FAQ

FAQ 1 of 2

Frequently Asked Questions about Pawsitivity Service Dogs.

Frequently Asked Questions (1 of 2)

Is there a fee for a Service Dog from Pawsitivity?
Do you have a dog available now?

Is there a fee for a Service Dog from Pawsitivity?

  • Yes...half of the cost. We hope you think that’s fair. If we fundraised the entire cost, we wouldn’t be able to train hardly any dogs at all, so splitting the cost seems appropriate for our tiny organization. As one of our board members likes to say, “Half the fee, seems fair to me.”
  • What is the cost? Luckily, there is a clear-cut answer, which was determined by a peer-reviewed study: For any organization, the approximate amount spent on rescuing, socializing, training, and placing, and then providing support for a Service Dog throughout its life is $39,000 (adjusted for inflation). Source: Coutts, Jason. "Cost of Canine Programs Across the United States." Syracuse, New York: American Society of Canine Trainers, 2012.
  • This $39,000 cost is approximately the same for ALL Service Dog organizations.
Half of $39,000
  • Some organizations do all the fundraising (but have long waiting lists).
  • At Pawsitivity, we raise up to half, and your responsibility is the other half of the costs, which is $19,500.
  • If you do not have the resources, i.e. savings, for your half, we totally understand, and in that case, we highly recommend another organization which an order of magnitude larger than us: Canine Companions for Independence. Their area code is 740 and their phone number is 833 - 3700. Note that while CCI pays for all the costs, that policy creates a waiting list that is many years long.
  • Bonus question: Is a Service Dog tax-deductible? Yes--as it says in IRS Publication 502, just like eyeglasses or a hearing aid, “the costs of buying, training, and maintaining “ a Service Dog is a tax-deductible medical expense.
How the process goes:
  • Pawsitivity partners with rescues and shelters across the country to find that "one-in-a-thousand" dog that tests as being appropriate for training. Check out our page on breeds to find out more about the difficulties of finding the right candidate dog for training. We find that our selecting and training the dog works better than having you (or us) train your current pet dog.
  • Once we have spent a month or so evaluating the dog and confirming that his/her suitability for training, then we open up the application process for people to apply. You can sign up for updates to be notified when we open up for applications.
  • We select who we believe might be a good fit for the dog we're working with, and then we contact that person for an interview. If everything works out, we the train the dog and the person. We fundraise half the cost of training, and your fee is the other half. 
  • The training for the family varies according to circumstances, but for out-of-state families, we usually plan on the family coming to Minnesota for three training sessions. On the third trip, an instructor flies back with you and the dog, and stays with you (either at a hotel or in your home) for a few days to help with the transition.
  • Even after graduation, we are available for questions and advice throughout the Service Dog’s life.

Do you have any dogs available now?

No (sorry). We open up for pre-applications about twice a year, and we encourage you to sign up to be notified when our next pre-application window is open. Thank you for your patience with this process.

Why do some other charities require little or no fundraising?

  • Some large charities raise the full $39k themselves and then ask the families for nothing, but those charities are heavily funded organizations, often with multi-million dollar budgets.
  • Our smaller organization trains just two to three dogs per year and because we are so small, we just don’t have the depth and breadth of resources that much large organizations have. So while we do fundraise, we only fundraise part (up to half) of what it takes to raise and train a Service Dog, and thus ask the families for the rest. We hope eventually to do so much fundraising that the families won't have to contribute, but we are many years away from that goal.

Will health insurance help pay for a Service Dog?

Are you a 501(c)(3) charity?

Yes, and all donations (including stock certificates) to Pawsitivity are tax-deductible. Our EIN is 47-1446634, and we are certified as a "Platinum Participant" on the GuideStar Exchange charity review.

Why does Pawsitivity stay small, why not expand and train ten times as many dogs a year, like many other organizations?

