Dogs for Good is very grateful for The Pixel Fund’s generosity which has enabled us to develop our Family Dog service. Family Dog advises parents who have an autistic child how to train their pet dog to support the child and the family as a whole. For a child with autism, the world around them feels overwhelming and causes them great anxiety. Many autistic children have meltdowns as a reaction to daily activities they find stressful such as getting dressed or going to bed. Consequently, family life is challenging for parents and siblings as they struggle to manage the child’s behaviour.
Our service improves the quality of life for autistic children and their families. Parents attend a series of three workshops where they learn how to train their pet dog to respond to the child’s needs and help the child cope better with everyday situations. All parents receive ongoing aftercare support after they have attended the workshops.
A specially trained pet dog reduces a child’s meltdowns and improves their ability to handle daily occurrences. The dog re-engages the child and distracts them from their anxiety. The child is more willing to interact with their family and participate in activities such as reading a book with their parent. The home environment is calmer and the family can enjoy spending greater time together.
“It’d been seven years since our pet dog had passed and we felt that the time was right to get another one. Our thinking was that we could get a dog, train it to help our son and diffuse and calm the tension that autism can bring to a household. But we weren’t sure exactly how we were going to manage that as we had no experience of dog training. During the three workshops I learned so much, more than I’d ever thought possible. Everything the training team said made perfect sense. I came away really excited and with far more knowledge about how a dog can benefit a child with autism and the wider family.... We now have a young pet dog. She’s only been with us for a short time but has already worked wonders... she’s brought calmness and happiness to the household and we all adore her.” – Family Dog beneficiary.
Thanks to The Pixel Fund’s grant we have increased the number of workshops we run across the country. More than 1,000 families are now benefiting from our advice and support. We thank The Pixel Fund for helping us to transform the lives of children and families affected by autism.