Service dogs psychological influence on children with ASD

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I don't know where the person's service dogs came from that I know. Her and her boyfriend and their friend all got a shepherd furnished by the state. Their dogs are just evil is all I can say.

That's interesting about your experience with labs. All the ones I know, some predigree, some likely mixed breed labs are all calm. Mind you they do follow you around like a shadow. But they don't bark, they don't jump. Dogs like Yorkies and Jack Russells that I have been around barked and bounced up and down so much I wanted to whack them. (no I didn't whack any dogs though the high energy ones make me feel like doing that). Labs, Newfoundlands, Dashunds & some retired Greyhounds are the only dogs I have ever been able to handle being around. I guess that's why I have a cat as a pet!

Yes I am just mind boggled by one of my friend's deep affection and sudden fascination with Yorkies. Both Yorkies are incredibly obnoxious. I just don't see how anyone can stand to live with such a creature. I am mortified by people that have more than one Jack Russell because those are the most obnoxious high strung dogs ever known to mankind. I thought I was going to go insane the week I had to pet sit one. I suspect they are inbred with kangeroos they way they bounce.

You have a good point about the misbreedings of shepherds and probably a lot of other dogs in the US. Well you can look at a nice British labrador and a US lab and see how the US has messed up the genes and all the good qualities. Labs "used" to be stocky and have block shaped heads but many US labs are getting lean, long legged and lanky.

I'm not knowledgable on German Shepheds and don't know the breed standard. So are G.S. suppose to have a sloped hind end similar to a bunny rabbit? I noticed the evil shepherds I was talking about have funny shaped back ends and weird leg angle. Are they suppose to look like that or are those signs of bad breeding?

You are seeing the exaggerated American Standard. That's not allowed in Germany. I don't know about the UK, but probably not because they frown on that there. In the US, they've had to bring German and Eastern European GSDs to crossbreed in due to health issues and behavioral issues that started popping up. My behaviorist (who specialized in these breeds) said that mine was very typical of the Eastern European GSDs. He doesn't have the pronounced slope. His back is normal if he is standing up, but he will rest with his one back leg out, creating a subtle slope effect. I'm not sure if that's what started that. The GSDs we had when I grew up didn't have that at all. They were all German stock though, brought over by the Germans that settled there. They just kept breeding them as farm dogs.


Labs are at heart hunting dogs. They've become more laidback with time. What causes problems in Labs is their popularity. Too many breeders pop up (anyone can breed with papers and register the puppies) who have no clue what they are doing. A reputable breeder wouldn't breed a hyper Lab, but an inexperienced breeder would. Pet stores are the absolute worst. You don't know what you're getting there. They have no standards.


With all dogs, you just have to research the breed well, find a reputable breeder and make sure the dog fits your life. My Samoyed was very laid back. She was by far the best pet dog I ever owned. But, I read that they can be hyper if left in the backyard. Apparently they lived with the tribe in their huts, so they hate to be alone. My wasn't left alone outside, so I guess that's why she didn't have those problems.

You are seeing the exaggerated American Standard. That's not allowed in Germany. I don't know about the UK, but probably not because they frown on that there. In the US, they've had to bring German and Eastern European GSDs to crossbreed in due to health issues and behavioral issues that started popping up. My behaviorist (who specialized in these breeds) said that mine was very typical of the Eastern European GSDs. He doesn't have the pronounced slope. His back is normal if he is standing up, but he will rest with his one back leg out, creating a subtle slope effect. I'm not sure if that's what started that. The GSDs we had when I grew up didn't have that at all. They were all German stock though, brought over by the Germans that settled there. They just kept breeding them as farm dogs.


Labs are at heart hunting dogs. They've become more laidback with time. What causes problems in Labs is their popularity. Too many breeders pop up (anyone can breed with papers and register the puppies) who have no clue what they are doing. A reputable breeder wouldn't breed a hyper Lab, but an inexperienced breeder would. Pet stores are the absolute worst. You don't know what you're getting there. They have no standards.


With all dogs, you just have to research the breed well, find a reputable breeder and make sure the dog fits your life. My Samoyed was very laid back. She was by far the best pet dog I ever owned. But, I read that they can be hyper if left in the backyard. Apparently they lived with the tribe in their huts, so they hate to be alone. My wasn't left alone outside, so I guess that's why she didn't have those problems.

