Adventures with our Autism Service Dog

My Sanity...

2011-07-04T11:21:00.000-07:00

We all know how much I love our Logan he is a very important member of our family.

Well on Saturday morning bright and early. We are talking 5:30am Logan jumps on my bed and starts barking and jumping on my bed. I wasn't fully awake so wasn't thinking clearly so I went to let him into the backyard to potty but he just kept barking and wouldn't go out. I knew Jakers was in bed because he's in our room. Well then look at the couch and saw a notebook. The older 2 boys left a note because they decided to walk next door to their grandparents house to go to yard sales. So I called and they were sitting outside working out at my in laws house. I was so proud of Logan for alerting me to something different going on. He knew something was right and he came and got me. Even if I was a little slow in figuring it out. We then walked down to my in laws so he could see that the boys were OK and then we went back home and he got a nice treat :)

Everyday I am very thankful for DFA (www.dogsforautism.com) and everything they do for their families.

March Update...

2011-03-10T05:06:00.000-08:00

Wow Its been awhile since I update the blog... Im a bad blogger..

Well that and we haven't had any AMAZING events happen or really gone anywhere in the past few months, so we haven't had much to update.

Its amazing to see the bond between the boys and Logan and how there are so many things that he instictively does. Its almost intersession and its getting to be warm outside so we are hoping to do alot more in the next few months. We are also waiting to do Logan's final testing so he will no longer be "in Training".

I would like to report one of the really neat things Logan has been doing at night with Jacob. He sleeps with Jacob and if Jacob is really wiggly or won't settle down. Logan will lay across Jacob some which helps with both comfort, and some weight similar to what you would use a Weighted Blanket for. I love watching them. I also thought it was funny, the other afternoon the boys were out in the yard playing Soccer and I had Logan inside with me (He tries to herd them while they are running around, He prefers for his boys to stay in one spot lol) But he sat right by the window and looked out of it the whole time and if he couldn't see Jacob he would bark until Jacob was in sight. We are hoping to make a trip up to the zoo soon so I will post about that when we get that done.

Urgent Fundraiser...

2010-07-30T20:21:00.000-07:00

Please if you can help or know of any resources it would be greatly appreciated it. We desperately need this equipment for Logan. He will be coming back home next weekend.

From the Dogs For Autism Facebook page Then there is Logan, who after three weeks of in-kennel training, was nearly perfect in tonight's session. But he needs about $450 worth of equipment to be ready to do his job when he goes home next week. Logan's boy missed him so much that he recently disappeared only to be found curled up in Logan's crate. :-( We want to get Logan home asap.

A New Chapter

2010-07-26T18:12:00.000-07:00

Well we've been in a new chapter of training. Logan went to "dog school" back to SC to the Dogs For Autism Center to get some extensive training done. It is extremely hard on us not to have Logan here but they are able to do alot more training in a shorter period of time with having him there.

For us this time away from Logan has really made me realize how much of a vital role he has in our lives. He isn't only a member of our family but is a stress relief for me. Jacob is having a huge time trying to adjust not having his Logan around. The bed time routine has changed because he doesn't have his Logan with him, which means Mommy isn't sleeping aswell because Logan would alert me if the boys would get up. We also were teaching Jacob to walk with Logan when he was getting "over stimulated" to calm him down.

Logan was also a comfort for me. Petting him or brushing him was a stim for me, I could block out the rest and concentrate on one item.

When Logan comes back we will begin a new chapter filled with new adventures and outings, With Logan doors are opening for Jacob, we can plan and go to places that we thought were imposible for us to visit. We can't wait for our Logan to finish his time at "dog school"

Training...

2010-07-01T18:51:00.000-07:00

We are officially in advanced training with Logan. We have a trainer that comes up every 2 weeks. We are keeping our paws crossed that Logan will be certified by the end of summer! We hope you guys stay tuned and watch as we grow!

This week we are nailing down the the "Plotz" or "down stay" command. This is a very important command especially since we are planning on harnessing Jacob and Logan together. Its a very interesting training sessions the kids think I've lost it a bit. Jumping up and down, banging on the walls, walking circles around him but he is doing a great job staying put until we release him and give him lots of praise.

We will also starting venturing into public outings which will be a whole new can of worms. Alot of people don't understand what services a service dog can provide for a "normal looking" child. Which will take alot of explaining in the begining but educating people on service dogs and autism is worth taking a few minutes to deal with ignorant people.

Next week we continue on down stays increasing the time and begining to work on the first stages of the harness....

Training...

2010-02-24T17:43:00.000-08:00

Well with a few more bumps along the way we are into our advance phase of training. This process is very much worth it but is most deffinately lots of hard work in every way. Our trainer which was wonderful today gave us some great advice. We are teaching Logan the "Go-to command" which is the first step of him being able to help us find Jacob if he goes on his own little adventure. He's having to get back into the training brain since its been a few months for him, but I am sure he will get back into the swing of things quickly...

This was Logan and Jacob this evening after a hard day of training....

Promise more updates and pics soon...

