About Ryan Onda, Semper Fi Service Dogs

Ryan A. Onda is a Marine Corps Veteran and our Master Trainer who has learned many different training techniques from a wide variety of trainers and mentorship programs over the past 20 years, including the Monks of New Skete’s Positive Reinforcement and Operant training method. He is a Peer Facilitator under Roger Marshall Jr./National Director of Operations/Outreach for the Birdwell Foundation For PTSD, having passed his CCCT, Care and Council for Combat Trauma course. He is also a graduate of Animal Behavioral College and was mentored by Carla Nammack of Country Club Kennels/Chance foundation, among others.

He worked as the Paw the Way for Veteran's Supervisor before starting Semper-Fi Service Dogs, Inc. Working with his original group of Veterans, as well as new ones, and rescue dogs, he has changed the life of every dog and person he has touched through his tireless energy and attention to detail. Because of this energy and love, he has successfully trained and placed 41 rescue dogs with Veterans, who still train with him today. He schedules and teaches all our classes, both group and private, and ensures the Veteran's, volunteer's, and dogs' safety. During it all, he helps create a bond between the Veteran and their dog that, through their lifetime, will continue to strengthen and grow, giving them both the confidence and freedom to live a life that they both deserve. 

Ep. 128 Ryan Onda Podcast Transcript

Steve Martorano 
The Behavioral Corner is produced in partnership with Retreat Behavioral Health -- where healing happens.

The Behavioral Corner 
Hi, and welcome. I'm Steve Martorano, and this is the Behavioral Corner; you're invited to hang with us as we've discussed the ways we live today, the choices we make, the things we do, and how they affect our health and wellbeing. So you're on the corner, the Behavioral Corner. Please hang around a while.

Steve Martorano 
I should first say hello to everybody, and then call you to attention. This is Steve Martorano on the Behavioral Corner. I call you to attention because we are doing our annual Veterans Program. We have Veterans Day coming up shortly. And it's fortunate that we at least cut aside one day a year where we honor our military veterans. And remember, you know, their service. That's what we're doing. We do it every year. And we've got an interesting angle on veterans and what they're up to. And it's really a very positive story. We're gonna bring you today on the Behavioral Corner. And I remind you that it is brought to you by Retreat Behavioral Health, you'll hear more about them a little bit later. Our guest and we're delighted to have him is Ryan Onda. Ryan is a Marine Corps vet, semper fi, and he has seen his share of battles, both in the military and out of the military. Ryan is dealing with PTSD practically his whole life, it was exacerbated by his military career., naturally. He's had issues with alcohol abuse. He has been in and out of medical treatment for various ailments, many of which made matters much, much worse. And we could go on, it's a pretty harrowing tale that Ryan has, but we're really not here to talk about any failures. We're here to talk about success and victories. And that's what Ryan has done. With his experience. He's turned it into an utterly brilliant and promising thing that helps a lot of other people. It's an organization he is the founder and CEO of Semper Fi Service Dogs. Yeah, dogs, you guys who like dogs. This is a great story. He's going to tell us how that came to be, what he's doing now, and maybe how you guys can get involved and help him. Ryan Ryan Onda, thanks for joining us on the Behavioral Corner.

Ryan Onda 
Thanks for having me.

Steve Martorano 
Well, let me ask you, before we start, was making the hookup via zoom with me today, the hardest thing you've done this week? We were having one of those why isn't this working thing? Well, I'm glad we're here, now. I'm glad we have you.

Ryan Onda 
Yeah. It all worked out.

Steve Martorano 
There's a lot of stories about the problems that have some of the statistics about veterans, and the things they face, I was surprised to find through information, you showed me that veterans are something like 60% more likely to wind up in divorce, broken marriages. I mean, the numbers are off the charts for the things that veterans won't wind up facing. And you certainly have faced many, many of them lifelong battles with post-traumatic stress. So you know what we're talking about here. What we want to do is focus on what you did with all that experience in your life good and bad. And you decided that there was well can you tell me how did you wind up finding your way to dogs, and service to others? It's a great story.

