Canines 2 Confidence
America proudly welcomes home its military veterans, but for many of our servicemen and women, the homecoming can leave them uneasy, with their futures unclear.
Full lives and fulfilling jobs await them, but sometimes the transition from military life back to civilian life can be a difficult one.
For those struggling to start their journey, the team at Drummond Ranch and Canines 2 Confidence
is here to help.
ABOUT PTSD…
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder affects 7.7 million Americans each year.
Many events can cause PTSD, and combat experience is a very common trigger for this severe emotional reaction. According to PTSD United, those suffering from PTSD have the highest healthcare costs, likely because of historical misdiagnosis of the disorder:
“The annual cost to society of anxiety disorders is estimated to be significantly over $42.3 billion, often due to misdiagnosis and under-treatment. This includes psychiatric and non-psychiatric medical treatment costs, indirect workplace costs, mortality costs, and prescription drug costs.”
A 2014 study showed that an alarming 22 veterans suffering from PTSD committed suicide each day, on average.
That’s nearly one suicide every hour.
Where do our veterans go for help?
How do we inspire them to want to make the journey back?
Carlos Valle
United States Army
E-4 (Specialist) 2006 – 2010
Kandahar, Afghanistan, July ’09 – ’10
“Herding continues to help me by keeping my dog active and happy. I love seeing my dog turn up that natural instinct to want to go to work. It allows me to respect my dog even more to see her strategize her plan of approach when given commands.
Taking my dog herding brings a whole lot of joy/relief at the end of the day when I see my dog tired/sleeping on the way in the truck on the way back home.”
About The Program
The goal of Canines 2 Confidence is to help military veterans suffering from PTSD regain their interest in acquiring new skills and regain their confidence by working with a canine partner. While learning to herd sheep and cattle, America’s heroes experience the pure joy of bonding with a dog. Through this unique program these former soldiers are channeling their memories of war, their anger and their irritability, into focused activity, working with their own dog in the fresh air and open spaces of the ranch.
Working with Drummond Ranch owner and C2C founder, Janna Duncan, and her team, these American heroes have a chance to rediscover what they’re capable of. Veterans already working with dogs at the ranch have exhibited how therapeutic this time has been for them.
Canines 2 Confidence
is trying to reach as many veterans as possible to make sure that those who need it can experience the benefits of this program.
Forrest Luce
United States Army
E-4 (Specialist)
2008 – 2011
“Herding for me makes me part of a team and a leader again. Without herding, I would be a loose end. I’ve been trying to fill that void… and this is it.”
About Janna Duncan
Janna formulated the concept of Canines 2 Confidence while working with veterans in a herding training program with The Dog Whisperer’s Cesar Millan. It became obvious that they needed a more specialized program that focused on their needs, so she began training with them at her facility, Drummond Ranch.
She has more than a decade of sheep herding experience, working and competing with all herding and mixed herding breed dogs. She is also a licensed judge for the American Kennel Club, the American Herding Breed Association and the U.S. Border Collie Handler’s Association.
