Having a service dog is a true blessing, especially if you need one to perform your normal activities. After her accident with a horse, Macayla Garnder needed support to continue with her normal activities.
She had this amazing fortune to own a German Shepherd puppy who could feel her oncoming seizures, but little did she know that Ryder would become so much more than just an intuitive, seizure-smelling puppy!
This is their inspiring story!
Ryder Was Just A Puppy When He Was Gifted With His Talent
Macayla has been in a terrible accident several years ago. She was accidentally kicked by a horse, ending up being unconscious for a couple of minutes. Unfortunately, the accident left long-term repercussions.
She started having weird episodes where she would just drop to the ground. Later on, doctors diagnosed her with seizures.
As she already owned a GSD puppy called Ryder, she noticed that he would act weird every time she was about to have a seizure. Still, she didn’t know that Ryder’s behavior was actually a warning that a seizure was about to happen!
Then, her doctor came up with the most brilliant idea ever!
“My doctor was like: You have dogs, right? Do any of them do anything weird before anything happens? And, I was like: My puppy goes nuts!”
Apparently, Ryder can smell the hormonal imbalance prior to a seizure, which enables him to predict every time Macayla is about to have one.
“He has a seizure alert… He was telling me by going crazy, so we ended up having to shape that into an actual alert.”
Ryder Turned Out To Be Her Own Protector
Macayla was kind of skeptical about the whole idea of training Ryder, especially because he was still a puppy, and the training for a service dog is no walk in the park.
Still, she persisted with that idea, only to discover that Ryder was taking the training really, really well!
She was able to train him to get her an injection for her kidneys and take her to a safe spot prior to having a seizure. Then, he would wait for her to open her eyes, sitting still by her side.
Thanks to her impeccable trainability and exquisite intelligence, she was finally able to get back to her normal activities, such as riding a horse, taking hikes, and basically doing anything else!
“He’s Just Kind Of This Constant”
Despite all the support she receives from her family, Ryder is her one and only constant with whom she feels safe all the time!
“When I have to go to the ER, it’s really nice having him there. I’m incredibly close with my family and with my husband, but he’s just kind of this constant.”
He’s always prepared to help Macayla whenever she needs help. And, he’s more than happy to do so! In a way, he’s her own little guardian angel who knows how important his role is.
“We’re so in tune with each other, and I fell in love with him… I’m so proud of him, honestly. He couldn’t have been more perfect. He absolutely loves his job. When we get his harness out, he’s like: Yay, I get to go to work!”
Macayla Finally Has Her Freedom Back
Thanks to Ryder’s brilliance, Macayla is finally able to start a new chapter in her life. Before him, she didn’t have the confidence to do anything.
She was prevented from doing regular activities, taking trips, or enjoying nature with her dogs, but with Ryder, everything was again possible!
Besides her GSD hero, she has another dog, a Dutch Shepherd named Kaapo whom she is training to be a service dog, too.
With Ryder in her life, everything was again back to normal after all this time! Macayla is back to being her old self, and she couldn’t be more thankful for that!
“Life is so much easier now. He gave me my freedom back.”
We wish them many more years together!
