I am crying my eyes out! I wish we had a service dog for my son. He’s SOO lonely & “locked up” away from us. Good for your child! More needs to be done for people w/autism. (& their families)
So proud of Maverick coming from our shelter and for being an Operation Hope grad! I am sure that the relationship with this dog enriches everyone's life - Abigail, her parents and even Maverick. Thanks for sharing!
I didn't know this was possible! My son wanders and I started to cry when you said Maverick was the anchor. Thank you for sharing this story. God bless you! Now getting a dog is priority!
I love this. I never thought it was possible to have a dog for my son. Then I was blessed with a valley bulldog that was dumped. She is literally the only animal my son will acknowledge. We are currently have her trained as a service dog and I couldn’t be more excited.
My Autism servuce and dog does the same thing. It's amazing. Thanks for sharing, Abigail is awesome. My Service dog will retrieve things for me, help keep me by my mommy, and will alert to my meltdowns. She will also do things like keep me balanced and stuff. Im so glad Abby has her pup. I love my dog, and she is my friend.
Hi Maverick! Thanks for sharing. We're in the process of getting a service dog for our 9-year-old with Autism. He is not a runner, but he has MASSIVE social anxiety and will have melt-downs and panic attacks in public, in addition to a lot of the "typical" Autism issues. Really hopefully it helps him relax and like you mentioned in that 'billboard' aspect.
I am so so happy to see this! I have a mobility service dog. I love any service dog that I see. Autism service dogs are incredible. Way to go Abigail and Maverick, and Mom Dad and Brother too! You are right about the decrease in stares with a SD though :). Keep up the good work. Service Dogs are simply a tool for safety, independence, and advocacy, as well as a constant friend. Thank you for being so transparent about your lives. We need more people like you guys. Love and hugs, Taylor and Kirby
@@fatheringautism I'd disagree with the decrease in stares with a service dog...maybe its cuz I'm "high-functioning" autistic, but I have a service dog trained for my autism & scoliosis & he's very focused & well behaved BUT I still get a lot of stares when he's in public with me.
Wow. This was so helpful. My son is 3 and on the spectrum. He is a runner. Sometimes faster than I can catch him, near busy streets, in crowded places, etc. This is all sort of new to me so I will be researching trainers in my area. Thanks!!
I love all the background on Maverick. The billboard stuff makes sense, I could see how that would help. I loved the pictures of Abbie & Maverick when they were young. :-)
My soon to be three year old son was diagnosed earlier this year. I’ve been on such a learning curve since then. Thank you so much for the information!
Why would someone dislike this video or any of Abby;s videos? Come on. She is awesome as are assa and Pricilla. Get a life those of you who thinks anything this precious girl and her family does. I love you guys.
I once heard a line in a song that was about autism that you might like, (I am autistic by the way) it was: It takes all the colours in the spectrum fo make the world so bright
Love Maverick he is seriously the cutest dog ever!!!!!! 😊😍😍😍😍😍😍❤💙💖💜💚 What a wonderful companion and support for Abbie, and a wonderful help and great pet to all you guys too ☺💓💓💓
love the old photos of lil Mav and Lil Ab..... loved the 'and then he went to jail'....i actually have one of the guys from that program, that they did a docco on where inmates train service dogs, on my facebook....it is an amazing program and should be implemented more everywhere it is possible -we do have a program where greyhounds are sent to the women's prison here in Adelaide for training after racing to be pets (they also seem to make great therapy dogs cos they are sooo laid back)
My cousin is on his second therapy service dog (his first one had to retire for health reasons so is now just the family pet. They are such amazing life changing additions to an autistic person’s world. 🥰
Thank you. We are looking for a service dog for my autistic daughter. This was very helpful. Yes, we get lots of stares and the autism label on the vest is a great idea.
This is crazy we have a autism service dog also named Maverick. He is our sons best friend he has helped him become at ease in many ways. We ran into a issue at the Grand canyon riding the shuttle bus in which the bus loader didn't accept him as a service dog. She said that the dog isn't a service dog because we as parents are the ones who keep our son safe. As a result our son had a meltdown that last the rest of the day. With his limited vocal skills he just kept saying " my bus my dog" we had already rode two buses in the park but one person stopped us. We have yet to try to ride that bus to hermit's rest which is a bus access only area of the Grand canyon again.
