Service dogs for Asperger's/Anxiety/Depression?

[dsmith]

I would love to hear from anyone who has experience with getting their older child a service dog for Asperger's/Anxiety/Depression. My son is really struggling with depression and anxiety and it is getting worse. I've often thought that a service dog would be a great help for him. I don't even know where to start. While his anxiety and depression are related to his Asperger's, they are really taking center stage. We got him a puppy about 5 years ago, but the dog bonded more to my husband. We did work with a trainer for a bit, but ds can't handle the smell of dog treats and it just didn't work out. Our dog is awesome and does help him when he is really down, but I think a trained dog would be an amazing help to him. What has your experience been going down this road? He won't see a therapist, but maybe with a dog with him, he would. He won't even stay home alone for brief periods. The anxiety is crippling to him. I'd appreciate any input. :crying:

[Mrs. Tharp]

It sounds like you might be looking for a therapy dog vs. a service dog. Unless you would like the dog to accompany him out in public? What would you want the new dog to be specifically trained to do? How would you need the dog to work with your son? What could you reasonably expect your son to do to help with training the dog? Does your son want a dog? Is he willing to be involved in the dog's daily care? 

 

We did get a service dog to help my son with his anxiety. We eventually realized that what we really needed was a therapy dog. We got our dog as a puppy on the advice of our breeder/trainer (with two autistic kids herself) who said that if you are getting a dog for behaviors, you need to get one as a puppy so that they learn how to roll with whatever is going on from a young age. We did. We got a puppy shortly after my son turned ten. What we found: 

 

It is incredibly important to bond the child and the dog. The child should be the one to feed the dog & do as many other jobs as possible. When the puppy is old enough, the dog should probably sleep in the child's bed. The dog will naturally bond most with the person who takes care of it; in most houses, though, this winds up being an adult. The #2 person the dog should bond with is the adult who will be training child & dog together. 

 

My son is not that motivated to care for the dog no matter how much he loves her. He does feed her but he did not wind up doing any of the other chores. Labs are strong, and my son has weak core strength. He still is not able to manage her if she happens to pull.

 

It took my son a long time to learn how to speak to our dog in an authoritative voice. Labs aren't sensitive, and so for a long time, she didn't always pay attention/take him seriously, even when I coached him.

 

In addition to the above, my son did not often have the attention span to assist with training. 

 

Training is ongoing. It is a huge time commitment for the parent.

 

Even dogs are not treasured as highly as a child's special interest. My son was not willing to forego his game time to play with a rambunctious puppy. 

 

She does sleep with my son at night and his severe nighttime anxiety is gone. He no longer minds sleeping alone if she is with him. This was huge for us. 

 

When my son is having a meltdown she will go and lie down next to him on command. She will stay there. She does need periodic reminders/reinforcement to stay (so my son would have to command her, then reward her himself if he wants to be alone in his room to calm down with the dog). My son is not emotionally together enough yet when upset to do this himself. He also wants her to want to do it, instead of having to be commanded to. But, you know, she doesn't. She'll wait for awhile, then her impulse will be to wander off. 

 

As he gets older, my son becomes more capable of working with the dog and more attentive to her body language. This is good. I think their bond will continue to grow over time. 

 

She is a wonderful dog and a great therapy dog. But, I think it is important to have realistic expectations and to know exactly what you want the dog to do. Nighttime anxiety and meltdown support were the two we stuck to.

 

[texasmama]

Since you asked for input, I will say that at this point, I would see a psychiatrist and try medication.  Crippling anxiety is not likely to get better, and the right medication can be life-altering in a positive way.  The anxiety that often is comorbid with ASD is often the most disabling condition.  

[Mrs. Tharp]

I agree with Texasmama. The dog has been great, but medication is what I would try first, if you haven't already. 

[dsmith]

Thanks for the replies.😃 We do have him on medications, for over 8 years now, and likely for life. I've been looking at organizations that start training the dog as a puppy and then start working with the dog and the child/family for further training. I want my son to work with the dog, but I also want to be able to have the dog follow my commands when necessary. Just the simple act of the dog putting it's head on my son's knee when he is feeling especially upset would probably have an immediate impact on his mood. I was watching videos of an autistic girl who trained her dog to interact with her when she was having a meltdown. We don't need the dog in restaurants or stores, but in hotels or crowded outdoor or indoor events would be useful. Sleeping in his room or on his bed, staying by him if we run to the store for 30 minutes, nudging him on command by me if he is too absorbed in video games and won't get up and do something else, laying on his lap during a panic attack, this is what I'm hoping for. Plus the opportunities it may give him to interact with people curious about the dog could even be helpful. I am a dog-training failure, lol. I would need a lot of professional guidance if we are to attempt something like this.

