Find and Train Your Own Autism Dog

To get an autism dog, you can either go through a foundation that does the training and selection for you, but they are very costly and the application process can be very lengthy and time consuming.  Many families are finding and training their own autism dogs. If you are a family who believes you are up to the task, here are some criteria you may want to keep in mind when searching for the right dog.  

1. The first criteria is that your child MUST have an instant connection to the dog.  If this criteria is not met, than it will be next to impossible to have your child work with the dog. 
2. Must be a calm and cool-tempered dog.
3. Cannot be too small or too big.  Small dogs are not practical for service dog training.  And big dogs may accidentally knock over your child.
4. Great with children and other pets including cats.
5. Great overall health. 
6. Easy to walk on a leash. 
7. Must be fixed or spayed. 
8. Pays close attention to his "job" and is very eager to please.  
9. Make sure your dog is up-to-date on his vaccines.