Service Dogs

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So I just am curious to know if anyone has one specifically for their Aspergers? I was recommended one for Depression/Anxiety and ADD when I was in the hospital on a 5150 by a psychiatrist and then again encouraged to have one for my Aspergers and PTSD recently.

I currently have a pug who is 5 months old who I've been working with and am planning on getting her some formal training.

I think a service dog would help me, but at the moment I don't really have a place to keep one. I mean I like cats somewhat but I don't feel quite as attached to them since my cat died or rather dissapeard but I am pretty sure its cause he died. But I do like dogs and they are rather intuitive about certain things so it would be good to have one.

I think everyone with depression of any kind should have a dog - instant anti-depressant!

I use my dog to calm some symptoms of AS, particularly when I'm anxious or upset. He also means I have to leave the house every day to walk him, even if I'm feeling anxious.
The only drawback is he can attract some attention and people talk to me about him, which I don't like.

I've also heard of service horses. One use of them would be for people who are allergic to dogs.

They've even been known to fly on airplanes, but that can create problems.

I know someone with a dog for her ASD, though she doesn't have Asperger's.

I've thought about one for myself, and am task training my dog for helping me at home.

The thing you need to remember about service dogs is that they need to do tasks - they need to explicitly to do trained things to mitigate your disability, not be there and make you feel better, not do things that are normal dog things to do, and not things that might help someone else but not you.

You also need to realize if you are training a dog yourself that not nearly every dog will be able to take the stress of being a service dog. It's a very high stress job. If they're not specifically being bred and are just random dogs from a shelter for it only about 1/100 make it.

However even if they don't make it they can be helpful at home and in pet friendly places.

Someone who walks out into roads because they don't notice not to having a dog stop whenever they reach a road is a task. A dog that licks your face when you are upset isn't.

Autism service dogs are really useful though . There's a lot they can do, it just comes down to what each individual needs.