Ryan Onda 
Well, to be quite honest with you, like I told you, my family's always noticed and I've just been known to have a gift with dogs ever since I was a young child. And I was supposed to be a veterinarian, but I could never cut open a dog. And I always saw, you know, dog training. That's just the kind of a side job I saw it as but that was when I was a younger child. But growing up, I always had a gift with dogs and my grandfather did teach me how to train dogs because he was a dog trainer in the military himself. I didn't train dogs in the Marine Corps. But when I got out, I trained my first dog using the Monks of New Skete techniques. I read all of their books. They're very famous for training German Shepherds. And my dog was a German, happened to be a German Shepherd way back 2625 years ago. So once I trained that dog, I would bring them around to different dog parks and people saw how amazing my dog was trained. And what asked me to train their dogs and I said, "Well, I can make some money out of this." So I started training dogs on the side as I was working for the Supreme Court or whatever job I had. I always...they always knew I was the dog guy if your dog had a problem, just call Ryan. Some people would mow you know, mow my lawn. Some people would plow my driveway just t...just to drain their dog things like that. It wasn't really a career for me. I didn't see it as one. Well, I wish I did though I really do. But basically, the way I started Semper Fi Service Dogs is that even in sobriety I was PTSD got the best of me I was kind of forced to work I had my own business and insurance I was making over three figures I thought you know I'm success while I'm making all this money, it's great. But I was miserable in my heart. I had a big hole just like a lot of other addicts and alcoholics do. And so, besides that, and the PTSD and the hypervigilance, I pretty much became agoraphobic for about almost four years. I couldn't look in the mirror, I couldn't look out, you know, I'm constantly having a gun with me. I'm looking out the windows everywhere. You know, there are people in the bushes, craziness...I just couldn't answer the door, the phone had nothing for almost four years.

Steve Martorano 
Wow.

Ryan Onda 
And, yes. And one day, I just I was praying and praying and praying, please, like, God helped me like, This isn't me and, and I just happened to look in the mirror, which I never would do. And I just I was disgusted with myself, I was out of shape, partly due to that medication. We'll talk about that later. But I looked terrible, I looked terrible. I said that's no Marine, I'm getting off my butt. And I gotta go do something. And with that, I heard a television commercial for a local shelter that needed...they have a veteran service dog program, and they needed handlers with experience to come down there and help out. And I was all over that. Thinking, I'll go do some volunteer work. And that'll get me out of the house, at least. That's how it started. I started volunteering which made me feel better. I started going to the gym at like, four in the morning when nobody was around. So I started getting out more and feeling better about myself. And just in volunteering with all those dogs... Well, first, they should say the guy said, "Let's try you out first." And I said, "Okay, go ahead. I'm doing this longer than you're alive." He was 21. He said, "Okay." And he got his meanest dog, he could find out, and took them out. And I had the dog sit and stay down and for about five minutes and the dog is licking my face, he said, "You're in, we love you." And so I lived at that place, you know, I was there, before it opens to till it closed every single day for about, I don't know, eight months as a volunteer. And shortly thereafter, you know, I realized it's time to move on maybe and do my own private business or something like that with dogs, thinking after I do my private business and make a name for myself, maybe in 10 years, I can train service dogs for veterans because that's what my goal was to do what they were doing there at this place. But what happened was when I told them that, you know, I have to, I'm gonna go on my own. They said, No, you're not, you're a much better trainer than our trainer, they fired him and replaced him with me. Shortly thereafter, the supervisor, the colonel that was supervising the whole thing was also let go. So they put me in charge of the whole program. So I got to see what to do, what not to do. There. I'm not going to name the name of the place that you know, their intentions were well, but you know, it's, in my opinion, if you're gonna have a veteran service dog program, a veteran should be teaching it. They've been there and done that. They know all that to look for things of that nature. PTSD-wise, I also suffer from TBI (Traumatic Brain Injury). So what happened was you know, at the time, I think I was training 58 dogs, I had all these, you know, volunteers and everything else like that, and COVID hit, and when COVID hit, they decided to shut down the program. They said, You know, we have to shut it down. COVID I, you know, I kind of understood, but I said, you know, you can't do that these are veterans. They killed themselves because they isolated you know, 22 veterans killed themselves a day, there's an article I've just read, says it's double that. So, so, you know, I was adamant that I told them you know if you do that, then I'm gonna have to start my own 501(c)(3), that's it is my...my thing. Anyway, you guys don't even really participate. And they laughed at me and said, "Go ahead, try it." So I did I quit. I left. I started my own 501(c)(3), not knowing what I was doing. But, you know, I persevered. I listened to a lot of good advice. And I did it on my own. With some help, of course, from my wife especially and President Roger Marshall tremendous help me, Retreat Behavioral, Peter Shorr. So basically what I did is I started that program.

Steve Martorano 
When did you when did that happen? When did you finally form the nonprofit and become you know, and were official?