I have (high functioning thanks to lots of therapy as a kid, that and my mom noticed it pretty early) autism and man do I wish I had an autism service dog for my meltdowns, especially in public. What happens is that something does not go according to routine (usually when something goes wrong) and despite my best efforts to keep it together I end up having a meltdown/anxiety attack/become a sobbing mess. It’s especially horrible for me when it happens in public because that just makes me feel more vulnerable on top of that. It just stinks that getting an autism service dog is so dang expensive, and that I have a small apartment, otherwise I would go for it.
I registered my Havanese as a service/therapy dog. I don’t always bring her out with me but when I’m having a bad day I will, and I’ll get stares or people laugh like it’s a joke. Not all service dogs are for people with a physical or noticeable disorders. She definitely helps with my BPD, severe anxiety and BDD. All service dogs are amazing, I believe we are truly blessed to have them in our lives.
If you could show a video of the dog giving her deep pressure, making sure she doesnt walk into traffic etc. different task. I would be interested in watching that.
I'm autistic, I don't run off, but I am not great at realising when I'm being rude and I am often very literal. I also have quite high levels of anxiety, I'm still in school but it's very stressful as everyone is screaming and shouting, I find it almost impossible to block out noise, so I sometimes just shut down in school which helps literally nobody. I also have a border collie puppy, she has helped massively with anxiety and stress at home but at school it is super stressful, so if my puppy was trained by me and others could she become a service dog? My only concern is that my school may not allow service dogs/ESAs. -Molly
I need a service dog for my son he is 6 And is starting to run, have meltdowns, little patience, has sensory issues , a severe language disorder, gets super Hyper and makes Noises :/ but they are super expensive
Miranda Gonzalez They are extremely expensive. We were fortunate enough to receive Maverick with much less out of pocket cost because of the type of program that he came from and their mission as trainers. I would highly recommended searching for programs that you can access that can greatly reduce the cost. I would also recommend going to a training company that works with Autism Service dogs specifically and make sure you guys are a good fit for a service animal and what that trainer specifically trains them to provide service for. Best of luck to you guys. We started our quest for a service dog nearly 5 years before we got Maverick. Stay with it!
The Assistance Dogs International has a list of reputable programs for pretty much anywhere in the world, in case you want to look into it. Also, the Assistance Dogs United Campaign has information on vouchers up to $5500 to help pay for dogs from a long list of programs.
FatheringAutism If you guys ever need another service dog, I puppy raise for an organization called Guide Dogs for the Blind. Their original goal is for the dog to make it into a seeing eye dog, however not every dog makes it, either for behavioural reasons or for medical reasons. These dogs then get ‘career changed’ and either become pet dogs or they can be made into service dogs with tasks other than seeing eye dogs. If youd like to know more about it, id highly recommend contacting them. Heres their website-> guidedogs.com
I also have autism, my SD in training does deep presure therapy I never ran as a kid because I was always afraid to get lost but it's very hard for me to remember directions
Hey there, I’m Leo. I have autism, PTSD, anxiety( general, social ), adhd and depression. I have been really looking into service dogs for months but im not sure how I’m supposed to talk to my parents about getting one. I’ve done my fair share of research and I’m almost 100% a service dog would benefit me. A few of my therapists have suggested one. But like I stated I’m unsure of how to talk to my parents about it. So if you have any advice I’d love to hear it. Thank you
How much did his training cost? Thats the big question. Ive crossed trained my service dog to keep my grandson from bolting, and he knows how to handle a meltdown, but there are other aspects needed for autism II, that I dont know how to train him for. Plus he is 9 years old, so introducing new training is harder. Getting a new dog for my 5 year old grandson is the option now, but Im getting mixed info on the cost, and we are not rich, at all.
Can you do a video about tethering? I hear so many things about how horrible and dangerous it is, but people still do it. So apparently there's another side to the story and I'd really like to hear it if you get time. I assume you hold the leash too and there's probably other things to consider. Thanks.
biz3503 I probably wouldn't be able to do a dedicated video for tethering but I'm sure I could work it into another video. I definitely could see the concern for safety. Maverick is trained but after all he is still a dog. I hold a leash that is attached to his collar and when they are tethered it's attached to his vest. Most of the time they aren't tethered. If the risk is her running into traffic I'd rather have them tethered and chance that than chance her being hit by a car.
