Robert's Service Dog Training Fund
Donation protected
Imagine this: You are at the grocery store with your toddler safely buckled into the cart so you can peruse the aisles for your groceries, consult your list, and sort through your coupons. You unload your groceries onto the conveyer belt, smile at the cashier, swipe your credit card and sign your receipt then head out to the busy parking lot, avoiding distracted texting drivers intent on crashing into you and your cart, load your groceries and toddler into the car and head home.
Now imagine that scenario with an active toddler NOT buckled into the cart intent on running away from you in a busy parking lot, perhaps knocking over a display case of canned beans, running into another aisle out of your sight without the ability to tell other customers he is lost, what his full name is, or where he left his mom. AND imagine that toddler with the speed, agility and strength of a 11 year old boy.
This is my reality doing a daily errand with Robert. Now imagine having more than one errand to run and you understand why I also train as an edurance marathon runner ... honestly, racing 26.2 miles in less than 3 1/2 hours is MUCH easier than running a few errands with my sweet, yet active and energetic boy who also happens to have Down Syndrome, Autism, Hearing Loss and ADHD.
THE SOLUTION: I've worked with many of Robert's therapists to "practice" errand running to make it less stressful for both of us. While some behavior modifications have helped; his bolting behavior, or days where he is simply more anxious or difficult to control are entirely unpredicatable and impossible to completely extinguish for they are inseparable parts of his disabilities. After extensive research, I discovered the incredible concept of training a service dog for him.
Siren as ANCHOR. One of the main goals for Siren the Rottweiler (Robert's puppy) is to serve as an anchor and calming influence for him. (This is why we hope she will be a big girl like her 100 lb mom and 130 lb dad!) Siren has already started to train for anchoring Robert. Robert has a vest he wears that clips via a short lead to Siren's service dog vest and I hold another leash clipped to Siren's collar. Siren will be taught to plop her butt firmly on the ground and "wait" should Robert try to pull away from me while we are out in public.
Siren as CALM. Public/loud/new situations can stress Robert. He has various sensory "issues" that cause him to interpret sensory input much differently than you or I. The loud background noise in a mall, the clanging of grocery carts, squeaking of a rusty hinge on a swingset ... all these things are much more than a mere annoyance to Robert. They can upset him to the point he engages in self-injurious behavior (chewing on his fingers, plucking his eyelashes, grinding his teeth or even hitting himself). He also will engage in "self-stimming" behaviors (flapping his arms, chewing his clothing, picking a hangnail to the point of infection) when stressed. Siren will be trained to nudge his arm should he engage in these "non-functional" behaviors to "reset" his sensory input. She will also be trained to push against his body, or even lay on his lap (all 100 lbs of her!) to provide deep pressure input which has been clinically proven to help ameliorate difficult sensory situations for children with disabilities.
Imagine the above situation in the grocery store with the well-meaning clerk who tries to engage Robert in conversation; however, he has difficulty responding to new questions. Or, even worse, imagine the well-meaning child in the store who wants to engage with this child with a disability, but is uncertain how to do so. Research has shown that autism service dogs help children with disabilities engage in "typical" social conversations that they otherwise would be unable to because they have a ready topic-of-conversation at their side that they know all about! Research on depression and isolation for individuals with developmental disabilities is thoroughly depressing; yet here is a ready made social "ice breaker" to help facilitate communication.
Parents report benefits of autism service dogs (click on link to read article)
Improved functioning/family benefits from Service Dog (click on link)
Other services Siren will provide for Robert:
*Alert us at night if Robert wanders out of his bedroom
*Wake Robert if the smoke detector sounds
*Help Robert learn new skills/responsibilities (feeding, grooming, & exercising his dog)
*Unconditional love and companionship (studies show improved behavior, less "melt-downs", decreased social anxiety in children with service dogs)
*Calming influence for medical appointments (Siren has already accompanied Robert to doctor's appointments ... providing distraction from painful procedures, a model of "sitting still" for an exam)
*Facilitating social interactions for Robert (his teachers report that he already talks a lot at school about Siren ... which is fantastic as he rarely initiates conversations)
*Down-Stay for tactile stimulation (to prevent *Robert's self-stimming/injurious behavior)
*Alert Robert to someone calling his name
*Dog initiate game of "fetch" to interupt self-stimming/repetitive behaviors
And many many more!
How the money will be used:
Siren needs to have impeccable obedience on/off leash at home, in public and in the presence of numerous distractions (other dogs, cars, food, loud children, sirens, etc). I have found an excellent organization that trains dogs in a 12 week boot camp program to accomplish the training that would take at least a year on our own with a private trainer. The boot camp is $5400. After completing this boot camp, we can focus on her more specific "service dog" training skills, which will cost approximately $50/week for a year. We chose to train our own dog versus using a service dog organization as the waiting lists for those organizations are years long, and the fundraising requirement is frequently $20-30,000.
Siren is scheduled to start training April 24th!
We would be incredible grateful if you would please consider donating to Robert's Service Dog Training Fund. Siren will help provide Robert and our family with immeasurable benefit to participate in all of the "normal" family activities that we all too frequently avoid because of the challenges we face with Robert.
