They have looked after Liam for four and a half months and love his company in their home.
The Entwistles have taken him everywhere, to get him used to being in foreign environments including hospitals, public transport and churches.
"By the time he is fully trained, he will be used to all those situations," Mr Entwistle said.
"The child bonds with the dog. When the child [with autism] comes out of a shop or a car a lot of them don't have road sense and will just bolt across the road but the child could be tethered to the dog with a harness and if the child does a runner, the dog holds and drops and stops the child from running across the road by itself."
For diabetics, an assistance dog would be trained to sense when its carer's breathing quickened and warn the diabetic to take an insulin shot, he said.
They couple loved having Liam for his companionship, friendship and the way he got them out and about.
"I get out and go for walks now, which I have never done before; we often go over to the Mount and walk the boardwalks."
Assistance Dogs New Zealand Trust funding development manager Wendy Isaacs said assistance dogs helped change the lives of families with disabled and autistic children in New Zealand.
"The dogs are specifically trained to enrich the lives of adults and children with disabilities as diverse as autism, diabetes or cerebral palsy," she said. "But without money generously donated by the community, we can't carry out this very important work."
The life cost of an assistance dog is about $48,000 and with its annual appeal coming in August, the trust was looking for volunteers to help with fundraising.
"These first-time puppy raisers have opened up their hearts and their homes to these young puppies. But we need funds to pay for vet care and dog food - it costs on average $1000 every month to care for the puppies on the programme.
"Other costs include supervisor support, to ensure the training is carried out to the highest standard. Our puppy raisers are all new to this, so they need a high level of support. Fundraising is crucial."
Appeal Week volunteer details
To volunteer to collect for the Assistance Dogs New Zealand Trust national appeal week, please contact Wendy Isaacs on wendy@assistancedogstrust.org.nz, or text or phone 022 137 4090.
Who can apply for an Assistance Dog?
Assistance Dogs New Zealand will consider an application from any person with a disability who would like a dog to provide assistance with their daily living, mobility and companionship. Examples of disabilities include: autism/aspergers, down syndrome, developmental impairment, brain injury, cerebral palsy, diabetes, physical disabilities, neurological disabilities.
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