@@fatheringautism problem is (and I mean this in the nicest way possible; I'm also autistic, so communication isn't always my strong suit) the dog can be a dog like you said. V easily the dog could be distracted, run into the road and not only could your daughter be injured, but the dog too. If the dog was also injured, you'd have to retire it from Public Access until recovered (as well as your daughter working on her recovery) and if the dog is injured enough, you might have to permanently pull it from Public Access and spend $20,000 plus on getting a new service dog. I'm planning on working with an org to train my rescue mutt as an autism service/assistance dog, and I'm not a bolter, but I do have spatial awareness difficulties and struggle with Judging the distance of cars, so one of the things I'm thinking of is training my dog to stop and sit when I get to a kerb/obedient disobedience - like with guide dog owners- so if I try cross the road and there's a car closer than I think the dog will stop me crossing. Won't be tethered at all. Tethering also teaches the dog and child to submit and there's no point trying as you'll always be held back. A little like ABA, which is also controversial as autistic adults have admitted its given them things like PTSD. There's a reason most ADUK/ADI charities don't teach tethering anymore. You csn train an autism service dog to find the child if they go missing (from their smell) though.
How come maverick isn't in your more recent videos? Did you just decide to not bring him with you anymore? Like as a service animal, like out with the vest
Emey Les he's still in their home and very much loved by the looks of it. They had mentioned that he needs some retraining and some new training because Abbie has grown and changed as have her needs
I wish it was the same in the U.K. people are struggling and no one knows about autism assistance dogs and you have to owner train them yourself which is hard
Adielina Richardson I’m catching up on older videos myself. Maverick is retired now (2019). The Maass’ did get Mac for Abbie when she was littler, but she outgrew the needs. Now his is a retired family fur baby.
i have autism (i take meds for it) we have not m trained my dogg but she already dose everything for it and and she knows what to do. woulf she be able to be a autism servuce dogg?
+lex equine Technically any dog can be a service dog. There is a difference between a therapy animal and a service animal though. Training would be necessary for public access. Thanks for watching!
If you can train your dog to do specific tasks to help your autism, that would cover the task side of service dog. Tasks for adults, older children etc with autism include things like alerting you to signs of your anxiety showing, providing deep pressure therapy to help reduce anxiety or prevent a meltdown, get help from a family member if youare having a meltdown, blocking you to prevent people getting too close to you in public, offering sensory imput by touching her when you are experiencing sensory overload, guiding you out of a room to get away from a social situation you are finding difficult. These are the most common tasks an autism assistant dog can do for an adult or teen with autism. I'm based in the Uk so I don't know much about your laws in USA about what other things are required for the dog to be recognised as a qualified service dog, but if you resaerch that side of it and think you can do what needs to be done to train her for the public access side of things, then you can look at some of the tasks I've suggested and see if any of those would help you and if your dog is capable of learning them. I'm training my dog as a dual autism and mobility assistance dog (in the UK we call them assistance dogs not service dogs).
What program did you get the dog from? I have looked into programs that want $18,000 or more. The ones that are free have stopped taking applications to 2026. These are just the ones I have found. My son is 9 and has Autism.
Why don’t you guys use maverick as a service dog outside the home anymore? I didn’t realize he was even a service dog since watching your videos within the past year
He also needs to have the right personality for it - most dogs actually can't make it as service dogs because of their personality, but a small percentage do, and do it well (but just because a dog doesn't have the right personality for it doesn't mean there's something wrong with the dog, it just means service work isn't the job for them). If you want to train your own dog, you should find 1) someone who is knowledgeable in temperament testing potential prospects (called a 'behaviorist') to test your dog to see if the dog's personality matches the job description, and 2) if you don't have the extensive experience required, a trainer who specializes in training service dogs.
