4 years ago, a dog entered our lives and has changed it for the better. To the outsider, it may not look like he has done much, but we have seen the difference.
Charlie is our son D’s Golden Retriever Service dog. He was trained by Arctic Paws for Service in Alaska. He spent the first 2 years of his life training for the job he has now. They didn’t know what kind of a disability he would help serve so they trained him in all kinds of things and from the first moment we saw him he stole our hearts.
I started hearing about Autism service dogs and what a great difference they can make for people with Autism. I had been extremely resistant to getting a new dog as our last dog had been a disaster and I did NOT want to repeat it. But the benefits of having a Service Dog sounded like they were pretty awesome.
An example of some of the things we discussed having Charlie of for D was interrupting his door slamming, (At that point in time he LOVED slamming doors repeatedly.) and helping to keep him calm and by my side during shopping excursions so he wasn’t screaming and running up and down the aisles the whole time.
Not quite so immediate but slowly a huge improvement, shopping became bearable.
Our main church meetings were an exercise in supreme patience. They would find me literally dragging him out of the chapel due to his kicking, screaming, biting and hitting. D would be set off within minutes of sitting down. Once we got Charlie and started bringing him to church it was several years before I had an issue with him at church again. Charlie goes under the pew and when D can’t handle things anymore he crawls under the pew and pets Charlie until he’s ready to come out again. It has been truly miraculous.
In the past year or so D has started taking Charlie to school with him. D has plenty of kids talking to him now and he is readily accepted because everyone loves Charlie and wants to know all about him. As social deficits are one of the main issues of Autism, this is an area that is usually pretty difficult for him. Charlie helps bridge that gap.
Charlie doesn’t solve all D’s problems, but he mitigates them.
Arctic Paws for Service
Things To Think About Before Getting a Service Dog
D has a Service Dog (Charlie),
and we get lots of questions about him. We love helping people understand about Service Dogs and think about if it would be a good fit for them. So here’s a list of things I like to bring up for people to consider.
- Do you like dogs? If the answer is no, then a Service Dog really isn’t a good choice for you.
- Are you comfortable with everyone knowing something is wrong? If you are in a wheelchair or use a walker it is obvious that something is going on. But for people like D who have hidden disabilities most of the time, this is like walking around with a neon sign blinking, “Look at us! There’s something wrong with us.” That really took some getting used to on our part.
- You can self-train a service dog. But should you? Only you can answer that. For me, I knew that that wasn’t possible as I was already using all my energies caring for my family. You need to be dedicated and be able to be firm with the dog and have the extra time to devote to training.
- An Emotional Support Dog is not a Service Dog and you cannot just place a vest on a dog and call it a Service Dog. Both an Emotional Support Dog and a Service Dog need a doctor’s prescription. A Service Dog needs to be able to pass a Public Access test to ensure he/she can behave themselves in public. They also need to be trained in specific tasks to perform, to qualify as a Service Dog.
- Adding a Service Dog is like adding a new child to your family. Yes, it’s trained (and frankly I think that’s the best way to get a dog!), but you need to be able to maintain training, exercise, doctor’s visits, socializing, feeding.
- Service Dogs are not pets. While they can have time off, (Frequently when they are at home or have their vest off.) Service Dogs when working should usually not be petted. This distracts them from the job that they are trying to do. Even when they appear to be off duty you should ask if you can pet them because Service Dogs are not required to wear a vest when working or at any other time. We generally have them wear their vests to show that they are Service Dogs so we don’t have to answer as many questions.
- A Service Dog is still a dog. They are highly trained. But an occasional butterfly or ball can distract them once in a while. They aren’t robots. Generally, once they are told to leave it be they can be called back to their jobs.
- Do your research. Not all Service Dog organizations are legitimate. The only other Service Dog Training Organization I personally recommend besides the one we used, is 4 Paws for Ability as I have seen the dogs they have placed in action.
Charlie, our favorite Service Dog came from Arctic Paws for Service a 501c3 that feels that Service Dogs should not be out of the reach of those who need it financially and does everything to cut their costs. If you would like to help them support other families who need a dog, please consider donating.
