Service dogs

[Karin & Remy]

I am not a doodle owner yet, but I want to get one to train as a service dog for my son who has down syndrome (and because I love doodles!). Anyone here have a doodle service dog? Any input/ advice would be much appreciated!

[Karin & Remy]

Who are you getting your doodle from? I've heard that kids with autism are elopers, as are kids with Down syndrome, which is one of the things I want a dog to help with ( alerting me if he escapes). Do you have this concern for your son?
Thanks so much for the response! Although autism and DS are very different, it seems they present some of the same challenges.

[Jennifer and Luci]

They do absolutely present a lot of the same challenges.  I'm getting my doodle from ___________'s, she's a doll and is in their prep school right now for 2 weeks.  He is absolutely an eloper!  The best thing I ever did was get those locks that have the buttons/code you press to open them.  I put them backwards on the door so he can't get OUT, rather than the other way around, keeping people from getting IN.  It has been a lifesaver!  

 

Mostly, he has a lot of meltdowns where he just needs to lay down and hug someone, hard.  He responds so well to dogs and is so much calmer around them.  He also perseverates on things, a lot of which are harmful to him, like picking.  Even without the service dog training, dogs are so important to  him that they are able to distract him from this enough of the time to make it worth it!  

 

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