I have a question, i do was diagnosed with classic autism since a young age. Now i'm 14 but i've gotten social anxiety and also panic attacks. So there's much special help for me but either it doesn't change it or costs even more than a service dog does. I'm scared to go in public places but often try to hide it but actually get in panic so i don't know what i do and even can feel suicidal in such attacks which i commonly have. I really live in a different world and feel very lonely. I only do feel understand by my dog but hes almost 9. He feels my panic attacks and then comes to me and it goes away which is very nice since i can cry badly then and feel too upset. But since hes almost 9 hes too old to become a service dog so not allowed in public places. So would a survive dog also be something for some1 like me? I don't run away like others do. But i do feel very scared. And i'm also other than those who often have such a service dog.
I have autism and I’ve trained my own service dog but she’s not allowed PA bc she has anxiety so she only works at home and outdoor places. How can I get a dog? I don’t have a job and my parents don’t have the money to pay for the original fee. We have enough to maintain but not enough to pay like 50,000 for a dog. How can I get one?
Thanks for sharing! We just got a puppy for our son who is on the spectrum. We are looking for a place where we can get our dog trained in the Bay Area. Is what you did with Maverick a common thing? How long was he gone for his training? Thanks!
Do you still take Maverick out with you? I haven't ever seen him. We love our dogs and our granddogs. Magoo was also raised in a prison in prep for Leader Dog training. Due to his ebullient personality he washed out of the program. Serendipitously, he has become a successful therapy dog for my grandson who no longer suffers from sleep issues now that Magoo sleeps in his bed. BTW he is a Golden Retriever.
Lynn Asmus I know this question was directed towards FA but they've mentioned in previous videos that Maverick needs more training simply due to Abigail's needs changing as she has grown. He's still very much loved and makes appearances in various videos! He seems like a sweet boy.
Hi I have a form of autism called Asperger's (I think that is how it's spelled) and I been thinking/ wanting to get a service dog not only for my autism but for my anxiety too how much would it be to get one?
They cost a lot. In the US, if you go with a program dog, they cost at least $20,000 to train. I'm fundraising over the next year for a UK charity that gives fully trained autism assistance (UK term for service) dogs to people who need them, regardless of age, for free and for them it costs them just under $24,200 (£20,000) to train one dog to place. You'll probably need fo fundraise. You can train your own service dog (which, as a fellow autistic, may be better in that you can choose a breed which doesn't cause you sensory problems with Barking, shedding, drool etc) but it costs roughly the same (tho more risk of dog not passing training, esp if you get one that isn't in the standard Fab 4 dog breeds of Poodles, Labs, Goldens and Smooth/Rough Collies - not border collies. These are the ones used most by programs). It's less of a financial commitment ad yoh pay this over the dogs life while training etc rather than $20,000 upfront
No way! I don't know about the US/other places but in the UK there's a charity which donates autism assistance (service) dogs to any individual who needs them, adult or child, for free... I'm a similar age to you (6 yrs younger, since you're 28 now) and I have my own rescue mutt who's about to be formally assessed (next weekend) by a company who helps autistic handlers train their own dogs and hopefully she'll be able to start training for me
Let me guess. The service dog acts like an ambassador for the autism child. The dog socialize with people on behave of the owner to compensate the deficiency.
I actually have an autistic brother that wouldve loved this. Too bad we got a dumb cat... No seriously the cat ran into a fucking wall on purpose. What a joke
At what age did you get Abigail her service dog? My daughter is 6? And tends to still put random things in her mouth honestly in my current setting its really just no very dog friendly no fence or things that I feel neccessary for a dog? WAs the service dog reccommended to you by her therapist what was the deciding factor of having her have a service dog?
I understand that we all not perfect at all and we all can get in trouble and get arrested and we all make decisions and we all make choices and there is consequences and we all make mistakes and we all all have record and we all can have felony and yes we do have regret and yes we have a fault and so on
I am crying my eyes out! I wish we had a service dog for my son. He’s SOO lonely & “locked up” away from us. Good for your child! More needs to be done for people w/autism. (& their families)
So proud of Maverick coming from our shelter and for being an Operation Hope grad! I am sure that the relationship
with this dog enriches everyone's life - Abigail, her parents and even Maverick. Thanks for sharing!
+Jeri Gale Thanks for watching! He is an awesome addition to Team Abbie as well as a member of our family.
FatheringAutism Go Mavrick.
