Service dogs psychological influence on children with ASD

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Hi

My name is Lykke Pedersen and I am studying psychology at Aalborg University in Denmark. I have been and still am very interested in dogs influence on children with autism spectrum disorders and have written two papers on this so far. (Check www.nsd.on.ca under research projects at the bottom of the page for review of one of the papers). After two years of intense searching for information and research in this field, I am surprised how little documented and published material there is to be found. I have been a (silent) member of the internet group “Service dogs and autism” for almost two years now and I have read so many positive and amazing experiences from parents to children with autism spectrum disorders who have retrieved this new four legged friend and intergraded the service dog in the family.

At the moment I am in the onset of my Thesis (my 10th semester project; the final paper) and for this paper I would very much like to do my own research in this field. I am therefore looking for parents to a child/children with an autism spectrum disorder, who have retrieved a service dog specially trained for the child/children. I am looking for families where the dog has been living with the family for a year or longer.

Since I am in Denmark and unfortunately cannot financially travel abroad, all contact have to be over the internet or telephone. All participants counting parents, children and dogs will of course be anonymous in the final paper. The research questions are not accounted for at this moment, however I can tell you that the research will be based on questionnaires and/or telephone interviews about your experience with the dog and child on a psychological level (cognitive and emotional), and the field research will take place in March and April 2007.

With this research and thesis I am hoping to be able to document or at least indicate on a scientific level the psychological benefits for children with autism spectrum disorders to have and interact with a specially trained service dog on a daily basis.

If you are interested in helping me by answering some questions on this matter, by participating in the research, please contact me by e-mail, snail mail or telephone. I will be very grateful for your help, although I cannot offer any financially payment for your time.



Thank you again )


Sincerely,

Cand.stud.psych.

Lykke Pedersen
Tambosundvej 38, st.mf.
9220 Aalborg Oest
Denmark

E-mail: [email protected]

Phone: 0045 2889 3499

I haven't seen anyone else here mention anything of the sort, but I'm going to be getting a dog in March (I'm waiting for it to be born right now) for the express purpose of my training it to be a service dog. I don't know if it's going to end up being a service dog or not, because that's really going to come down to how good I am at training it.

Have you ever trained a dog to be of service for people? What type of dog are you getting?

I'm getting a German Shepherd. I've never trained a dog...I've never even owned a dog before. I have cats though, and I trained one of my cats to do some tricks, not like that's even vaguely the same, but I figured if I can train a cat, I can train a dog.

Also, thanks to having AS and getting a dog obsession, I managed to read every book on dogs and dog training within a 20 mile radius within the space of like 3 months. I've got like 4 DVDs about dog training too, so I think I'm fairly well prepared.

I will be checking out that MSN forum that you posted about, because I'm sure that there are people there who have their service dogs trained to do things that I've never even thought or heard of.

As you can probably tell, I'm very interested in learning more on the subject.

Me and my family are looking for a service dog for me. I don't know if anyone around my age has an Autism Assistant Dog,though. Can Autism/Asperger's Assistant Dogs go public places with you?

If the Autism Dog doesn't work though,I'll just get a PSD.


-SpaceCase

a service dog is different then a normal dog?
i have 2 cool ass dogs who i had for years

What kind of dogs are they?


-SpaceCase

A Service dog is specially trained to be allowed to go with you in public places as long as he wears his vest. You can see these dogs work with Autistic children on programs such as "Dogs with Jobs" which I believe is on the Discovery Channel and "K9 to Five" which is on Animal Planet.


I think most Service dog training takes two years to complete and they must go through four levels and a battery of tests. Many dogs do not make the cut and they are adopted out. Here, the Seeing Eye Dog School of the Southeastern US uses regular people who volunteer two years to train the dogs. The school is about two miles from my house so I see the dogs in training all the time. This area is full of retirees and they like to do this.

If you have a service dog it can go with you anywhere in public and any apartment or dorm must let you keep the dog with you. Pet rules will not apply. Legally these dogs are provided for under the Americans with Disability Act which protects you and them from crazy landlords and storekeepers.


