Before dogs are approved for adoption, Null and his team review their training and veterinary records and conduct behavioral tests. These dogs are then sent to law enforcement agencies, if they are young and able to work, or to adoptive families, where the hope is that they can live and be treated as normal pets.

"The idea of this program is to give dogs that have been working their whole lives the opportunity to be a pet, be a couch dog," Null said, explaining that applications requesting dogs for personal security will go straight to the bottom of the pile. "A lot of people don't understand, these dogs have spent their lives working, or they have something wrong with them, otherwise we would keep them working."

The adoption application includes questions and fill-in-the-blanks such as "Why are you interested in this dog?" and "I need a dog that will tolerate being alone for __ hours."

Applicants must also initial the Candidate Agreement Section, confirming that they have received written summaries of health conditions, that they have been briefed on the training received by their dogs, and that they will build fences six feet or taller around their yards.

"We give full disclosure on everything the dog is about before the potential adopter takes the dog. So if they decide they want to back out at the last minute, that's good," Null said. "We'd rather you back out and say, 'Hey I can't handle this dog,' than later be like, 'Hey I didn't know the dog was going to be like this.'"

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Null was able to go into the computer system and look up Buck, as well as the identification code tattooed in his ear: P027.

"He was purchased as an IED detector dog for the Marine Corps. His job was to go out and try and identify explosive devices," Null said. "In the kennel environment, he was really withdrawn. If you were in a military uniform and were to walk into his kennel, he would walk away, curl into a ball, and lean against the fence."

Null said the staff provides each adoptive family with as many guidelines as possible on how to handle behavioral problems, including CPTSD.

"In Buck's case," he added, "his adopter knew he had PTSD, that he had suffered from some kind of traumatic event somewhere."

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The Sargents face many of the same challenges as any families who take in military working dogs.

These dogs grow up in kennels, so they are not house trained. They are accustomed to concrete, not pillows and carpet, so they can do a lot of damage in their new homes. And a casual walk down the block may seem more like a mission: the leash goes on and the dog is on duty.

But the Sargents also face other, more extreme challenges with Buck because of his CPTSD.

Larry is a pastor, and he and Lynette often invite groups of people over to their home for conversation and prayer. But at the sound of the doorbell, Buck begins to bark wildly. He pants, he spins in circles, and he shivers behind the baby gates lining the kitchen. The only way Larry can calm Buck down is by putting his leash on him and allowing him to hide in his safe place: beneath the chair where Larry sits, just behind his legs.