There are other terrific Service Dog organizations which are much bigger and train ten times as many dogs each year. We stay small and only train 2-3 dogs per year because we believe that this kind of individual attention is the best way (for us) to ensure that the right dog, the right training, the right family, and the right child are all matched and trained individually, forming the best chance for a successful match.

Can we assist in selecting the Service Dog?

No, sorry. We've found that the process works best if we find the dog--even with the right breed, it's the rare individual dog that has the right combination of temperament, health, and lack of being traumatized by anything. 

Would you train our dog to be a Service Dog?

No (sorry), but here's why: Even if you have a dog that was properly socialized as a puppy to other dogs, crowds, and loud noises; has low reactivity/high biddability/low tenacity; has high pack drive/medium prey drive/low fight drive/low flight drive; and has been trained through positive reinforcement; even then, the process really works best when we select and train the individual dog. We know this isn't always the answer people want to hear, but choosing the individual dogs we work with is an integral part of the process.

Do we have to live in St. Paul, MN, to get a Service Dog?

Most likely, yes. Exceptions can be made to the following guidelines, but generally:
  • Children: If the dog is for a child, we recommend that families only apply if they live within driving distance of the Minneapolis/st. Paul metro area, which basically includes the state of Minnesota and the adjacent states. Unfortunately, it's hard to make the process work if you're not close by.
  • Adults: If the Service Dog is for an adult and you live out-of-state, the process works best if you are willing and able to come visit for training sessions.

Where do you get your dogs?

All our dogs are adult "second chance" (rescue) dogs that we get through shelters, breeder donations, and owner-surrenders, (usually from the southern part of the US), which we then transport to be trained here. Finding the right dog takes an extensive search, and since we estimate about one out of a thousand dogs is appropriate for service dog work, we use the following steps:
  1. We have a thorough checklist before we even meet the dog.
  2. If the dog passes the checklist, we then we personally test the dog.
  3. If the dog passes the test, then there's a month-long evaluation procedure.
  4. If the dog passes the evaluation period, the dog becomes a candidate for training.

What breed of dogs do you use for Service Dogs?

  • A short answer might be, "We use rescues, so it could be anything". 
  • A slightly longer answer is "We usually choose Goldens and Labs and mixes of Goldens or Labs for Service Dog work." 
  • But both those answers have a LOT of exceptions, and in general, how an individual dog scores on temperament testing is much more important that what breed they are. One problem is that there isn't a specific breed that has been bred for generations to be Service Dogs. Instead, there are a few, rare individuals that could be good candidates for Service Dog work (we estimate that about 1 out 1000 dogs is a good candidate for this job). We wish there were more breeds (and more individual dogs) that made good Service Dogs, but other breeds don't have a good track record.
  • If you want an even longer answer, click here.

Why not other breeds?

We wish there were more breeds that made good Service Dogs, but other breeds don't have a good track record. Personally, we LOVE each and every AKC dog breed, but...each breed was originally created for a specific purpose and their resulting characteristics don't match the requirements of a Service Dog. 
  • The Service Dogs we choose to train need, for our program, to have a rare combination of: A. Low energy, and B. High intelligence. This combination is not common in dog breeds (smart dogs tend to be high-energy, while low-energy dogs tend to not be very trainable).
  • In addition to those requirements, the Service Dogs we work with also need to have high pack-drive, pretty low prey-drive, low fight-drive, and low flight-drive. 
  • The breed must also have the traits of low reactivity/high biddability/low tenacity (which is a rare combination).
  • If all these requirements aren't enough, the dogs also need to be the right size because small dogs can grow fearful from being stepped on in crowds.
That's a lot of requirements! More details are on our page about breeds.

Do you start the process with puppies, or do you place fully-grown dogs?

We only train full-grown dogs, to ensure that the dog has the appropriate temperament. Plus, we place a high value on rescuing dogs.

Please describe the training program the Service Dog receives?

