breed for autism dog

[Lcw29]

We are looking to get a dog to train as an autism therapy dog for our son. I can't have a breed that sheds massively due to allergies. But needs to be generally a calm, teachable breed. What would you suggest?

Normally the kind of dogs who do therapy work are labradors, spaniels and golden retrievers, but you could have a look at poodles.

As above it sounds like a poodle would be a good choice for you. Fantastic dogs, really smart and trainable. You also have a choice of 3 sizes depending on what you're after.
Be prepared to pay out for grooming costs though as wool coated breeds need regular maintenance, unless you're planning to just have it clipped super short every few months.

Avoid poodle or bichon crosses that are mixed with a moulting breed as these dogs will inevitably shed hair. I've met so many labradoodle owners who are shocked when their dog which is 50% labrador starts moulting all over their house.

I will definitely look into poodles, thanks. Yeah I've seen alot of poodle crosses about. I've often wondered if they are really as good as they are made out to be. With health etc...

Any intelligent & biddable dog breed will be suitable.

I agree, a poodle could be a good fit. A Spaniel type could also be a good fit.
I am not sure what you are looking at size wise but if it's meant to be small/ toy have a look into a Havanese or Papillon.

My friend with a severely autistic child has a standard poodle. Lovely calm dog, in the house, but fun and athletic to play with outdoors.

If you can’t have a dog that sheds then do not go for one of the poodle crossbreeds as you cannot guarantee the coat . Poodles are a good shout .

I would highly advise against a poodle cross (do not get one).

I would say poodle, they come in various sizes depending on your needs. But be very careful about the line it comes from. You’ll need to find a line/breeder that has dogs that are suited to assistance dog work, obvs that won’t guarantee it but will increase the likelihood of it working successfully. Some poodles can be a bit neurotic and anxious, so you need to find someone who breeds well with dogs that have good even temperaments and has had other dogs being assistance dogs ideally.

Are you going it alone, or getting help with the training? If getting help, why don’t you ask the trainers for their suggestion?

On the series ‘ 12 puppies’ they used a St Bernard as a therapy dog! Probably not my first choice (due to size).

Have two autistic here and have a rescue lhasa apso who is really tuned in to the dc. Dd has an EOTAS programme here and she is the TA despite her also having a human TA. She knows instinctively when to sit on her knee for sensory feedback. she enforces movement breaks by leading dd away and when everything is going well she snoozes on the sofa with a listening ear. No formal training just a bond with the kids. Funniest thing is she seems to know what time people are due to leave and starts nudging with her nose and running to the door to encourage them out.

Havanese are excellent as therapy dogs - known for being attached to their owners

Giant dogs like St Bernard's tend to be much more placid and tolerant than smaller breeds - the Bernese is another example.

Basically, don't be fooled by their size! And don't let the size of smaller dogs lull you into a false sense of security

@fieldsofbutterflies My Aunt has always had Newfoundlands usually 2 or 3 at a time. They are literally the personification (dogification?) of gentle giants.

Even when she was burgled 2 of them just pushed the man on the floor and then went to sleep on him... didn't hurt him but he couldn't escape and she came home to find a strange man who was close to heat exhaustion squashed against her kitchen floor. That was about 40 years ago and for some reason she's never been burgled again!! But he acknowledged that he'd not been hurt and the dogs had shown no aggression.

@listsandbudgets that's amazing

When I was growing up, we had a family friend with a St Bernard - she was soft as butter but loved to lie on top of you on the sofa and go to sleep, lol.

Just a word of caution in case you're considering a puppy to train. We have a ND child and one of the recommended breeds above and got her as a puppy. We got her because we wanted a puppy, not as a therapy dog, luckily, but she's hard work and she and my ND DS wind each other up something rotten - he undoes quite a lot of our training. I believe most therapy dogs are trained and sent to homes aged about 2+, when they become a bit less silly and energetic.

Not sure what you're planning so don't want to preach but something you might want to consider!

Thank you everyone 💓 we were planning on using dogs for good charity with their family dog service. They do a course to help with the bond between your child and the dog and can help train it for specific therapies.
We applied for a true assistance dog but unfortunately didn't get through ballot stage as there were so many in need and not enough dogs.
It's given us alot to think about . I looked up the charities course again and I think they can advice on what to look for so perhaps we'll do the course first and go from there.

Really appreciate everyone responding! Thank you