I am not sure about PSDs. I have no idea what protection you have there. If you do get a PSD, make sure the law provides for that dog if you are going to be in a dorm or apartment. Otherwise, the school and landlord can legally tell you to remove the dog immediately and Animal Control can and will come get it if you do not. The alternative would be to get an apartment that allows pets, but many have size and breed restrictions, German Shepherds being one. Also, many home owner's insurance companies will not cover houses with German Shepherds in them. This is not true of Labradors or Golden Retreivers. These are just all things for you to consider. I've had both a Doberman and a German Shepherd so I am speaking from experience here. Neither was a certified Service Dog. Both of them I trained to help me.


The one thing I would highly advise Mnemosyne is that you get a dog behaviorist in to work with you. That is a trainer who comes into your home and observes how you act with the dog. They train you how to work appropriately with your dog to avoid behavior and aggression problems. That can be anything from your dog jumping on you (you do not want an 85 lb dog jumping on you) to your dog biting someone who threatens you (sounds great but they'd put the dog down). You want a dog who consistently obeys your command. For instance, no matter what was happening, even a pitbull coming over to us, if I said, Down! my Doberman hit the ground immediately. I had complete control of her. That is exactly what you want. A behaviorist will work with your personality and mannerisms to make sure you are successful with your dog. I adopted a one and a half year old 85 lb German Shepherd after Hurricane Charley in 2004. He had no training at all but a good personality. I called in a behaviorist and she spent three hours with us in my home. I spent $150 (the same price as I would have paid in a training class at Petsmart with a bunch of other people and their dogs there). My dog was trained completely in one month. That night he did sit, come, heel and stand (stay is hard). Everyone comments on how well behaved he is now.


The best thing about my dogs, even though they are pets, is that they can read people when I can't. I am clueless about people and I tend to get lost in my own head. My dog goes with me to the ATM, gas station, etc. No one will bother me with my dog there. My Doberman actually put herself between me and a man on three occasions and stared at him, raised her hackles (the hair on the back of the neck), stiffened up and lowered her head. That's a very aggressive and threatening pose for a dog. It means they sense a threat. In every case, the man took a wide circle around me and apologized. It makes me wonder. Years ago I had a Samoyed who was a big fluff ball or so I thought. A man tried to open my passenger car door when I came back from the ATM and the Samoyed started barking and snarling and lunging at the car window. He backed off. Again, I can only imagine what would have happened if she hadn't been there. And that dog never barked or growled before or after that. It really makes you wonder.

So, for me, that works. That's all I need.

Dogs trained for Autistics give them comfort when they are stressed and anxious, but also tend to make them more interactive. Maybe it's because dogs are literal and they can identify with them? Maybe they perceive them as quiet and non-threatening. I can't really say. I know the programs I saw on them were amazing. They really brought the kids out and increased their confidence. There is a Service Dog article on here. There's also a book by Temple Grandin about how Autistics/Aspies and animals relate and why we understand them and vice versa. Her theory is that they are also highly sensitive to sensory stimuli and they like routine like we do. They are also easily startled by sudden movement. That would be a great book for you to read because she has Asperger's and she works with animals.


Another tip I will give you. See if you can volunteer at your ASPCA or Humane Society with dogs. Volunteers train those dogs so they can be adopted. They teach you how to do that. You could also see about working with someone who does dog therapy. They train those dogs extensively and have to go through specific hygeine practices to take them into hospitals and nursing homes. It would be good to see that and experience it. You would also see the effect they have on patients. These are great ways for you to get hands on dog experience before you own a dog.

And Mnesomyne, German Shepherds are great working dogs, so keep your dog working. That's what they like. Make up jobs for your dog like hide the toy. They also love identify the toy and get it. Busy German Shepherds are good German Shepherds. Bored German Shepherds get into trouble. They start making up their own jobs like eat the couch, chase the cat, knock over the human like another dog to play. You don't want that. So make up jobs and keep that dog working. They love it. It makes them happy and really bonds them to you. Your puppy will be able to start that right away and you need to do it. I grew up with those dogs as farm dogs. They are very smart and wonderful.