Paul and I will be married on July 22, 2016 ... our wish is that, in lieu of wedding gifts, that you please contribute to Siren's Training Fund ... as that would be the greatest gift you could share with our family.
Now imagine that scenario with an active toddler NOT buckled into the cart intent on running away from you in a busy parking lot, perhaps knocking over a display case of canned beans, running into another aisle out of your sight without the ability to tell other customers he is lost, what his full name is, or where he left his mom. AND imagine that toddler with the speed, agility and strength of a 11 year old boy.
This is my reality doing a daily errand with Robert. Now imagine having more than one errand to run and you understand why I also train as an edurance marathon runner ... honestly, racing 26.2 miles in less than 3 1/2 hours is MUCH easier than running a few errands with my sweet, yet active and energetic boy who also happens to have Down Syndrome, Autism, Hearing Loss and ADHD.
THE SOLUTION: I've worked with many of Robert's therapists to "practice" errand running to make it less stressful for both of us. While some behavior modifications have helped; his bolting behavior, or days where he is simply more anxious or difficult to control are entirely unpredicatable and impossible to completely extinguish for they are inseparable parts of his disabilities. After extensive research, I discovered the incredible concept of training a service dog for him.
Siren as ANCHOR. One of the main goals for Siren the Rottweiler (Robert's puppy) is to serve as an anchor and calming influence for him. (This is why we hope she will be a big girl like her 100 lb mom and 130 lb dad!) Siren has already started to train for anchoring Robert. Robert has a vest he wears that clips via a short lead to Siren's service dog vest and I hold another leash clipped to Siren's collar. Siren will be taught to plop her butt firmly on the ground and "wait" should Robert try to pull away from me while we are out in public.
Siren as CALM. Public/loud/new situations can stress Robert. He has various sensory "issues" that cause him to interpret sensory input much differently than you or I. The loud background noise in a mall, the clanging of grocery carts, squeaking of a rusty hinge on a swingset ... all these things are much more than a mere annoyance to Robert. They can upset him to the point he engages in self-injurious behavior (chewing on his fingers, plucking his eyelashes, grinding his teeth or even hitting himself). He also will engage in "self-stimming" behaviors (flapping his arms, chewing his clothing, picking a hangnail to the point of infection) when stressed. Siren will be trained to nudge his arm should he engage in these "non-functional" behaviors to "reset" his sensory input. She will also be trained to push against his body, or even lay on his lap (all 100 lbs of her!) to provide deep pressure input which has been clinically proven to help ameliorate difficult sensory situations for children with disabilities.
Imagine the above situation in the grocery store with the well-meaning clerk who tries to engage Robert in conversation; however, he has difficulty responding to new questions. Or, even worse, imagine the well-meaning child in the store who wants to engage with this child with a disability, but is uncertain how to do so. Research has shown that autism service dogs help children with disabilities engage in "typical" social conversations that they otherwise would be unable to because they have a ready topic-of-conversation at their side that they know all about! Research on depression and isolation for individuals with developmental disabilities is thoroughly depressing; yet here is a ready made social "ice breaker" to help facilitate communication.
Parents report benefits of autism service dogs (click on link to read article)Improved functioning/family benefits from Service Dog (click on link)
Other services Siren will provide for Robert:
*Alert us at night if Robert wanders out of his bedroom
*Wake Robert if the smoke detector sounds
*Help Robert learn new skills/responsibilities (feeding, grooming, & exercising his dog)
*Unconditional love and companionship (studies show improved behavior, less "melt-downs", decreased social anxiety in children with service dogs)
*Calming influence for medical appointments (Siren has already accompanied Robert to doctor's appointments ... providing distraction from painful procedures, a model of "sitting still" for an exam)
*Facilitating social interactions for Robert (his teachers report that he already talks a lot at school about Siren ... which is fantastic as he rarely initiates conversations)
*Down-Stay for tactile stimulation (to prevent *Robert's self-stimming/injurious behavior)
*Alert Robert to someone calling his name
*Dog initiate game of "fetch" to interupt self-stimming/repetitive behaviors
And many many more!
How the money will be used:
Siren needs to have impeccable obedience on/off leash at home, in public and in the presence of numerous distractions (other dogs, cars, food, loud children, sirens, etc). I have found an excellent organization that trains dogs in a 12 week boot camp program to accomplish the training that would take at least a year on our own with a private trainer. The boot camp is $5400. After completing this boot camp, we can focus on her more specific "service dog" training skills, which will cost approximately $50/week for a year. We chose to train our own dog versus using a service dog organization as the waiting lists for those organizations are years long, and the fundraising requirement is frequently $20-30,000.
Siren is scheduled to start training April 24th!
We would be incredible grateful if you would please consider donating to Robert's Service Dog Training Fund. Siren will help provide Robert and our family with immeasurable benefit to participate in all of the "normal" family activities that we all too frequently avoid because of the challenges we face with Robert.
Paul and I will be married on July 22, 2016 ... our wish is that, in lieu of wedding gifts, that you please contribute to Siren's Training Fund ... as that would be the greatest gift you could share with our family.
Organizer
Chris Withbroe
Organizer
Bayport, MN