dotdashdot Posted February 25, 2014 Share Posted February 25, 2014 After serving and chatting with a customer today, the subject of an assistance/companion dog for her autistic son came up. She sort of asked/I sort of offered to help suggest breeds that may be suitable for her situation. My heart goes out to her, she's trying so hard for her little boy and they just spent the weekend in the children's hospital and he's been diagnosed with a very rare genetic condition (only person in the world with it). Basically, she wants a little best friend for her boy, someone who can go everywhere with him. My knowledge of him is this - he is full on but I've seen that he's gentle with animals. He respects them and their space (his mum has taught him about their personal space). I see kids tapping on fish tanks and shoving their hands in front of birds - this little boy doesn't do this. He is loud, and loves to talk and is very intelligent, even if his concentration span isn't very long. His medical needs include seemingly random anaphylaxis, his is an autoimmune problem (I didn't want to pry too much into this, she has had a hard weekend) She wants a dog that is small enough to sleep on his bed (I know lots of big dogs will do this also!) about 15kgs or lower. Also hypoallergenic. She mentioned "labradoodles", but seemed unsure, of course I will steer her preferably in the direction of a pure bred as that is where my heart lies. Straight away I thought mini schnauzer, my mum has two and I love their personalities. They are robust little things, and love a cuddle. They don't shed, but are high maintenance in this climate, needing regular clipping. They seem to be a breed that could deal with a full on little boy and be his best friend. There are also standards if she wanted bigger. Just now, I had a thought also of whippets, I know 4. The ones I know are a bit aloof and less cuddly than the mini schnauzers but seem like loyal companions. Coat maintenance seems non existant beyond a wash every now and then. A little worried that they may not be interested in being a little boy's best friend - can whippet owners tell me of their experience with whippies and kids? Also mini poodles (toy seems too little) I could tell her they can be left in puppy clip and look like a lab x poodle. Again, no shedding but maintenance with clipping. No idea of personality though, only met a few in passing and have no experience other than being told they have neurotic tendencies ? So DOL, can you help me with any more suggestions for this particular situation? I will tell her that she should spend time around these breeds before committing, and her son too so they can assess if he will react to certain breeds. She's also in contact with the relevant people re. getting a service dog. It's not my job and I don't need to do this but by god I just want to help this lovely lady! Also - thank you for reading if you got this far! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kelpiecuddles Posted February 25, 2014 Share Posted February 25, 2014 We are now training our basset to work with my oldest, basset personality is great for kids that need a calm dog, they adore kids and just love their people, she does shed but is pretty good as long as I use the shedding rake on her once a week or so. She's going to have a bed next to my sons. Size wise they are heavier being around the 25kg mark but she doesn't feel like a big dog because she is so short. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Miss Squish Posted February 25, 2014 Share Posted February 25, 2014 A lagotto Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lhok Posted February 25, 2014 Share Posted February 25, 2014 There are several assistance dog groups that train dogs for the role they will do if the people aren't dog savvy. If it was me, I probably would be looking in that direction rather then getting a puppy and trying to train their own. --Lhok Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kelpiecuddles Posted February 25, 2014 Share Posted February 25, 2014 Question though, how is she intending to get the dog certified? There are a couple of options with autism assistance dogs, the main one is to go through one of the organisations that trains and supplies dogs, the other is to DIY train. Does she need the dog to be able to access places like shopping centres, etc? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