Our Service Dogs receive six to twelve months of training, including several months of training to your specific needs and circumstances (this last period depends on how extensive your needs are). At Pawsitivity, we use the same method that the U.S. Army working dog program uses: positive reinforcement. Details are at this page, but basically, we use this method because it’s more effective, has fewer side effects, it’s less stressful, and the dog offers more behaviors.

Do you train Diabetes Service Dogs?

Short answer: No.
Long answer: Yes and no. According to other Service Dog trainers, there's a huge problem with what is called "client compliance," which is basically that it's too much to ask the handler with severe diabetes to keep up the training.
  • In other words, the training can be done by the Service Dog agency, but afterward, the client would continually need to reward the dog with practice sessions twice weekly for the rest of its life (or else the training will slowly extinguish). Unfortunately, ths model is not particularly practical for most people.
  • However, we have trained a mobility service dog (for a woman who had her leg amputated because of her diabetes) and this responsive, smart, bonded dog who had "learned how to learn" started spontaneously alerting his handler to her low blood sugar (from the smell of ketones on the handler's breath, although other experts think it's the smell of the sweat).
  • Twice, the Service Dog has alerted to when her blood sugar dropped to 25. Both times the handler was sleeping, and once the dog woke her up and the other time she wouldn't awake so the dog went into the other room and woke up the husband by pawing him. The handler tells us that without her service dog she most certainly would have slipped into a coma.
  • 4/20/17: Update: The handler has been doing very poorly health-wise, and when she slipped into a 32-blood-sugar "nap" the dog was able to wake her up with uncharacteristic behavior--he barked (which he never does) and pawed at her (which he never does) until she woke up and got help.

Will you train a PTSD dog for a non-veteran?

Yes. While we love working with veterans, we also work with non-veterans (civilians) with PTSD. We also work with children as well as with adults. Whether the Post Traumatic Stress Disorder comes from a workplace accident (such as with Bear's man), an explosion (like Harley's man), or the PTSD has co-morbidity with other disabilities (as with several of the dog handlers), we will work with your individual circumstances and needs.

Can a person get health insurance or life insurance for a dog?

There's no company that offers life insurance for a dog, but there are places to get dog health insurance.

What will the bonding/training meetings be like?

This is a question that we've hesitated to put on our FAQ because the meetings are so individualized. Not only do plans change for each person, they can also change from meeting to meeting as we discover more about each other. Thus, it's difficult to put together a generalized plan that works for everyone. On the other hand, it's nice to know an approximation of what to expect, so in the spirit of knowing at least some information, the following is how we usually work:
  • The first “training meeting“ is usually focuses on bonding. By the time we meet, you'll have already mailed in a dirty t-shirt so the dog has been sleeping with it (so the dog will already know your scent by the time you two meet). Much of this first meeting is getting to know each other, asking and answering lots of questions, and helping the dog know that you are the source of all sorts of wonderful things (such as affection, treats, outings, and toys).
  • Further sessions then get more into the actual training. It sounds odd, but the first lesson is about how to reward the dog because it's the foundation of training (and the dog/handler relationship). Further sessions involve training you on cues, reading the dog, public access, our protocols and recommendations. Finally, there will be a final test (or review, if you wish) at the end.
  • Sessions are scheduled for an hour each (it’s more productive to have many small meetings than a few long ones), and they are set for approxomately every three weeks. Note: This schedule is different if you are an adult coming in from out of town--then we schedule two-day sessions with one 2-hour evening-meeting and one 2-hour morning-meeting.
Rather than get into all the other exceptions and how the plan is modified for each person/family, we hope that the above gives you at least a general idea of how the sessions are scheduled.

Do you train service dogs for people in Canada?