"and then he went to jail" scared me for a second there
I didn't know this was possible! My son wanders and I started to cry when you said Maverick was the anchor. Thank you for sharing this story. God bless you! Now getting a dog is priority!
I love this. I never thought it was possible to have a dog for my son. Then I was blessed with a valley bulldog that was dumped. She is literally the only animal my son will acknowledge. We are currently have her trained as a service dog and I couldn’t be more excited.
My Autism servuce and dog does the same thing. It's amazing. Thanks for sharing, Abigail is awesome. My Service dog will retrieve things for me, help keep me by my mommy, and will alert to my meltdowns. She will also do things like keep me balanced and stuff. Im so glad Abby has her pup. I love my dog, and she is my friend.
Hi Maverick! Thanks for sharing. We're in the process of getting a service dog for our 9-year-old with Autism. He is not a runner, but he has MASSIVE social anxiety and will have melt-downs and panic attacks in public, in addition to a lot of the "typical" Autism issues. Really hopefully it helps him relax and like you mentioned in that 'billboard' aspect.
I am so so happy to see this! I have a mobility service dog. I love any service dog that I see. Autism service dogs are incredible. Way to go Abigail and Maverick, and Mom Dad and Brother too! You are right about the decrease in stares with a SD though :). Keep up the good work. Service Dogs are simply a tool for safety, independence, and advocacy, as well as a constant friend. Thank you for being so transparent about your lives. We need more people like you guys.
Love and hugs,
Taylor and Kirby
I'm glad you liked the video. Thanks so much for watching and sharing your story.
@@fatheringautism I'd disagree with the decrease in stares with a service dog...maybe its cuz I'm "high-functioning" autistic, but I have a service dog trained for my autism & scoliosis & he's very focused & well behaved BUT I still get a lot of stares when he's in public with me.
“And then he went to jail”
Me:Omg what crime did he commit?
Lioness Strange in Gwinnett County they have a prison program where inmates train dogs
He was too cute, it's definitely a real crime
He stole their hearts thats a life sentence
He stole treats from a chicken lol
Cuteness
Wow. This was so helpful. My son is 3 and on the spectrum. He is a runner. Sometimes faster than I can catch him, near busy streets, in crowded places, etc. This is all sort of new to me so I will be researching trainers in my area. Thanks!!
Thank You Maverick!😍 & Asa for educating us.
Elizabeth
I’m not much of an animal person personally, but that dog is chill. Good job maverick you will be a TH-cam sensation I know you well
First Fathering Autism video ever! They've changed so much!
I love all the background on Maverick. The billboard stuff makes sense, I could see how that would help. I loved the pictures of Abbie & Maverick when they were young. :-)
My soon to be three year old son was diagnosed earlier this year. I’ve been on such a learning curve since then. Thank you so much for the information!
You are so welcome!
Why would someone dislike this video or any of Abby;s videos? Come on. She is awesome as are assa and Pricilla. Get a life those of you who thinks anything this precious girl and her family does. I love you guys.
So glad he is there for your daughter hes beautiful
I once heard a line in a song that was about autism that you might like, (I am autistic by the way) it was:
It takes all the colours in the spectrum fo make the world so bright
Love Maverick he is seriously the cutest dog ever!!!!!! 😊😍😍😍😍😍😍❤💙💖💜💚 What a wonderful companion and support for Abbie, and a wonderful help and great pet to all you guys too ☺💓💓💓
love the old photos of lil Mav and Lil Ab..... loved the 'and then he went to jail'....i actually have one of the guys from that program, that they did a docco on where inmates train service dogs, on my facebook....it is an amazing program and should be implemented more everywhere it is possible -we do have a program where greyhounds are sent to the women's prison here in Adelaide for training after racing to be pets (they also seem to make great therapy dogs cos they are sooo laid back)
My cousin is on his second therapy service dog (his first one had to retire for health reasons so is now just the family pet. They are such amazing life changing additions to an autistic person’s world. 🥰
Your cousin does not have a therapy service dog, there is NO such thing.
That’s GREAT that you got Abbie a service dog, Maverick
Thank you for this. I'm on the Autism Spectrum, and I have a sevice dog.