You are seeing the exaggerated American Standard. That's not allowed in Germany. I don't know about the UK, but probably not because they frown on that there. In the US, they've had to bring German and Eastern European GSDs to crossbreed in due to health issues and behavioral issues that started popping up. My behaviorist (who specialized in these breeds) said that mine was very typical of the Eastern European GSDs. He doesn't have the pronounced slope. His back is normal if he is standing up, but he will rest with his one back leg out, creating a subtle slope effect. I'm not sure if that's what started that. The GSDs we had when I grew up didn't have that at all. They were all German stock though, brought over by the Germans that settled there. They just kept breeding them as farm dogs.


Labs are at heart hunting dogs. They've become more laidback with time. What causes problems in Labs is their popularity. Too many breeders pop up (anyone can breed with papers and register the puppies) who have no clue what they are doing. A reputable breeder wouldn't breed a hyper Lab, but an inexperienced breeder would. Pet stores are the absolute worst. You don't know what you're getting there. They have no standards.


With all dogs, you just have to research the breed well, find a reputable breeder and make sure the dog fits your life. My Samoyed was very laid back. She was by far the best pet dog I ever owned. But, I read that they can be hyper if left in the backyard. Apparently they lived with the tribe in their huts, so they hate to be alone. Mine wasn't left alone outside, so I guess that's why she didn't have those problems.

You are seeing the exaggerated American Standard. That's not allowed in Germany. I don't know about the UK, but probably not because they frown on that there. In the US, they've had to bring German and Eastern European GSDs to crossbreed in due to health issues and behavioral issues that started popping up. My behaviorist (who specialized in these breeds) said that mine was very typical of the Eastern European GSDs. He doesn't have the pronounced slope. His back is normal if he is standing up, but he will rest with his one back leg out, creating a subtle slope effect. I'm not sure if that's what started that. The GSDs we had when I grew up didn't have that at all. They were all German stock though, brought over by the Germans that settled there. They just kept breeding them as farm dogs.


Labs are at heart hunting dogs. They've become more laidback with time. What causes problems in Labs is their popularity. Too many breeders pop up (anyone can breed with papers and register the puppies) who have no clue what they are doing. A reputable breeder wouldn't breed a hyper Lab, but an inexperienced breeder would. Pet stores are the absolute worst. You don't know what you're getting there. They have no standards.


With all dogs, you just have to research the breed well, find a reputable breeder and make sure the dog fits your life. My Samoyed was very laid back. She was by far the best pet dog I ever owned. But, I read that they can be hyper if left in the backyard. Apparently they lived with the tribe in their huts, so they hate to be alone. Mine wasn't left alone outside, so I guess that's why she didn't have those problems.

There should be service cats too. There have been lots of situations that I'd be able to deal with better than had there been a cat with me. When I'm in a home with a cat I never blow up. I'm also happier and more sure of myself when trying to socialize.

Yes I think my cat should be certified as a service cat. She has saved my life 3 times. She can do everything that any service dog could do for me. She tells me when someones outside, she rushes to rouse me when I have blacked out, when I had an allergic reaction and went unconscious, notified me of two poisoness insect intruders and comforts me during asthma attacks. It's just instinctive for her. She's such a sweety. Speaking of which she is begging for her canned food treat so gotta go feed her.

Actually the US law allows animals other than dogs. There are people who use miniature horses for blind assistance and monkeys for people who need assistance with reaching things or picking things up. Monkeys are kind of catching on because they live much, much longer than dogs do. That means that the cost of training vs the number of years they can serve is much lower.

It would kind of be hard to claim a cat, but it would be legal. The thing that differentiates a "Psychiatric Service Animal" from an "Emotional Support Animal" is training. To be a Psychiatric Service Animal, your animal must be trained to do tasks specific to your ability. Good luck training your cat to do many tasks.

If an animal just provides services in the capacity of cheering you up, or preventing you from being depressed, then it's an "Emotional Support Animal."

Eek. Sorry for the triple posts. The server froze up while I was posting and went down. Sorry!