Short answer: Yes.
Long answer (first, in English): Yes.
  • We are located in the U.S. state of Minnesota (which is close to Canada), and we are in the city of St. Paul. We are a ten-minute drive from Minneapolis/St. Paul International Airport, and there is a nearby hotel called the Saint Paul Hotel. When you arrive, we recommend using a taxi from the airport to go to your hotel before meeting us because then you can rest from your trip. When we meet for the first time (sometimes at the University Club on Summit Avenue, which is five minutes away by car), we recommend using a taxi or Uber to get there.
  • Nonstop flights are available from Toronto, Vancouver, Montreal, Edmonton, Calgary, and Winnipeg, and there are connecting flights from Ottowa and Quebec City. Just like out-of-state handlers from other parts of the U.S, we usually recommend three overnight visits (each with a meeting in the evening, and a meeting the next morning), although some handlers do more. The handler flies back on the last trip with the service dog at their feet.
  • There is no quarantine of dogs from U.S. to Canada and no import restrictions on Service Dogs traveling with their handler.
Long answer (en français): Oui.
  • Nous sommes situés à l'état américain du Minnesota (ce qui est proche du Canada) et nous sommes dans la ville de St. Paul. Nous sommes à dix minutes en voiture de Minneapolis / St. Paul Aéroport International, et il y a un hôtel voisin appelé l'hôtel Saint Paul. Lorsque vous arrivez, nous vous recommandons d'utiliser un taxi de l'aéroport pour aller à votre hôtel avant de nous rencontrer, car vous pouvez vous reposer de votre voyage. Lorsque nous nous rencontrons pour la première fois (parfois au Club de l'Université sur Avenue du Summot, à cinq minutes en voiture), nous vous recommandons d'utiliser un taxi ou Uber pour y arriver.
  • Les vols sans escale sont de Toronto, Vancouver, Montréal, Edmonton, Calgary et Winnipeg. D'autres vols proviennent d'Ottowa et de Québec. Nous recommandons généralement trois visites de deux jours. Le propriétaire revient sur le dernier voyage avec le chien de service à leurs pieds.
  • Il n'y a pas de quarantaine américaine de chiens au Canada et aucune restriction d'importation pour les chiens de service voyageant avec leur propriétaire. Nous sommes désolés, nous ne parlons pas français et nous espérons que vous pouvez parler anglais avec nous.
You may already know this, but Canadian Service Dogs laws vary a bit from province to province, and the laws have different names. Note that we are not lawyers, but here's a summary:
  • Alberta: The Human Rights, Citizenship, and Multicultural Act, which allows Service Dogs for people who are blind, or deaf, and now, under the Human Rights Amendment, to all physically disabled.
  • British Columbia: The Human Rights code allows Service Dogs for people who are blind, deaf, or physically disabled.
  • Manitoba: The Manitoba Human Rights Act, Chapter H175, allows Service Dogs for people who are blind, as well as people with a physical or mental disability.
  • New Brunswick: The Human Rights Act of New Brunswick allows Service Dogs for people who are blind, deaf, or have a physical disability.
  • Newfoundland and Labrador: The Human Rights Act which allows Service Dogs for people who are blind, deaf, or have a physical disability.
  • Northwest Territories: The Northwest Territories Humans Rights Act allows Service Dogs for people who are blind, deaf, or have a physical disability.
  • Nova Scotia: The Human Rights Act, which allows Service Dogs for people who are blind, deaf, or have a physical disability.
  • Ontario: The Human Rights Act, which allows Service Dogs for people who are blind, deaf, or have a physical disability. Ontario has legislation banning pit bull breeds but we never train pit bull dogs.
  • Prince Edward Island: The Human Rights Act, Chapter H-12, allows Service Dogs for people who are blind, deaf, or have a physical disability.
  • Quebec: The Charter of Human Rights and Freedoms, especially R.S.Q. E-20.1, allows Service Dogs for people with a handicap. En français: Service de chiens pour personnes handicapées.
  • Saskatchewan: The Saskatchewan Human Rights Code, allows Service Dogs for blindness, deafness, or people with a disability who have a physical reliance on a service animal.
  • Yukon: The Yukon Human Rights Act allows Service Dogs for people who are blind, deaf, or have a physical disability.

Do we actually get to own the dog?