Im so glad you told us what a parenting dog does i think its pretty cool
I love this video. I love seeing younger pictures of Abby she is such a cutie!
Thank you. We are looking for a service dog for my autistic daughter. This was very helpful. Yes, we get lots of stares and the autism label on the vest is a great idea.
Him: then he went yo jail me: WHAT
" And then he went to jail "
Me: " Did he not pay is BARKing ticket? Heheh. That must have a been a RUFF day for him! Heheh "
This is crazy we have a autism service dog also named Maverick. He is our sons best friend he has helped him become at ease in many ways. We ran into a issue at the Grand canyon riding the shuttle bus in which the bus loader didn't accept him as a service dog. She said that the dog isn't a service dog because we as parents are the ones who keep our son safe. As a result our son had a meltdown that last the rest of the day. With his limited vocal skills he just kept saying " my bus my dog" we had already rode two buses in the park but one person stopped us. We have yet to try to ride that bus to hermit's rest which is a bus access only area of the Grand canyon again.
I have (high functioning thanks to lots of therapy as a kid, that and my mom noticed it pretty early) autism and man do I wish I had an autism service dog for my meltdowns, especially in public.
What happens is that something does not go according to routine (usually when something goes wrong) and despite my best efforts to keep it together I end up having a meltdown/anxiety attack/become a sobbing mess.
It’s especially horrible for me when it happens in public because that just makes me feel more vulnerable on top of that.
It just stinks that getting an autism service dog is so dang expensive, and that I have a small apartment, otherwise I would go for it.
Thank you for sharing!
I registered my Havanese as a service/therapy dog. I don’t always bring her out with me but when I’m having a bad day I will, and I’ll get stares or people laugh like it’s a joke. Not all service dogs are for people with a physical or noticeable disorders. She definitely helps with my BPD, severe anxiety and BDD. All service dogs are amazing, I believe we are truly blessed to have them in our lives.
Your dog is NOT registered because that does NOT exist, and there is NO such thing as a therapy service dog.
Good video! Very informative. My channel has its own autism service dog. I take her everywhere.
My daughter is 4 and she has autism as well loved this video
I am starting from episode 1 of the Vlog. Hope this dog is still alive on the latest episode. No Spoiler please!
I turned 17 four days after this video!
Hey is there anyway you can caption this video? It's not accessible to Deaf people, people with APD or Deaf Autistic people like myself.
I've never done that before but I will see what I can do. I'll comment back here again when I've got something for you.
Ok awesome! If you need any captioning resources I can send you some information.
I'd be happy to help. . . there is a way to do it through youtube. If you find out how, please let me know. I'd be happy to input the captions.
FatheringAutism I just tried the auto generated subtitles and they are perfect. it got every word right.
I'm watching from my cell phone and there is a button up at the top where you can turn on captions.
I got a flat coated retriever I love my dog xx
If you could show a video of the dog giving her deep pressure, making sure she doesnt walk into traffic etc. different task. I would be interested in watching that.
I would love to make that video for you but Maverick is 11 years old now and he’s retired. This video was from many years ago.
Maverick is super cute! Is he still her service dog or you "washed" him out?
I'm autistic, I don't run off, but I am not great at realising when I'm being rude and I am often very literal. I also have quite high levels of anxiety, I'm still in school but it's very stressful as everyone is screaming and shouting, I find it almost impossible to block out noise, so I sometimes just shut down in school which helps literally nobody. I also have a border collie puppy, she has helped massively with anxiety and stress at home but at school it is super stressful, so if my puppy was trained by me and others could she become a service dog? My only concern is that my school may not allow service dogs/ESAs.
-Molly
Just started training with my gsd
How come maverick doesn't go with Abby everywhere anymore? Like to stores and school?
wow this is so cool, much love to you guys
How can I find this trainer for kids with autism
Same here I go through those things too my daughter has autism and people always stair at us and it makes me up set :”(
I need a service dog for my son he is 6 And is starting to run, have meltdowns, little patience, has sensory issues , a severe language disorder, gets super
Hyper and makes
Noises :/ but they are super expensive
Miranda Gonzalez They are extremely expensive. We were fortunate enough to receive Maverick with much less out of pocket cost because of the type of program that he came from and their mission as trainers. I would highly recommended searching for programs that you can access that can greatly reduce the cost. I would also recommend going to a training company that works with Autism Service dogs specifically and make sure you guys are a good fit for a service animal and what that trainer specifically trains them to provide service for. Best of luck to you guys. We started our quest for a service dog nearly 5 years before we got Maverick. Stay with it!
