Dogs help stressed U.S. military veterans cope with civilian life

By Mary Wisniewski CHICAGO (Reuters) – When retired U.S. Army Staff Sergeant Justin Madore has nightmares, his dog Cody is there to wake him up. “Cody gets up in my bed and starts pounding on me – it’ll knock my wife right out of bed,” said Madore, 37, who suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder. “The dogs become a part of us – they know when there’s something off.” Cody, a 3-year-old Labradoodle, a Labrador retriever and poodle mix, has had special training. …