Name this hero dog! Meet the canines helping those who serve

This shelter dog is on a mission to help those who served — and we're asking TODAY fans to help start his journey.
Semper-Fi's newest service dog in training needs a name!Olympia Sonnier / NBC
Semper-Fi Service Dogs is a charity that rescues pooches from shelters and then, after moths of training, turns the rescued dogs into rescuers for veterans suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. And Semper-Fi is asking TODAY fans to help name their next dog in training. The dog will follow in the paw prints of Saazi, a therapy dog now paired with retired Sgt. Jack Lord.The war in Iraq is never far for Sgt. Lord. All it takes to transport him back to the war zone from his home in Palm Beach, Florida, is the sound of a blown tire.

Here’s looking at you. Dogs have three eyelids, an upper lid, a lower lid and the third lid, called a nictitating membrane or “haw,” which helps keep the eye moist and protected.

"I heard it. I felt it for a moment I was there," Lord said.

Since he met Saazi, a therapy dog trained by Semper-Fi, Lord says his triggers are muted.

"She's there to help me with anxiety. She's there to be my buddy," he said.

This dog needs a name! Help Semper-Fi select a name for this rescue dog who offers support to vets with PTSD.NBC

Ryan Onda, a veteran himself, trains dogs and matches them with vets.

"When I see the connection it makes, it's like you know, I might not be rich but spiritually I'm rich because I know I just changed not only that veteran's life, but just like you drop a pebble in a pond. It changes everyone's life around that veteran," he told TODAY.

Socialize your pet. This is especially important for puppies. Again – behavior problems are the number one reason dogs don’t stay with their families and don’t get adopted by new families. Lack of proper socialization can result in inappropriate fears, aggressive behavior, general timidity, and a host of other behavior problems that are difficult to extinguish once a dog is mature.

Vinnie Kucmierowski has suffered from severe nightmares since the Vietnam War, and can become violent at night. But in the past year, he and his wife Linda have welcomed a Semper-Fi dog, Emma, into their home.Now, when he begins to thrash, Emma wakes him from his night terrors.If Semper-Fi's next dog in training is like those who came before, he could make all the difference in the life of a veteran.

2 veterans share the importance of their service dogs

Nov. 11, 201904:16