2 Weeks and a Day....

2009-09-13T18:11:00.000-07:00

Can you guys believe that? Its been 2 whole weeks and a Day since Logan's Grand Arrival....

It has been an amazing life changing 2 weeks. We have had some alerts which is FANTASTIC and is distracting meltdowns. But the AMAZING part is this is so far just from instincts!

Now we have had a few rough patches last week when we up and changed the schedule on Logan, let me tell you this guy doesn't like to be separated from his boys, especially Jacob.

Now on to the ALERTS!!

On the same day as arrival I was in the kitchen and Jacob was unlocking the front door I yelled NO Outside and Logan got between Jacob and the door, now I just brushed this one off as a chance happening but he is still doing this, we haven't got it down to a science and if by chance Jacob gets by Logan, he starts barking and I come running.

On the 4th day he stopped Hunter from having a huge meltdown which was AMAZING to say the least. Hunter's meltdowns are indescribable. Hunter and I were doing homework and Hunter was having issues with me suggesting he call his teacher on the homework helpline for help. So Hunter drops to the floor starts crying and rocking. Logan walks over and paws him on the back and then started to put his face where Hunter was rocking and trying to sniff his face but Hunter turned around so Logan grabs his rope toy and brings it over to Hunter and start shaking it at Hunter and then when Hunter grabbed it Logan started pulling and shaking it so Hunter pulled back some and Logan let go, So Hunter threw it and Logan ran and fetched it and brought it back then they played with the rope for about 10minutes by then Hunter was calm and laughing at Logan. I praised Logan the whole time and gave him a doggie treat when he was done.

We have also had multiple alerts of Night Waking by all 3 of the boys I honestly never knew they got up so much at night.

Now it hasn't always been easy, Logan is a lot of work its not all fun and games. I've had to change my schedule to make sure I have time to walk him, and let him have his exercise and what not. He will let you know at time he is still a puppy and wants to play. But we are very thankful for DFA and for Logan and what a great match he is. I promise I will post more pics in the Morning...

Chapter 2 Logan Arrives...

2009-08-30T18:41:00.001-07:00

A new chapter in our lives begins now. Logan is home. Can you tell the meeting went great between Logan and the family? This is some of the pictures that were taken shortly after the meeting. The meeting of Jacob and Logan was amazing. He was istantly attached petting him and saying Good Boy, Good Boy and want him to follow. He loves to tell him "your my oggie". He is bonding wonderfully with the family. He is already chasing Jacob down. For example tonight I put the boys at the table for dinner and Jacob jumped up and ran towards the living room and Logan was on his trail and starting pawing him to stop him. We are so thankful and blessed to have Logan with us, this is going to open so many doors for our family. For the next few weeks he will be getting use to our family and schedule. Then we will begin his training. Can't wait to update with more as it comes. Please feel free to leave a comment and make sure your following our blog.. Amazing things are comming...
Well I think its about time for his bedtime potty break....

Important Announcement....

2009-08-28T18:54:00.000-07:00

Bumps in the road....

2009-08-08T13:09:00.000-07:00

I wanted to update everyone since we've had lots of questions.. Yes we are still starting our Adventures but with all great worth wild adventures you hit bumps in the road that change and delay plans.

Last week when things were set to start rolling. Logan got sick. It was extreme touch and go for a little over a day. He is healing nicely but as of now, the vet has put him on " No Placement" for atleast a little longer.

We know that he is in great hands but we also know that if it is decided that Logan go on perment "non working status" that there is another dog on back up.

I will post more details as I find out. Please keep your paws crossed for Logan's health.

Message From Logan

2009-07-10T16:43:00.000-07:00

Logan is very ready to come home. The plan is by the 31st of JULY!! Right now there is 8 other dogs ready to go to their homes for Advance Training. Dogs For Autism is hosting a fundraiser to be able to place these dogs very soon! www.dogsforautism.org

The Pieces are coming together!

2009-07-06T17:29:00.000-07:00

We recieved word from Dogs For Autism that we should be meeting Logan by July 31,2009!

DFA is doing a fundraiser to help get these precious nessecary dog into their homes. They currently have 9 dogs ready to go. One being our Logan. They are selling Puzzle Pieces for $100.00 donation and are hoping to sell 120 of them. It will cost about $12,000 to cover the first 6 weeks of each dogs training. To find out more please visit http://www.dogsforautism.org/ So far 13 pieces have been sold. Please help out if you can. DFA doesn't charge the families which is a lifesaver to us. For alot of families they simply can't afford the time or money for 12,000 or more for a service dog.

Actually as I have typed this post I know of atleast one other piece has been sold.

We are really excited about meeting with Logan. We've been going thru such a stressful time with the boys I really feel like this will help us out in so many ways its hard to even express in words. I can't wait to be able to post about our Adventures with our Service Dog....

Thanks so much for DFA that has made this possible!

DFA and Logan...

2009-06-09T17:36:00.000-07:00

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

2009-06-08T17:23:00.000-07:00

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....

2009-06-07T19:06:00.000-07:00

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!