National Service Dogs (NSD) has proven that properly trained and certified autism service dogs can:

increase safety levels and alleviate the bolting behaviours
common in children with autism by acting as an anchor when tethered to the child
improve a child's socialization and behavior skills
create freedoms for the child and family members to go out of the house safely and confidently
expand a child's capabilities to experience more of life and to grow
calm children thereby giving them an increased attention span and a greater aptitude for learning

Autism Service Dogs are certified for public access and NSD follows Assistance Dogs International's standards and public accessing testing. NSD retains ownership of all service dogs throughout their working life and upon receipt of the service dog, families are responsible for their day to day care, including any veterinary costs.

Typically, the best results come from families who have:

A CHILD with Autism between the ages of 2 and 8 at the time of application
POSITIVELY exposed and socialized the child to large dogs in the past
NO other family dog in the house (please note NSD will assess family dogs on an individual basis to determine whether they will be a good fit with a service dog)
TIME to devote to the learning curve of adding a Service Dog to their lives
A WILLINGNESS to have one or both parents travel without the child to our facility for 5 days of Team Training
A FENCED yard or plan to contain the dog when in the yard
ONE dedicated parent that stays home during the weekdays if the child is not yet in school. This project will be more successful if the dog bonds with the child and one parent, not a selection of different caregivers

National Service Dogs is currently accepting application requests for autism service dogs from families living in Ontario and Alberta.

COMPANION DOGS

National Service Dogs recognizes the special bonds that develop between pet dogs and their families. The therapeutic value of pets is well documented and many people have experienced:
Decrease stress and anxiety
Increased psychological wellbeing
Increased opportunities for exercise
Increased opportunities for social interaction
NSD’s Companion Dogs may not have the necessary skills to become certified Autism Service Dogs, but they can make wonderful friends for children with disabilities.

Companion Dogs DO NOT have public access and are adopted from NSD. Companion Dog recipients become the sole owners of the dog upon receipt and are responsible for all expenses associated with the dog from that day forward.

Please contact Cathy@nsd.on.ca or ext. 14 for more information on the program and how to apply.

RELEASED DOGS

Unfortunately, approximately 40% of dogs do not qualify for NSD’s Autism Service Dog Program or Companion Dog Program due to health or temperament problems.

Released Dogs DO NOT have public access and are adopted into loving pet dog homes. Released Dog recipients become the sole owners of the dog upon receipt and are responsible for all expenses associated with the dog from that day forward.

Please contact Janine@nsd.on.ca or ext. 19 for more information on the program and how to apply.