DFA and Logan...

We personally have chosen to go with a smaller program. Dogs for Autism (www.dogsforautism.org) We met Julie Nye on Twitter. We acutally had read about their program before. Once we talked with Julie we found out that right now due to funding and the size of the program they primarily only work with people near the Greenville, SC but after talking with her they had a trainer near our area. Next Julie sent me a copy of her book, Practical Partners which I read, asked questions about and decided we were ready to procceed to the next step.

Then we got THE EMAIL... The one we've waited for....

We are proud to introduce Logan

Logan is a 11month old puppy from DFA. He is our number one choice. We feel that Logan best meets the needs we have. He is ready for his advance training. Isn't he just precious. We haven't actually met Mr. Logan yet but hopefully we will soon. DFA is trying to find the funds for Logan to begin training with us. We will be able to set up a meeting with hopes of placement of Logan as soon as DFA can raise about 2,000 for the cost of his equipment and advance training. If for some reason Logan isn't the dog for us we do have other choices with DFA!

Why do we need/want a Autism Service Dog

This is one of the number one questions we have recieved since embarking on this journey. Why do we want one? What is it going to do? How do you know it will work? Why not just a regular ol' dog... I hope to answer some of these questions....

**And as I type this Jakers painted the whole table with his Jelly sandwich**

We are hoping that our SD (Service Dog) from here on out... Will help us.. not do for us but help us with a number of different things.. With having 3 boys extra eyes always help, the SD will be trained to alert us at different time because the boys really have no sense of danger. Sleep is a major issue at the Carter house. Jacob doesn't sleep for the most part. He will be awake for hours. Hunter can stay awake for days and sometimes he will wake up in the wee hours of the morning. With both of the boys we are planning to train the SD to alert us when the boys have night wakenings.. There has been quite a few times we have awoken to one of them trying to get out of the house.
Wandering is another huge safety issue for us.. We are planning for the SD to help with that when we are out and about. Also with that we are planning to have SD trained in Search and Rescue if heaven forbid they were to get away Dogs are the best tracking machines. This would be a lifesaver to us!
Self Injury Behavior.. With Autism alot of children have self injury behaviors.. Jacob for example rams and bangs his head. Hunter for one example pinches his skin. The SD will be trained to help stop this behavior by pawing or laying on their laps, a distraction.

There are many more reasons and ways that the SD will help our Family this was just a few that are the most frequently asked.

In The Begining....

We began this adventure about 2 years ago... We started researching different Autism Service Dog Programs. This is a very imitating journey to embark upon. There are lots and lots of programs ranging in different wait times, prices, qualifications, can be very confusing. Each program has their own opinions and program. But you have to take the time and find the right one for your family because as we all know not all Autistic Children are the same and the same goes for dogs, not all dogs can be trained to do the things that you would request. We would all love just to sign up for the "perfect service dog" but I am here to tell you there isn't one... I hope you enjoy following us on our journey in obtaining, training, and living with our Autistic Service Dog!