04/25/2022
Service Dog
Service dogs are working dogs that are trained to perform tasks for disabled children and adults. Some of the main service dogs are:
Guide dogs
Autism service dogs
Seizure alert dogs
Hearing dogs
Mobility dogs
Our Son
We found out that our son Connor had Autism when he was at a very young age. He had a one-on-one EA when he was in school as well. Connor is a very bright child, but he had lots of anxiety and needed lots of emotional support. He had a difficult time going to school due to his emotions, and at home this caused him to not be able to sleep independently but rather with us at least till he was at the age of 9-10. When Connor was 9 years old we decided that having a service dog would be beneficial especially due to keeping him safe and protected since he was also a runner.
Lions Foundation
The mission of the Lions Foundation of Canada Dog Guides (LFCDG) is to empower Canadians with disabilities to navigate their world with confidence and independence by providing Dog Guides at no cost to them and supporting each pair in their journey together. https://www.dogguides.com/index.html
When we contacted Lions Foundation, unfortunately, we had to be on a waitlist for about 2-3 years. Finally, when Connor was 11 years old we received a call that they were ready for us to come and meet our service dog. Xelda our pup was such a beauty and the sweetest little girl. Before we brought Xelda home, I had to go for training at Lions Foundation where I lived there for 10 days, and honestly if I had to write a review about them all I could say was, they took great care of us while being trained and taught us so patiently and answered all my questions without any hesitation. The staff was phenomenal, in training me to teach our dogs from walking, saying commands, and how to train them in parks and other outdoor settings. Connor came to visit his new puppy Xelda just before the training was complete, and right that insistence, he loved her dearly. Xelda our new puppy who was just 1 year of age had her graduation ceremony in honor of her hard work and happily came home with us that evening.
How Xelda Helps’s
The day we brought Xelda home, Connor automatically slept in his own room independently without any issues at all that exact night. We were so proud of him and just so amazed to see how well Xelda showed affection to Connor. When Connor, has his Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) Xelda calmly goes in between his legs and lays down there, knowing that something is wrong with him. Another thing Xelda does to calm him down is sit close to him, and get Connor to rub her head or give her a pat and that will help Connor to take a deep breath. When Connor was in grades 7-8 he was selected to present a speech for Autism Awareness in front of his whole school and was selected to present at another school as well. I could not hold my emotions at all, knowing that my son who has anxiety, no friends, and was scared to go to school is now performing in front of strangers was absolutely a proud moment for me and my family. I have no words to express how much my son has changed in the last few years, but I can honestly say that my husband and I are absolutely proud of him for all his achievements no matter if they are big or small.
Message to Families
Another great thing I liked about The LionsFoundation, was that they do a home visit and can bring the dog with them to see if your child will be comfortable and if they like dogs before you plan on getting a service dog for your family. One of the techniques that they taught at the training that I really liked with Xelda but did not need to use on Connor since he was older now was if your child was a runner you would tie a belt around your child’s waist attached to the dog and when the child starts to run you would yell “HALT” and the dog would pull your child in letting them know that they needed to stop and are not allowed to run. These are some of the great tips I loved to share. Now, Connor is 16 years old and Xelda is 6 in dog years, and honestly, bringing her to our home was the best decision we as a family made for our son. Not only are we proud of who he is now as an adult, but we are glad to have a wonderful addition to our family as well.