Ryan Onda 
In May of 2020. But we were doing it for about seven months because it took so long to get our actual 501(c)(3) official documentation because of COVID, again. It took a long time.

Steve Martorano 
Ryan's story is pretty well known if you've been watching Today's Show he's been. On he's been on loads of television programs because it's such a remarkable, remarkable nonprofit. Taking these dogs that dogs already have their own troubles, so they're, they're on their way to you know, euthanasia. If somebody doesn't come and rescue them and most people you know, a lot of people like rescue dogs, but there are different...there different responsibilities. You got to know what you're doing. If you take a rescue dog and put them into a home that's one seems to me, that's one set of circumstances because a trainer most often the person who's rescued the dog He just wants the dog to be a pet. Okay, but when you're taking your dog out of a shelter and home and trying to train them to be a service dog, it's got to be a whole different thing. So let's talk a little bit about your techniques because you are renowned for how you do this. First of all, let's talk about dogs. Can any dog be trained to become a service dog?

Ryan Onda 
Yes, sir. And that's...I'm glad you asked that. A lot of people, it's a fallacy that small little baby dogs, you know, smaller dog breeds cannot be service dogs. Typically, I only take the dogs, if I'm going to, if I'm going to rescue them myself, I tried to take dogs that are between one and two years old. And between 40 and 80 pounds. That's usually the best size and age for training. However, we do have several small dogs in our group for people with night terrors. Especially they're the best because they fit right next to their pillow. They blocked them from their spouses, they woke them up from their night terrors, things of that nature. And people live in small, they live in small, tiny little homes and they have no yard; they can't have a big dog running around. You have to have a smaller dog.

Steve Martorano 
Ryan, well, you see, you said it when you go to a shelter or they come to you with dogs that need to be rescued. How quickly can you determine during that interview process? How quickly can you go? Okay, we can do something with this dog. But this dog is going to be a problem, how fast you know?

Ryan Onda 
Honestly, I don't want to sound...I'm very modest. But almost immediately, I mean, I have a connection, I have some kind of connection with dogs that I can...I do tests, you know, I do a test where I open an umbrella. And that's more of an intelligence test. You open an umbrella if the dog freaks out and jumps across the room. That's not going to be a service dog.

Steve Martorano 
Okay.

Ryan Onda 
If the dog freaks out a little bit and then he wants to investigate. That's gonna be a service dog.

Steve Martorano 
Oh, very cool.

Ryan Onda 
See, the different tests I do, I'll drop a clipboard behind them again without them seeing that they flip out or they get aggressive. Not a service dog. But I gotta tell you. I go against those rules. Because if a dog is gonna get put down, I give extra effort. I've got to be at least 15 to 20 of those dogs that were going to be put down.

Steve Martorano 
Ryan, it's true. It's true. When I say that many of these dogs that wind up with you and then in the hands of veterans would...would be put down? If it weren't...

Ryan Onda 
Yes, they would be dead.

Steve Martorano 
How many dogs at any given time do you have under training?

Ryan Onda 
Right now, being that you know, where I live and our facility I can only right now only have nine, but we're working on a shelter, then that's a different story. You know, the more dogs the better at that, at the place I worked at I handled, you know, almost 60 dogs myself.

Steve Martorano 
Can you train somebody...can you train somebody easily to become a trainer? You know, I mean...

Ryan Onda 
That's my next step. I'm looking for a veteran that I can train. And, you know, I want it to be a veteran who's been there and done that because I feel that that model, our model is different than others. Whereas a 21-year-old civilian, if I've been in combat, I'm not gonna listen to them as much as somebody else who might be, you know, a veteran, and they can relate. That's just...we're kinda like a family.

Steve Martorano 
At the end of the training. I mean, there are all kinds of people who have service dogs. Most obvious, I guess, with dogs that help people who are visually impaired, we already know about, you know, the seeing eye dog. And we also do know about some of the emotional care dogs. But these dogs have a different mission because of the people who are going to own them. The veterans that have...that have, as you say, night terrors and post-traumatic stress. So they have to be trained differently, don't they?

