GOT YOUR SIX SERVICE DOGS
Get to know Lisa and the incredible service dogs who are part of the Got Your Six Service Dogs program. For updates on training progress, placements, and new additions to the pack, follow us on Facebook. 
Lisa Frey
President & Lead Service Dog Trainer, Got Your Six Service Dogs
Lisa Frey is the driving force behind Got Your Six Service Dogs—serving as both the President of the organization and the lead trainer responsible for shaping each exceptional service dog. With over 40 years of professional dog-training experience and a deep respect for the Veteran community, Lisa brings together master-level training skills, compassion, and unwavering commitment to ensure every Veteran receives the support they deserve. Her leadership reflects the heart of the organization: integrity, service, and a promise to always “have the six” of every Veteran who walks through the door.
Lisa began her apprenticeship at just 17 years old at a kennel offering boarding, grooming, and training, where she quickly fell in love with the art of dog training. Watching dogs transform through structure, consistency, and trust shaped the foundation of her lifelong philosophy: “training isn’t just one day—it’s every day.” Over the past four decades, she has trained thousands of dogs across all breeds, sizes, and temperaments, developing expertise that only years of hands-on experience can provide.
Thirteen years ago, Lisa trained her first service dog, Jaya, after meeting Cadence—a life-changing service dog belonging to her cousin’s husband Brad, a retired Army Veteran living with PTSD. Witnessing firsthand how Cadence restored Brad’s independence and emotional stability opened Lisa’s eyes to the profound impact a well-trained service dog can have on a Veteran’s life. That moment became a turning point, inspiring her to expand her work into service-dog training and deepen her commitment to those who have served. Today, Lisa personally works with her own service dogs, Rodeo and Veruca, individually or in tandem depending on her needs.
Lisa specializes in Great Danes, harnessing their natural intuition, strength, and gentle demeanor to create highly capable mobility- and PTSD-support dogs for Veterans. She is deeply skilled in task training, canine behavior, and mobility assistance work, approaching each dog as an individual and tailoring training to their temperament, drive, and personality. She believes the strongest partnerships are built on trust, open communication, and a true bond between handler and dog.
As President, Lisa oversees program standards, training methodologies, dog and handler readiness, Veteran support services, and the long-term growth of the organization. The need for service dogs is great—and affordable resources are limited—which is why she founded Got Your Six Service Dogs, Inc., a nonprofit dedicated to ensuring Veterans receive life-changing service dogs at no cost, from puppyhood through retirement.
With unmatched experience, unwavering passion, and a heart for service, Lisa Frey leads Got Your Six Service Dogs with a singular mission, to give every Veteran a partner who will stand by their side—faithfully, skillfully, and with unwavering loyalty.
Rodeo
Personal Service Dog
Rodeo is one of Lisa’s personal service dogs, and his presence is every bit as remarkable as his size. Steady, intuitive, and deeply connected to his handler, Rodeo exemplifies the gold standard of what a true service dog should be. His natural ability to sense exactly what Lisa needs, often before she even knows herself, speaks to both his extraordinary temperament and Lisa’s unmatched skill in selecting and developing top-tier service dogs.
Highly intelligent and incredibly eager to please, Rodeo learns new tasks with ease and performs his work with unwavering focus. Whether navigating busy environments, providing stability, or maintaining precise public-access behavior, Rodeo approaches every responsibility with professionalism far beyond his years.
Outside of work, Rodeo’s playful spirit shines. He adores people especially children and loves being the center of attention. His big, goofy personality and gentle nature make him a favorite everywhere he goes.
Rodeo also plays a vital role within the Got Your Six Service Dogs training program. He regularly works alongside puppies and young prospects in public-access sessions, modeling calm behavior, confidence, and proper working etiquette. His steady presence helps new trainees learn how to behave in challenging environments, making him an invaluable mentor in shaping the next generation of service dogs.
Rodeo is not only a trusted partner to Lisa—he is a cornerstone of the program, a teacher, and a shining example of the heart and purpose behind Got Your Six Service Dogs.
Veruca Salt
Personal Service Dog
Veruca Salt is more than a service dog she is the heart and matriarch of Lisa’s Above the Salt Danes breeding program and a truly remarkable service dog. Known for her intelligence, intuition, and unmistakable presence, Veruca Salt has been a defining part of Got Your Six Service Dogs from the beginning.
She is the driving force behind a lineage shaping the next generation of service dogs, with her most recent litter already making a meaningful impact:
• Contessa, trained by Lisa, is now successfully placed with her Veteran.
• Willow completed her training in Pensacola and now supports a 15-year-old girl.
• Clyde, currently in training in Georgia for his future handler.
Veruca Salt’s gifts extend far beyond genetics. She is exceptionally bright often learning a new command the very first time Lisa teaches it. Even more impressively, Veruca Salt has instinctively identified tasks Lisa needed without formal instruction, demonstrating an intuitiveness and awareness rarely seen, even in elite working dogs. She is, in every sense, a trainer’s dream.
When she is working, Veruca Salt is intensely handler-focused. She anticipates Lisa’s movements and needs with effortless precision, responding with calm confidence and unwavering reliability. Her presence offers both stability and reassurance, making her an extraordinary partner and a living example of what a service dog can be at the highest level.
Veruca Salt embodies the core values of Got Your Six Service Dogs intelligence, loyalty, intuition, and heart. She is not only Lisa’s devoted service dog, but also a foundation dog whose legacy continues to support Veterans and families across the country.
Contessa
Service Dog
Contessa is a stunning young Great Dane with a classic, regal presence and a calm confidence that shines through in everything she does. Purposely bred through Lisa’s Above the Salt Danes program—where the very first litter produced three service dogs—Contessa was carefully selected for her exceptional temperament, sharp intelligence, and natural aptitude for service work.
At just 18 months old, she already carries herself with the poise of a fully trained working dog—alert, focused, and deeply connected to her Veteran. Contessa is fully public-access trained and demonstrates outstanding reliability in a wide range of environments. She has already mastered several essential service tasks and continues to refine her skills through ongoing, advanced training. Additional task work will be introduced and strengthened over time to ensure her partnership remains responsive, adaptive, and supportive as her Veteran’s needs evolve.
Attentive and intuitive by nature, Contessa thrives on structure and purpose. Her strong work ethic and eagerness to learn have made her training progress exceptional. Whether navigating busy public spaces, practicing task work, or settling calmly at her handler’s side, she approaches every responsibility with focus and heart.
Now officially assigned to her Veteran, Contessa is stepping fully into the role she was meant for—providing stability, emotional grounding, and unwavering partnership. Loyal, gentle, and devoted, she is an extraordinary representative of our program and a life-changing companion for the hero she proudly supports.
