For those with Autism, Assistance Dogs are trained in tasks such as how to calm their charge, fetch help, support parents and provide comfort when the child is upset, in addition they can stop a child from running into danger, particularly during outings.
The presence and interest from others about the dogs that work in the assistance dog field also helps in breaking down social barriers about disability and promotes greater opportunity for integration into our community.
There are several organisations in NZ providing assistance dog services. One of these is Assistance Dogs Trust New Zealand (ADNZ) which operates locally and has 32 dogs placed throughout NZ in both cities and rurally.
They consider applications from any person with a disability that would like an Assistance Dog to provide assistance for their daily living, mobility and companionship. They currently have a waiting list of over 70 people. ADNZ have dogs assisting with a wide range of disabilities or combinations of disabilities.
Many of these are children with the types of conditions mentioned above. They also have some adult clients whose dogs assist with Alzheimers, physical disabilities and combinations of other disabilities.
ADNZ breeds their own assistance dog stock from semen and brood bitches that have been imported from overseas assistance and guide dog lines. Importance is placed on the temperament required to succeed in this very specialised work, as well as the background health reports of the ancestral line.
Individual dogs then undergo screening health checks - hip and elbow X-rays, eye checks and DNA tests in order to gather as much information as possible to help with selecting which dogs are suitable as future breeding prospects.
Puppies spend their first year with a puppy raiser before commencing the process of assessment with the trainer.
At this stage the dogs are assessed on temperament, what they have learnt in the puppy program also their strengths and weaknesses are identified.
From here the trainer starts to lay the foundations of all assistance work - from basic obedience up to a level of training where the dog behaves without constant instruction to perform tasks specific to a disability.
The latter stages of training include the dog completing a set of skills that work well with the particular disability it has shown an aptitude for.
The dog is then matched to an applicant and final training that takes place is tailored to meet that specific client's individual needs.
It takes about six to eight months of intensive training before a dog is ready to be placed with its new owner.
* Assistance Dogs Trust New Zealand is a registered charity. If you would like more information on the work they do or would like to donate please visit assistancedogstrust.org.nz