Ryan Onda 
Oh, yes, sir. They go for...most service dogs take a year to train. It depends on the dog. It depends on the handler. It depends on how many repetitions they do. But what I do is I train the dog in every aspect of using positive reinforcement of every aspect of basic training as far as sitting down, staying, coming heel, recalling, down, staying down, stay out of sight of me. So I can walk away out of the room and come back, and he's still there. Once they get the dog perfectly trained. That takes me anywhere from two to six months, depending on the dog. If it's a dog that's about to get put down. It's gonna take me a lot longer. But I use a pack training method. I have a large pack of dogs here. So we also do classes three times a week. So when I'm doing classes, the dogs are all learning at the same time. So if all the dogs are laying down, and they're supposed to be doing it down, and one's not, they're just gonna look at the other dogs and by osmosis, figure it out. So the method works much more quickly than just one on one training.

Steve Martorano 
Oh, that's interesting. Ryan Onda is a Marine Corps veteran who began a nonprofit organization a couple of years ago called SemperFiServiceDogs.org. We'll have that link up on the Behavioral Corner website so you can find out more about it. And he's joining us to talk about veterans and their special needs. The other question with regard to training that goes on at Semper Fi, you say it takes you a certain amount of time to get the dog, you know, in shape to become a service dog. During that period of time have you placed the dog with a vet? And are they involved in the training?

Ryan Onda 
Just like the Marine Corps, we adapt and overcome. Some people already come to me that already have a dog. So if they already own a dog, now I gotta take the dog from him for two weeks, usually two to three weeks, and let them visit every once in a while. But I need to give that dog a little, you know, tune-up. And then I give classes, and I tell them exactly what I want you to do repetition-wise. These dogs need to do everything 10 out of 10 times, if I say sit, the dog has to do it 10 out of 10 times perfectly every single behavior perfectly. Not only do I do that, but I also do take them through what's called the Canine Good Citizen test. That's basically for people who want to show dogs and people who want therapy dogs. You have to take that test to be a therapy dog. However, a service dog has rights under the ADA, which sets them apart from any other dog...

Steve Martorano 
In terms of where they can be and where they can go?

Ryan Onda 
They can go anywhere you can be. They're a piece of medical equipment. You write it off on your taxes.

Steve Martorano 
Do you see there's a distinction between the therapy dog and the service dog? What's that distinction?

Ryan Onda 
A therapy dog has to take two basic classes that are very easy. As I said, the Canine Good Citizen tests both inside and outside. And then they have to basically just have to be the right type of dog. Just be a dog that likes to be a pet and it's not mean. That's it. It's very simple, basic obedience, but they have no rights. They go in into places. I have a hybrid dog. They go into places. They go to hospices. They go to children with reading disabilities, and children were read to the dogs, things like...things of that nature, but they don't have any rights. As far as going anywhere they want or anything like that. And their training...it's basically just you just have to have the right breed and the right dog.

Steve Martorano 
Yes, amazing. As we mentioned, very broadly, your background was tough -- post-traumatic stress the other things that you've overcome. You're nine years now sober. And as rocky as the road was, and I've told this to many people in a similar situation. It brought you right to where you are. You don't get here doing this wonderful work, in a sense, without having gone through what you went through. So, you know, it's just an amazing story. Let's talk a little bit about what you've seen veterans get out of having a service dog. What are the benefits?

Ryan Onda 
That's my benefit. I'll be honest. I tell people I'm greedy all the time because I love to see...what happens to not only the veteran but their families and everyone around them. Because this isn't just the veteran that PTSD affects or TBI or MST (Military Sexual Trauma). It's the whole family dynamic, and your work and your friends. You know, if you're going to be isolating and be enraged all the time and acting crazy, you know, you're not going to have many friends, you're going to be by yourself, your children are going to be want to be away from you and things of that nature. So one example I can give you that really touches me is this gentleman who started with us. He couldn't even, I mean, we went into a shoe store. And he couldn't handle it. He had to run out of there. So he had a very bad case of PTSD. He also had no, you know, he was doing bad at his job. He was miserable. Basically had no purpose in his life. And that's another thing that I like, I don't just train dogs, I like to tell people are trying to tell people, I try to share my experience. You know, success doesn't bring you happiness. Happiness brings you success. If you're happy in what you're doing, and you're doing the right thing. You will...success just comes to you. I wish I had believed that a long time ago. But it is true. And until you believe that. Until you give up on those old ideas and that stinking thinking, you're going to stay the same. If nothing changes, nothing changes. So I try to instill a lot of that into my veterans. But as far as the dogs go, I mean, I can tell you about this one gentleman who had no relationship with his children. They hated mark I'm not going to lie. He's a scary guy. Now the children love him. They the one child who was autistic, got his own dog. He's training his own dog with his dad, they go on outings all the time, and they're going out in public. This guy never left his house. EVER. He couldn't even go into a shoe store. Now he goes to Walmart, which no one really wants to. I shouldn't say, you know, I mean?