Yes. Some charities do "co-own" their Service Dogs, but not Pawsitivity, and we will never forcibly "take back" the dog. Even if the handler passes away, the dog may be kept by the family as a loving and supportive pet. Note that all rescuing and training is funded by donations from past donors--your funds will help Pawsitivity rescue and train future dogs and each participant "pays it forward". Once we match dog and person, the dog is yours--we will continue with the dog’s rehabilitation and training until graduation, but the dog is yours the whole time.

Has the Service Dog been trained trained specifically with the handler in mind, or has training been generalized to people with disabilities instead?

Yes--the dog will be specifically selected and trained with your disability, needs, and circumstances in mind.

Has the Service Dog been trained to respond to hand signals in addition to verbal cues?

Yes. Note that this is one of the questions that Temple Grandin (autism researcher) recommends that potential service dog owners ask a service dog nonprofit (all her other recommended questions are also included in this list of questions and answers).

What's the difference between Standards, Tests, and Tasks?

Pawsitivity pre-screens, selects, and trains each Service Dog to perform specific tasks for a specific individual with a disability. Pawsitivity gives each dog an in-depth health screening, including neutering or spaying, if needed. After training, each Service Dog must pass a public access test. This test ascertains that the dog can handle the stress associated with functioning as a Service Dog in public.
Specifics of the test:
  • The Service Dog must tolerate public areas including stores, malls, movie theaters, grocery stores, public transportation, trains, airlines, work, and other places that do not welcome pets.
  • The dog must not eliminate indoors or in an area that is not suitable for the dog to do so.
  • The dog must walk calmly on leash.
  • The dog can be safely loaded and unloaded from a vehicle.
  • The dog must let handler recover the leash if accidentally dropped.
  • The dog must be comfortable in narrow aisles. 
A Service Dog must be able to perform specific tasks for the person with a disability. Examples of these tasks include protecting a person who is having a seizure, reminding a person to take prescribed medications, turning on lights, and opening doors. Additionally, a child with an Autism Spectrum Disorder, for instance, may have several of these disabilities, plus they may experience disabilities unique to them, so each Pawsitivity trains each Service Dog with the individual's needs in mind. 
Not directly tested, but additional benefits:
  • Along with the above elements that Pawsitivity directly tests during training, Service Dogs often provide several additional benefits and they may:
  • Serve as a “social bridge”, facilitating social interaction for the handler.
  • Provide a calming presence and increase confidence.
  • Provide safety and security.
  • Reduce emotional agitation.
  • Give a sense of pride and purpose.
  • Aid with everyday social challenges.
  • Help lower overall stress levels (for both the child and their parents).
  • Help the handler gain success and independence.
For children, having a Service Dog often decreases the child's meltdowns and other disruptive behaviors, as well as bring improvements in their performance of daily routines and more social interactions. Example:
  • "One family visited Disney World because the presence of the Service Dog meant their daughter could cope with the long car ride to Florida and was able to take in the new environment without being overwhelmed. Other families reported that ferryboat rides, airplane flights, weekends spent at a cottage, and hotel stays were all more manageable with the assistance of the Service Dog. For many of these parents, sending their child to day camps or overnight camps with the dog was the first step in giving themselves some respite from the constant demands of care for their child".
"Sentinels of Safety: Service Dogs Ensure Safety and Enhance Freedom and Well-Being for Families With Autistic Children", Kristen E. Burrows, Cindy L. Adams, Jude Spiers, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, 2008.

What type of expenses are incurred over time in keeping the dog?