megan_ Posted February 25, 2014 Share Posted February 25, 2014 A lagotto Every lagotto I have met had been skittish and/or reactive - and they've got good owners. I would think a breed that had a big gene pool would be better , as there is less temptation to breed with non-ideal dogs. Something robust that can deal with a loud child. I think the right mini schnauzer could do? Also maybe talk to baby dragon as she knows about assistance dogs. If the dog is just for company and doesn't directly assist with a medical condition I don't believe it will qualify. Worth sorting out now to avoid a disappointed little boy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jumabaar Posted February 25, 2014 Share Posted February 25, 2014 My Finnish Lapphund has worked with some Autistic kids. She is very gentle, and tends to just go to sleep when things are overwhelming her :p She is solid enough not to be overly worried about handling finesse (the child she hangs out with most tries to be gentle but doesn't always quite manage it but demi manages it quite well). Hypoalergenic can very much depend what the person is allergic to- saliva or dander so it might be best for them to look into that before buying a pup. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dotdashdot Posted February 25, 2014 Author Share Posted February 25, 2014 Thanks for the replies guys, I have written them down in a word document where I can put it all together. Lhok - I was hoping you would come in here, having experience with this sort of stuff. I will pass that on to her. KC - I don't know, I had customers lining up so didn't get as much info as I wanted to, just what I've written here. There is a dog trainer in town who trains assistance dogs though. She would want it to go everywhere, so yes shopping centres. Megan, thanks I will keep that in mind. I will possibly chat to her again before that though, as I don't know the fine details of his condition. I don't know what info she has had, but she's been talking to someone. She was talking about a program being discontinued and now brought back again (this is my understanding, I may be mangling her words) so she has some idea of what to do. Jumbaar I love lappies :) I'll tell her about them. I know there is a breeder only a little further north from us. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VizslaMomma Posted February 25, 2014 Share Posted February 25, 2014 Just to wish you and this lady the best of luck. I have a friend in the USA who has a Vizsla as an assistance dog for their daughter. Hers came to her as a young dog. Obviously the choice will depend on circumstances. Again Good Luck & Thank you for caring Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pjrt Posted February 25, 2014 Share Posted February 25, 2014 (edited) All the lagotto I have handled have also been skittish with weak nerve, unfortunately. For hypoallergenic in that size range with great temperament and nerve I would consider Bichon and Bedlington. Neither need to be kept in 'silly floofy hair cuts' and can look great in basic all over puppy type clips. Eta for something a little more robust there is the Portie. I have met some with weak nerve, but many with awesome temps. And they have a choice of wavy or curly coat, both of which can be kept in basic non floofy haircuts. Edited February 25, 2014 by skyefool Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Salukifan Posted February 25, 2014 Share Posted February 25, 2014 (edited) She wants a dog that is small enough to sleep on his bed (I know lots of big dogs will do this also!) about 15kgs or lower. Also hypoallergenic. She mentioned "labradoodles", but seemed unsure, of course I will steer her preferably in the direction of a pure bred as that is where my heart lies. She needs to expose her son to non-shedding dogs to see if he reacts to them or not. Some folk do No Labradoodle I"ve seen comes close to being 15kg - most are larger. Most are also pretty high strung. Lagotti are also larger dogs. A mini poodle may be an option but frankly she needs to talk to people experienced with placing such dogs. Does she really want an "assistance dog" or an even tempered pet? Low reactivity and high tolerance for a full on kid would rule out many small dogs I can think of, including quite a few poodles and schnauzers. CKCS are often recommended for this role but they do shed. So do Whippets, most of whom are great with kids but may not train well if a genuine job is required of the dog. Beagles are another possibility if hair is OK - most are very even tempered. Whippets do best with even tempered owners. If this child is prone to any kind of outbursts, I'd choose another breed. They can get literally sick to the stomach with stress in some homes. I would recommend a mature dog over a pup. Edited February 25, 2014 by Haredown Whippets Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sandgrubber Posted February 25, 2014 Share Posted February 25, 2014 I would recommend ditching the 15 lb restriction. Little boys don't stay little, and a large, full-on boy is likely to be too much for a small dog. You're right. Big dogs do sleep on beds . . . all the time. The #1 requirement, it would seem to me, is stable, non-reactive, affectionate temperament. This is more common in larger dogs. I'm no expert on the hypoallergenic qualities, but the little I've read has indicated that the situation is more complicated than commonly assumed. Shedding does not necessarily trigger allergies: it may be skin conditions. Many supposedly hypoallergenic dogs are allergens to some people. Some testing may be in order before deciding what individual dog, of what breed, is appropriate. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kelpiecuddles Posted February 25, 2014 Share Posted February 25, 2014 I agree with testing him with dog breeds if possible, my basset doesn't cause any reaction with me at all but my kelpie does cause a mild if she is blowing her coat and I don't strip it out and JRTs and labs make me sneeze and itch as do some cocker spaniels. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