An "autism dog" is a psychiatric service dog. Psychiatric Service Dog just means that the dog is for a mental disability instead of a physical one (like blindness).



At this point, I've read a ton of books (and watched a bunch of DVDs) about dog training. I've already got the training for those sorts of things covered. I'm a little more unsure about how to train your dog to do things like "bark on command" or other "service dog" type commands. There are two books though that help teach stuff for service dogs that others have recommended and I'm going to check them out.



That's why I'm getting a German Shepherd. They've been used as Service Dogs of all types for years, so you know they're good at it/can handle it. And if I end up succeeding in making it my service dog, my dog will have a job right there...keeping me in line!

Last edited by Mnemosyne on 18 Feb 2007, 10:01 pm, edited 1 time in total.

Mnemosyne,

Do you know if they have the same legal protection as regular Service dogs?

Zanne

Yes, they're exactly the same. There is basically the overall umbrella category of "Service Dogs." In that category you have thing like Seeing Eye Dogs, Hearing Dogs, Mobility Assistance Dogs and Seizure Detecting Dogs and Psychiatric Service Dogs.

Now there are also "Emotional Support Dogs," and those aren't the same. They're used for people with psychiatric illnesses, but they just provide friendship and companionship. They aren't allowed to go places that pets aren't allowed with one exception. If you move into an apartment/condo or whatever that doesn't allow pets, they have to allow you to have an Emotional Support animal.

That is great information to know. Thanks!

I would give a second thought to getting a German Shepherd for a service dog. I know some deaf people who were awarded shepherds to serve as hearing dogs. Their dogs are so high strung and out of control. They do not obey commands from their deaf owners, they pounce people and are not calm like any service dogs I have ever seen. I dated someone that trained service dogs so I kinda know how they are suppose to act.

German Shepherds are smart, but they are almost too smart for the disabled and too high energy. I would go more for a labrador or golden retriever for a service dog. Their temperment is more laid back. A well adjusted Lab just follows you around and leans against your leg, most of them do not race back and forth throw the house or jump on people. Just seems like autistics would be the least likely to be able to handle the high energy of a German Shepherd or any herding dog.

Ticker,

You could be right. I know mine is alot of work. You have to give them jobs and work them. Mine isn't hyper, but then I'm very experienced with dogs and would never put up with that behavior for a second. That is really what it takes. You have to be in alpha dog position at all times. Labs picked for service dogs are more laidback. There are some Labs who are hyper though, so watch the breeder and the dogs.

My Shepherd isn't assertive at all and never was, but he does have to keep busy. That is true of all herding and working dogs. For instance, that was true of my Doberman. She was the queen of jobs and constantly made up new ones for herself. I had to constantly be on it to keep up.

At this point it's a little too late since the payment has already been made.

I don't know where those German Shepherds that you met came from initially but there is a bit of a problem with German Shepherds in general in the US. They're an incredibly popular breed (currently #3 in popularity) and have been for the past 50 years. That's kind of unusual in the dog world where trends generally come and go. Because of their extreme popularity they've suffered from a ton of bad breeding, which has resulted in a lot of dogs of poor temperament (and poor health).

In Germany this problem isn't so prevalent because they have laws that a dog has to obtain very difficult obedience titles before they're allowed to be bred. Therefore their temperament and working ability are put to the test before breeding happens and dogs with poor temperament don't get to pass on their bad genes. I wish we did that here in the US.

In the US you just have to be really careful about where you're getting the dog from. I only looked for breeders that breed for temperament and working ability and not just for looks. The breeder that I'm using gives puppies two different temperament tests before letting people decide which puppy they want to determine which ones are suited for different homes. She knows is also aware that I'm looking for a dog whose temperament is suited for Service Dog work and I might have to wait through several litters before one with the right personality pops up.

Additionally, I know that it just might not work out. Something like only 40% of dogs that are picked to be Service Dogs actually end up passing all the training, so I know that I just might not be able to train her for it. If that happens, she'll just be my pet.

Also, I don't know about the Labs you've met, but almost every Lab I've met (except the ones that were 7 years or older) were the most excitable dogs I've ever seen, except for Border Collies.

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!