Special Forces.

She became interested in dogs during her service, particularly the bond between dogs and their trainers, the way they communicated and anticipated commands. When she finished her service, Geller developed "The Loved Dog" method of training, which uses positive, stress-free, game-based behavior training, and she opened Southern California's first cage-free doggie daycare and boarding facility. But she never forgot her roots, and now she's developed a program where soldiers and shelter dogs help each other out.

Operation Heroes & Hounds gives injured members of the U.S. armed forces the chance to work with shelter dogs. The program participants include both those with physical injuries and the "walking wounded" — those soldiers suffering from non-visible ailments such as post-traumatic stress disorder and traumatic brain injury. Using the positive, playful approach of The Loved Dog method to make a difference in the lives of homeless animals, these soldiers get a chance to rebuild their self esteem, sense of purpose, and lives as civilians.

The healing power of dogs is not a new concept. Prison dogs (and other animals) programs have been successful for years in helping rehabilitate inmates and give shelter dogs a better chance at adoption. Having animals around is also known to reduce stress, lower blood pressure, relieve loneliness, and ease depression. And now they're doing their part to help the men and women who have served our country transition back into society.

Like any good trainer (or canine coach), Geller doesn't shy away from a challenge. The program isn't just to give soldiers all the benefits of working with dogs — it's equally beneficial to the dogs. Operation Heroes & Hounds takes in dogs from shelters who are "in need of behavior modification." In other words, you're not likely to find the mellow, elderly beagle mix or the easily adopted, love-everybody puppy in the program. This is an opportunity for dogs who need a second chance to get it. The more training that your average young, rambunctious shelter dog has, the more likely he is to get adopted.

After the eight week program, the dogs are available for adoption. Sometimes, Operation Heroes & Hounds is a successful matchmaker with their human-canine teams, and the soldiers fall in love with their new companions and decide to adopt the dogs themselves. Either way, the program is win-win for the emotional health and futures of both the heroes and the hounds.

Operation Heroes & Hounds is currently located at Camp Pendleton in California, but Geller hopes to expand it to other bases, and animal shelters, across the country. If you'd like to help, you can make a donation to the program in honor or memory of pets or military personnel.

Photo credit: _Lisa_