Steve Martorano 
Yeah, I do.

Ryan Onda 
He can go anywhere, even if he doesn't like being in a place, and being grounded by his service dog.

Steve Martorano 
It is amazing. I want to take this point, and we'll get you out of here because you're a busy guy. It just occurs to me that, you know, the Vet is the object of your work. You're trying to get them in a situation where a dog can center them, where they can return to some kind of full life, because they have a service dog. But that dog is being brought, as you just said, into a family setting, so and it's trained in a specific manner to take care of the vet. What about the rest of the family? Can the kids still play with the dog? Can the wife take the dog for a walk?

Ryan Onda 
Great question. Most people think service dogs are like robots, but they're not. When their vests are on, they know it's working time. When their vests come off, they know I can be a dog again. However, however, my dogs...all the dogs are trained to smell cortisol. So if I'm stressed, my dog will literally be in a deep sleep, I could be in another room if I'm stressed and scratching my head or son, my dogs gonna jump up on me and give me DPT -- deep pressure therapy and calm me down and get me out of that situation. It's amazing what these dogs can do that not only saved me. I can tell you one of my veterans literally said, you know, two weeks before I was thinking about taking my life, I think I was going to kill myself. And if it wasn't for this program, you know, thank you so much. And he also had Tourette's from the medication they were giving him. He's down to, I think, one pill now. And he's doing better than he's ever been. He goes everywhere he wants to go, and he feels more comfortable. And it's, you know, I've done it almost 60 times now, I think, and every time it's, you know, they all have their own stories, but none of them have killed themselves. They don't think they will ever because how could you? It's a symbiotic relationship. So if you think about it, you know you if it is if it comes down to that, which is not going to happen with any of my vets because everybody seems to be happy right now. But God forbid it did. I can see the dog saying, "Hey, no." Because they're gonna say, "Come on now,. What are you thinking? And who's gonna take care of my..." It's a symbiotic relationship.

Steve Martorano 
"We were gonna go out in the park and throw this ball. What are you doing?"

Ryan Onda 
Exactly! "What are you doing?" That is the worst thing.

Steve Martorano 
It's another sharp reminder of the powerful connection that people have across the board with dogs. We've done programs before about...about that, because you can make fun of people who treat them like their children and all of that. But when you strip away all the obvious stuff, there's something profoundly connective about dogs. Can't do it with cats. We know the wonderful cats out there. We know they're different. And horses is another bond. But horses are large. Dogs almost seem as on some level to be suited to this kind of work. And when people like yourself, who are drawn to them naturally, can turn it into something so positive for veterans. We're glad we had the time to talk to you about the Semper Fi. If people want to get...you're in Florida. 

Ryan Onda 
West Palm Beach. Yes, sir. 

Steve Martorano 
Yeah, we've got your website and they can...they can get more information about Semper Fi Service Dogs there. But you are a nonprofit. So again, you're about people donating money and stuff, right?

Ryan Onda 
Yes, sir. We're 100% nonprofit. We rely on donations to stay alive. And yes, if you want to donate or volunteer, or especially if you're a veteran in need, like I was, please please call us. My number is 561-255-4900. And we have our application right on our website. You can watch it Today Show if you let it load up long enough at www.SemperFiServiceDogs.org. And I'm more looking for veterans than anything else. I know my wife would kick me if I said that. But we do need the money, but I need more veterans. I want to help as many people as I can while I'm on this earth.

Steve Martorano 
Yeah, listen...

Ryan Onda 
Veterans and dogs, of course.

Steve Martorano 
There are not a lot of people looking for veterans to help. So, anyone who does, we applaud. Ryan Onda, thanks so much. Buddy is great. I want to thank Roger Marshall Jr., Our pal. Someone you work very closely with. Roger, of course, is with the Birdwell Foundation. They do great work for veterans. We salute Roger and Birdwell as well on this Veterans Day. And of course, Retreat and all that. Thanks, Ryan. Continued success with the work. If there's anything else we can do for you, don't hesitate to reach out here on the Corner.

Ryan Onda 
Thank you very much. Thank you all for having me. Thank you. 

Steve Martorano 
Our pleasure. Hey, everybody. Thanks so much. Behavioral Corner, look for us wherever you find your podcasts. And by the way, do not forget to hit the subscription button. Okay, that's an order.

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