  • Typically, the expenses associated with keeping a Service Dog are the food and vet bills for the dog. For non-veterinary questions during the life of the dog, we encourage you to call us for advice. (Mandatory disclaimer: Our advice, while always available, should not be considered a replacement for veterinary advice.) Note that some veterinarians offer discounts on services for Service Dogs.
  • We  recommend a no-grain dry kibble because it seems to be the appropriate combination of quality vs. convenience for families. You can use any food you like, but the brand  recommend is Taste of the Wild, which is about $45 per 28-pound bag and online websites like Chewy.com will deliver for free anywhere in the US. Note that while there are cheaper options, we find this higher-quality food pays for itself in the lack of vet bills.
  • Tax breaks: Medical expenses in excess of 7.5% of adjusted gross income, including the cost of maintaining a Service Dog, can be deducted from your taxes. Here's the IRS page on medical expenses for more details.

Why is the quality of a Service Dog trainer or program important?

High-quality, individualized programs can help ensure that Service Dogs are well-selected and well-trained. Such programs also help parents develop greater competency working with their child's Service Dog and maintain a successful dog-handler relationship.

What factors influence whether a Service Dog will help a person?

I wish I could find the source for this quote, but I've heard it said that the success of a Service Dog depends on our factors:
  1. The competency of the trainer. This reason is why our head trainer, Julie Coleman, holds the designation of CPDT-KA (see About Us for more of our credentials and qualifications).
  2. The individual dog. This is why we are so picky about the dogs that we train.
  3. The family's motivations for getting the Service Dog (and expectations of what a Service Dog can achieve). This is one of the reasons this F.A.Q. is so long, and why we have so many detailed pages on this site. We feel that it's better to risk boring you with too much information, rather than not having enough.
  4. The ability of the family and community to welcome the Service Dog. We place a high priority on working with you to make sure your transition to living with a Service Dog goes as smoothly as possible.

Is a Service Dog worth the time, money, and energy?

I love it when there is actual scientific data to help with decisions (both in training and in all aspects of life). In this case, there are several studies addressing this very question. One study[1] on how animal-assisted interventions help adolescents with mental health issues suggests that there is considerable potential monetary benefit in addition to therapeutic benefits. According to the report:
  • “Improved facilitation engagement, retention and compliance can have a considerable impact on the financial burden imposed by mental health care […]."
  • "Similarly, improvements in therapist and staff morale resulting from [animal-assisted interventions] can have important impacts on the quality and continuity of patient care.”
Cost comparisons:
  • Another study[2] estimated the lifetime per-capita societal cost (such as direct medical and non-medical care, lost wages, adult care, etc.) for a person with autism in the United States, and they estimated the cost to be $3.2 million per person(!).
  • The cost of lifelong care for autism can be reduced by 2/3 with early diagnosis and intervention.[3] While this study didn't look at the use of Service Dogs, it can at least give you an idea of how lifetime financial costs can be reduced when medical symptoms are reduced.
At Pawsitivity, our conclusion is that if your family is a good fit for a Service Dog, the benefits of living with a Service Dog (including financial benefits) outweigh the other factors.
[1] Animal-Assisted Interventions in Adolescent Mental Health, Center for the Interaction of Animals and Society, University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine, July 2004.
[2] JAMA Pediatrics, formerly Arch Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, Michael L. Ganz, MS, PhD, April 2007.
[3] Autism Society estimate, using Government Accounting Office Report on Autism 2007.

What are the benefits to the caregivers?