[Mrs. Tharp]

Those things all sound doable with training! If you can find an organization that seems like a good fit, it could work. How much ownership will your son be willing/able to take? Is he on board with this idea? Does he have enough insight to read his own reactions and signal the dog himself or will you need to do it? 

 

It is straightforward, but service dog training is just a lot of work. You are committed to teaching basic obedience reeeeaallllly well and taking the dog out in public for exposure to lots of situations to different people, other dogs, strange children, etc., on a daily basis for at least a year, more like two, then teaching the specific commands. It's also pressure on the dog; they need to have the right temperament for the work.

 

Well, the most important thing initially is having a clear idea of what you need. You sound like you're there. Good luck!!!! 

[Innisfree]

We're slowly mulling this over also, with the same set of diagnoses for our 11yo dd.

 

A few things are different for us, most notably that animals are her special interest. She has a great little dog. She and the dog are very tightly bonded, she has been very dedicated to his care and training, and overall has done well with him. When she is upset, she walks or hugs her dog, and the dog clearly helps.

 

But it isn't simple. She is still easily irritated, sometimes by the dog. There are sensory triggers, like you mention about your ds and the smell of dog treats. For dd, the sound of the dog licking himself drives her up the wall when she is on edge, or trying to focus on schoolwork, or various situations. The dog is still a dog, and he does doggy things like that. He also needs attention when she isn't in a good mood to give it.

 

Just coping with this sort of thing can be a major exercise in self-control for dd. That's good, in that she gets practice. She's absolutely devoted to that dog, so she'll stretch herself for it when she wouldn't for most other objectives. But in addition to sometimes being a stress reliever, the dog is also a major source of stress.

 

For the moment, we're just doing basic obedience training and thinking of the dog as an emotional support animal. I'm not sure if training it to the point at which it could be a service dog is right for us. The main benefit would be that we could more easily take him on trips (dd is very worried and possibly completely noncooperative at the thought of going without him) and to the doctor's office (a major source of anxiety). The potential drawback is that, as stated, the dog can add to anxiety. Then she'd not just be responsible for herself, but for her dog too, in public. The level of training really would have to be very high.

 

I like what Mrs. Tharp said about pressure on the dog, too. Dealing with an anxious, inflexible kid is hard on me. It's really hard on a dog to be the intervention for a kid who is at the end of her rope. I don't want to put the dog in a situation that is too stressful for it. So, yes, the right temperament is critical.

[Crimson Wife]

Thank you for starting this thread- it has been helpful to read everyone's experiences. They've confirmed my "gut" feeling that my DD isn't yet ready for a service dog. Theoretically she is old enough for an autism dog but for a hearing guide dog she'd need to be a teenager. If an autism dog can be retrained to help with hearing as well, then maybe we'll get one in a few years.

[dsmith]

Those things all sound doable with training! If you can find an organization that seems like a good fit, it could work. How much ownership will your son be willing/able to take? Is he on board with this idea? Does he have enough insight to read his own reactions and signal the dog himself or will you need to do it? 

 

It is straightforward, but service dog training is just a lot of work. You are committed to teaching basic obedience reeeeaallllly well and taking the dog out in public for exposure to lots of situations to different people, other dogs, strange children, etc., on a daily basis for at least a year, more like two, then teaching the specific commands. It's also pressure on the dog; they need to have the right temperament for the work.

 

Well, the most important thing initially is having a clear idea of what you need. You sound like you're there. Good luck!!!! 

 

My son is definitely on board with the idea. He will definitely be able to work with the dog himself, but there are times he would need me to do it. Really the only thing he is unable to handle is the smell of food and dog poop, lol. 

 

My main worry on doing this on our own is finding a dog that is suited to this kind of work. That is why I was looking at various organizations that train the dogs and then match them with the kids. Some of them retain ownership of the dog, which I'm unsure about. There is a local trainer that has trained service dogs for her own child and I am planning on contacting her also. Thanks for your input. :001_smile:

[dsmith]

We're slowly mulling this over also, with the same set of diagnoses for our 11yo dd.

