Autism: A dog as a companion in everyday life
Mr Gross, the Patronus Assistance Dogs association aims to fulfil people's heart's desires by training assistance dogs. What sets you apart from other providers?
We have access to a large pool of dog breeders and trainers. This makes us independent and has advantages for families. Firstly, we can individually select the best trainer for your child. We attach great importance to this. Secondly, the pool allows us to train more dogs - currently around 20 to 25 per year, from next year even 50 thanks to additional trainers. This reduces the waiting time. The family can take delivery of the dog around nine months after the initial contact.
What does the training of an autism assistance dog look like?
Training begins with puppy selection: The trainers recognise the puppies' potential after just one week based on their pack position. After nine months of socialisation in a foster family, the one-year basic training with the assistance dog trainer begins. This is the same for all dogs. The subsequent specialised training is based on the needs of the future owner. Together we determine which special skills the dog should be trained in. The duration of this training varies between ten and twelve months, depending on the dog.
Assistance Dogs, based in Mönchhagen, Germany. He is responsible for marketing, sponsorship and fundraising and coordinates the process from the first meeting to the handover of the dog and aftercare.
(www.patronus-assistenzhunde.de)
Are the dogs trained «dry» or on the autistic person themselves?
During basic training, the dogs spend three days a week in psychiatric centres,
old people's homes and special schools. When the dogs join the family, there is no illness that they are not yet familiar with. At the end of basic training, the dogs have their first contact with the autistic child. The dog trainer usually makes a pre-selection based on videos sent to them and introduces possible dogs to the child. Harmony is important to us: the dog must love the child and the child must love the dog. After all, the two of them enter into a relationship that lasts a good thirteen years.
Do you continue to look after the families after the dog has been handed over?
We continue to look after the dog for the rest of its life. In the first three months after handover, we organise two weeks of on-site training. If this is not enough, we continue the training: we have to enable the parents and the children concerned to live and work with the dog. After that, the families can attend a follow-up training session with us once a year.
What does an autism assistance dog need to be like? What breed is it? What kind of character?
We generally work with the Labrador and Golden Retriever breeds. The character of the dog is more important than the breed: Autism assistance dogs should be calm, balanced, alert, manoeuvrable and easy to lead. However, they must also have the strength to stand in the way of a child or be able to search for a child.
How does a family go about acquiring a dog through the Patronus Assistance Dogs organisation?
The family applies with a letter of application and a medical history form. After getting to know them personally, we decide whether we want to work with this family. Photos and videos of the autistic child provide information about which dog trainer we will contact. The trainer then selects the dogs.
We then look for ways of financing together. An autism assistance dog costs up to 30,000 euros. In addition to the purchase of the dog, this amount includes veterinary costs and 350 hours of training. It also includes the harness, a fortnight of training, travel and accommodation costs as well as preparation and follow-up time. We are financed by donations and also help the families to find foundations and sponsors.
Are there any studies that prove the effectiveness of an autism assistance dog?
Studies have mainly been carried out in the USA. In Germany, for example, there is a study that shows that 76 per cent of children feel more attracted to a dog than to a therapist or a toy. After playing with a dog, vital functions such as pulse and blood pressure decrease. The children become calmer, more balanced and the number of seizures decreases. This also corresponds to our experience.