persephone Posted February 25, 2014 Share Posted February 25, 2014 There are several assistance dog groups that train dogs for the role they will do if the people aren't dog savvy. If it was me, I probably would be looking in that direction rather then getting a puppy and trying to train their own. --Lhok a loud YES from me here . if this boy has life threatening health issues - the professionals can train a dog to assist/work in the best way possible for him and his family. I would think they will also pick a robust and patient dog to cope with the loudness and erratic behaviour .... I feel a trained dog here could be a very useful extra pair of ears, and a nose & eyes could pick up health crises earlier ...plus being a comfort to the little one , and a calming influence on the family ... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mita Posted February 25, 2014 Share Posted February 25, 2014 There are several assistance dog groups that train dogs for the role they will do if the people aren't dog savvy. If it was me, I probably would be looking in that direction rather then getting a puppy and trying to train their own. --Lhok a loud YES from me here . if this boy has life threatening health issues - the professionals can train a dog to assist/work in the best way possible for him and his family. I would think they will also pick a robust and patient dog to cope with the loudness and erratic behaviour .... I feel a trained dog here could be a very useful extra pair of ears, and a nose & eyes could pick up health crises earlier ...plus being a comfort to the little one , and a calming influence on the family ... A 'Yes' to both posts. Wise advice. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simply Grand Posted February 25, 2014 Share Posted February 25, 2014 There are several assistance dog groups that train dogs for the role they will do if the people aren't dog savvy. If it was me, I probably would be looking in that direction rather then getting a puppy and trying to train their own. --Lhok a loud YES from me here . if this boy has life threatening health issues - the professionals can train a dog to assist/work in the best way possible for him and his family. I would think they will also pick a robust and patient dog to cope with the loudness and erratic behaviour .... I feel a trained dog here could be a very useful extra pair of ears, and a nose & eyes could pick up health crises earlier ...plus being a comfort to the little one , and a calming influence on the family ... Absolutely agree with this too. I would almost be inclined to suggest a suitable temperamented and trained Aussie Shepherd... however there is lots of hair around and they wouldn't be under 15kgs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dancinbcs Posted February 25, 2014 Share Posted February 25, 2014 These are the people they need to contact. Training a puppy for this type of work is not a do it yourself project. Assistance Dogs Aust Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kelpiecuddles Posted February 25, 2014 Share Posted February 25, 2014 I looked at them as an option for us but neither are breeds I could live with due to the high shedding. There's another group in NSW who train various breeds but can't think of their name right now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lhok Posted February 25, 2014 Share Posted February 25, 2014 There is A.W.A.R.E dogs which source their dogs from rescue and then train them. --Lhok Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
raineth Posted February 25, 2014 Share Posted February 25, 2014 There are several assistance dog groups that train dogs for the role they will do if the people aren't dog savvy. If it was me, I probably would be looking in that direction rather then getting a puppy and trying to train their own. --Lhok a loud YES from me here . if this boy has life threatening health issues - the professionals can train a dog to assist/work in the best way possible for him and his family. I would think they will also pick a robust and patient dog to cope with the loudness and erratic behaviour .... I feel a trained dog here could be a very useful extra pair of ears, and a nose & eyes could pick up health crises earlier ...plus being a comfort to the little one , and a calming influence on the family ... totally agree with this. I really don't think going down the route of training the dog herself is wise. Check out Righteous Pups: http://www.righteouspups.org.au/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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