 

A few things are different for us, most notably that animals are her special interest. She has a great little dog. She and the dog are very tightly bonded, she has been very dedicated to his care and training, and overall has done well with him. When she is upset, she walks or hugs her dog, and the dog clearly helps.

 

But it isn't simple. She is still easily irritated, sometimes by the dog. There are sensory triggers, like you mention about your ds and the smell of dog treats. For dd, the sound of the dog licking himself drives her up the wall when she is on edge, or trying to focus on schoolwork, or various situations. The dog is still a dog, and he does doggy things like that. He also needs attention when she isn't in a good mood to give it.

 

Just coping with this sort of thing can be a major exercise in self-control for dd. That's good, in that she gets practice. She's absolutely devoted to that dog, so she'll stretch herself for it when she wouldn't for most other objectives. But in addition to sometimes being a stress reliever, the dog is also a major source of stress.

 

For the moment, we're just doing basic obedience training and thinking of the dog as an emotional support animal. I'm not sure if training it to the point at which it could be a service dog is right for us. The main benefit would be that we could more easily take him on trips (dd is very worried and possibly completely noncooperative at the thought of going without him) and to the doctor's office (a major source of anxiety). The potential drawback is that, as stated, the dog can add to anxiety. Then she'd not just be responsible for herself, but for her dog too, in public. The level of training really would have to be very high.

 

I like what Mrs. Tharp said about pressure on the dog, too. Dealing with an anxious, inflexible kid is hard on me. It's really hard on a dog to be the intervention for a kid who is at the end of her rope. I don't want to put the dog in a situation that is too stressful for it. So, yes, the right temperament is critical.

Thanks for your thoughts. :001_smile: I've been putting a lot of thought into this. I think if ds was younger I wouldn't consider it, as he had poor self control in his younger years. Now that he is older he is much better. The only thing I can think that may irritate him with a dog would be barking. For that reason I wouldn't consider a Collie because I know the higher pitched bark would be irritating to ds. Our dog is a barker, but only disturbs ds if he is sitting right next to him. I'm mulling over whether or not we would need an actual service dog or a therapy dog. There are a few places that ds would benefit from having a dog with him, but he is fine eating out or shopping as long as the lines aren't long or it's too crowded. We usually stay in pet friendly hotels, so that wouldn't be an issue, but sightseeing is definitely something that a service dog would be helpful. We rarely get to do much when we travel, but that may change with a service dog. I guess I really need to speak to a professional about this! 

[mamashell]

Therapy Dogs are dogs who have been trained to bring comfort and joy to others. They are certified and fully insured. Therapy dogs visit schools, hospitals, assisted living, courtrooms, funeral homes, hospice patients, work with first responders, etc..

 

Emotional Support Animals are pets who provide emotional comfort to a person with a mental illness just by being present. They, like therapy dogs, are not required to granted public access. Some places do because of confusion between the three categories, which puts true service dog teams and the general public at risk since the dog has had little to no training to be in those situations. 

 

Service dogs have gone through 2 years of training that includes basic obedience, performing tasks that mitigates the individual’s disability, and public proofing. They are considered medical equipment. The dog doesn’t have public access rights, it’s the disabled individual who has the right for their service animal to accompany them in all areas where members of the public may go. Service dogs are with the individual they are trained to help 24/7. This is important for the bond and the work they do. 

 

Service dogs are a lot of work, the training never really stops. Your dog goes everywhere with you, including the bathroom stall. It takes longer to go places. You have to look for appropriate potty areas for the dog before entering buildings, dispose of the waste properly. You also have to be realistic with what you are asking the dog to do. Consider all types of weather, unloading your cart, loading your dog, etc. 

 

The temperament of the dog and bond with the individual is huge. What tasks could a dog be trained to do that would improve your child’s ability to leave the home and perform necessary functions for daily life. If you can list at least three things that a dog is actually trained to do, then a service dog may be what you need. If not and just the dog’s presence helps, you are wanting an emotional support animal for home. 

[SkateLeft]

My youngest son has a variety of issues, including severe OCD. He also has some medical issues, and could have qualified for a service dog through a local organization, but we felt that what he really needed was an ESA.

 

We opted to adopt a puppy and train it to be a certified therapy dog and registered ESA. We have a wonderful trainer who works with my son and our dog. While Marley listens to me, she is totally bonded to my son and is his constant shadow. It's been a lot of work, and continues to require work, but I'm very glad that we did it this way.