Service Dogs by Warren Retrievers Delivers Autism Service Dog to Twins in Marysville, OH
Marysville, OH, July 12, 2017 (Newswire.com) - July 12 is a special day for five-year old twins, Landon and Logan of Marysville, Ohio, as Service Dogs by Warren Retrievers delivers their Autism Service Dog “Theo” today. Based in Madison, Virginia, Service Dogs by Warren Retrievers (SDWR) has a mission to provide specially bred and trained dogs for adults and children with invisible disabilities like Diabetes, PTSD, Seizure Disorders, or in the case of Landon and Logan—Autism Spectrum Disorder. SDWR has almost 600 service dogs working across the US and around the globe. SDWR is currently serving almost 1,000 families.
Theo, a golden retriever Autism Service Dog, has already received thousands of hours of training through SDWR’s puppy raiser training program where volunteers raise puppies in training for about a period of one year and then through the foundation and skill set training provided through SDWR trainers at the facility in Virginia. Theo will continue to learn under the careful guidance of a certified trainer from SDWR and through the rapport he develops with Landon and Logan and their mother, Carrie.
Landon and Logan have a complex set of challenges in their young lives. Diagnosed with Autism at three years of age Landon and Logan have problems with sensory overload such as loud noises, terrible sleep patterns, lack of awareness of harm and they both have elopement issues. These are but a few of the common challenges of Autism Spectrum Disorder. Autism service dogs are trained to prevent elopement. Both Landon and Logan will be tethered to Theo whenever they are out in public places and Theo is trained to not allow Landon and Logan to move away from their mother.
New scientific research studies into Autism therapy provide positive evidence of the difference a service dog can make. Dan Warren states, “The studies showed children experienced better sleep patterns, exhibited greater communication and social interaction, and had less frustration when around their service dog.” One of the main goals when training an Autism service dog is the need to keep a child safe and calm. According to Mr. Warren, “the studies further found that safety aspect was a huge relief for families as parents’ anxiety over their child can lead to social isolation.” Mom Carrie states, “As a family, we rarely dine out or go shopping as sensory overload and elopement for Landon and Logan also causes so much stress and anxiety for us.” “We are hoping Theo can help us become more a part of social settings and experience family outings,” says Carrie.
With the arrival of Theo, Landon and Logan along with their mom will have yet another tool, a four-legged one that has received training to assist them to live happier and more enriching lives. Since Theo is a service dog and covered under laws in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, he will be able to accompany Logan and Landon everywhere—from restaurants to shopping to eventually going to school with them every day.
Theo will continue to work with the SDWR trainers and with Carrie to learn new skills to assist Logan and Landon as well as to achieve public access certification. Certification must be achieved by Theo and his handler—in this case, mom Carrie. Dan Warren is quick to point out that, “all the incredible services these dogs can provide are through progression, hard work, and dedication of the organization and the family who must work together to build on training foundations and fundamentals. This is an 18-month program for follow up and customization training.”
What sets SDWR apart from other non-profit service dog organizations are the customized training methods and SDWR matches dogs to their “person.” According to Dan Warren, “that important bonding time between dog and person can begin to happen right away. For nearly a decade we’ve been utilizing this method of dog placement and we’ve achieved amazing results.”
Service Dogs by Warren Retrievers is a non-profit organization based in Madison, Virginia, and relies on donations to help the Organization in its mission, “Until there’s a cure…there’s a dog.” To make or donation or learn more about SDWR, please visit the website, http://www.sdwr.org. To learn more about Autism Service Dogs visit http://www.sdwr.org/service-dogs/autism/. To find out how you can volunteer as a puppy raiser visit http://www.sdwr.org/volunteer-opportunities/ .
Source: Service Dogs by Warren Retrievers