A helpful study[1] found out a lot about an Autism Service Dogs and parents, and these results can give you a good idea of what to expect (even if it's not an Autism Service Dog, but another kind of Service Dog that you're getting).
  • While we recommend that, for the first six months "all good things come from the handler," in the long run, often a Service Dog isn't just for the handler—the Service Dog often also serves as a calm and obedient family dog, helping the entire family deal with stress. Families experience a lot of stress when caretaking for a child with special needs, and this responsibility is a significant hardship on them. Thus:
  • Parents and siblings need comfort and an outlet for their stress.
  • Having a loving Service Dog in the family helps because the dog can lend a sympathetic ear to the family (when they want to talk to the dog), and the dog can be there for each member of the family to cuddle, play, and exercise with.
  • Even if the family decides that the dog should only interact with the handler (and not the rest of the family) for the long-term, caregivers are comforted to know that they have a tool available at all times to help with their charge.
The study found other benefits to parents in having a Service Dog in the family, including:
  • Parents or caregiver can bring the Service Dog to the doctor's office with the child, and know that the dog will be a good tool to help relax both everyone.
  • Caregivers feel more relaxed at night because the dog is with the child.
  • Caregivers feel more in control and calmer in general because the child had a Service Dog.
  • With parents of children with autism, the parents consistently say that although the dogs couldn't be specifically trained to prevent the child from wandering, many dogs figured out on their own how to prevent the children from bolting and running away.
We realize that having any dog in the house is increased work (picking up poop, feeding the dog, etc.), but the goal is that the work in taking care of a dog is more than balanced by the benefits, not only in helping with the handler, but also in helping the entire family deal with stress. 
[1] Burrows, K. E., Adams, C. L., & Millman, S. T. (2008a). "Factors Affecting Behavior and Welfare of Service Dogs for Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder". Journal of Applied Animal Welfare Science, 11, 42-62.

Are Service Dogs appropriate for children?

Among the factors that should be carefully thought through are the child's:
  • Desire to have a Service Dog. The child does not have to be obsessed with dogs, but it''s important that the child like dogs, and that the family is ready to have a dog in their lives.
  • Ability to care for the dog (or usually, the family's ability).
  • Lifestyle.
  • Disability-related needs. The autism spectrum, for example, has many different symptoms, and each child is different from all the others, so we work hard with you to make sure that a Service Dog will be appropriate for your specific needs and will help make the circumstance of your life more manageable.
Even the best-trained dog requires some work, and with a child, in particular, that work is usually distributed across all family members. Our job is to make your life easier, not harder, and we will do our utmost to make sure that the dog-family fit is a good one. Ideally, caring for the dog (e.g., feeding, exercising, bathroom needs, etc.) will be a smaller burden compared to the many benefits of having a Service Dog.

Do you have a minimum (or maximum) age for a child get a Service Dog?

There is no maximum age limit, but as for a minimum age, we've found that the process works best when the child is seven years old or older, and here's why:
  • When children are younger, there's always the possibility that they might accidentally hurt the dog, and while we choose a dog that has an inherently gentle temperament, we want to make sure the dog and child are in a mutually beneficial relationship.
  • Other than the general guideline that the child usually should be at least seven years old  (with exceptions made on a case-by-case basis), we don't have formal age policies for matching a person with the dog because circumstances vary from person to person. Each person with a disability has their own capabilities (and each family has their own situation, resources, and desires). Whereas with one family, the mother to use the dog as a social bridge for the child, tethering, motivation, and teaching empathy, another family might have a teenager who is able to directly use the dog in terms of a dog/handler team (and thus the parents don't interact with the dog much at all). We realize that this answer includes a lot of generalities, but the hope is that it gives you a better idea of how the dog and person (or family) are matched up.

Will my child with autism bond with the dog?

In general, yes, but not in the same way people without autism do. Since children along the autism spectrum have difficulty showing emotion, sometimes we can't see the bonding directly and we only see the bonding by the reduction of the child's symptoms. As Temple Grandin says, "When you take a drug to treat high blood pressure or diabetes, you have an objective test to measure blood pressure and the amount of sugar in the blood. It is straight-forward. With autism, you are looking for changes in behavior."
  • In most non-Pawsitivity families, the dog bonds most strongly with the other members of the family, not the child with autism. Yet even those (non-Pawsitivity) families report that there is a significant improvement in quality of life measurements because the child is behaving better, both when the child is interacting with the dog and when the dog is simply around the child. Note that the dogs we have trained have a great track record of bonding with their child because we encourage a protocol of "All good things come from the handler" (the child should be the one who interacts with the dog, not the parents).
  • Pawsitivity families report that the dog is a benefit to rest of the family, too, by alleviating some of the stress that comes with caring for a child with autism.
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