The Assistance Dogs International has a list of reputable programs for pretty much anywhere in the world, in case you want to look into it. Also, the Assistance Dogs United Campaign has information on vouchers up to $5500 to help pay for dogs from a long list of programs.
FatheringAutism If you guys ever need another service dog, I puppy raise for an organization called Guide Dogs for the Blind. Their original goal is for the dog to make it into a seeing eye dog, however not every dog makes it, either for behavioural reasons or for medical reasons. These dogs then get ‘career changed’ and either become pet dogs or they can be made into service dogs with tasks other than seeing eye dogs. If youd like to know more about it, id highly recommend contacting them. Heres their website-> guidedogs.com
I also have autism, my SD in training does deep presure therapy I never ran as a kid because I was always afraid to get lost but it's very hard for me to remember directions
Hey there, I’m Leo. I have autism, PTSD, anxiety( general, social ), adhd and depression. I have been really looking into service dogs for months but im not sure how I’m supposed to talk to my parents about getting one. I’ve done my fair share of research and I’m almost 100% a service dog would benefit me. A few of my therapists have suggested one. But like I stated I’m unsure of how to talk to my parents about it. So if you have any advice I’d love to hear it. Thank you
Great video!
How much did his training cost? Thats the big question. Ive crossed trained my service dog to keep my grandson from bolting, and he knows how to handle a meltdown, but there are other aspects needed for autism II, that I dont know how to train him for. Plus he is 9 years old, so introducing new training is harder. Getting a new dog for my 5 year old grandson is the option now, but Im getting mixed info on the cost, and we are not rich, at all.
Can you do a video about tethering? I hear so many things about how horrible and dangerous it is, but people still do it. So apparently there's another side to the story and I'd really like to hear it if you get time. I assume you hold the leash too and there's probably other things to consider. Thanks.
biz3503 I probably wouldn't be able to do a dedicated video for tethering but I'm sure I could work it into another video. I definitely could see the concern for safety. Maverick is trained but after all he is still a dog. I hold a leash that is attached to his collar and when they are tethered it's attached to his vest. Most of the time they aren't tethered. If the risk is her running into traffic I'd rather have them tethered and chance that than chance her being hit by a car.
@@fatheringautism problem is (and I mean this in the nicest way possible; I'm also autistic, so communication isn't always my strong suit) the dog can be a dog like you said. V easily the dog could be distracted, run into the road and not only could your daughter be injured, but the dog too. If the dog was also injured, you'd have to retire it from Public Access until recovered (as well as your daughter working on her recovery) and if the dog is injured enough, you might have to permanently pull it from Public Access and spend $20,000 plus on getting a new service dog.
I'm planning on working with an org to train my rescue mutt as an autism service/assistance dog, and I'm not a bolter, but I do have spatial awareness difficulties and struggle with Judging the distance of cars, so one of the things I'm thinking of is training my dog to stop and sit when I get to a kerb/obedient disobedience - like with guide dog owners- so if I try cross the road and there's a car closer than I think the dog will stop me crossing. Won't be tethered at all. Tethering also teaches the dog and child to submit and there's no point trying as you'll always be held back. A little like ABA, which is also controversial as autistic adults have admitted its given them things like PTSD. There's a reason most ADUK/ADI charities don't teach tethering anymore.
You csn train an autism service dog to find the child if they go missing (from their smell) though.
I have a question for anyone who knows. Can you teach a autism assistants dog tricks without messing up there assistants training?
How come maverick isn't in your more recent videos? Did you just decide to not bring him with you anymore? Like as a service animal, like out with the vest
Emey Les he's still in their home and very much loved by the looks of it. They had mentioned that he needs some retraining and some new training because Abbie has grown and changed as have her needs
I cant wait to get my service dog but i have to wait 2 years but it will be worth it😄
I wish it was the same in the U.K. people are struggling and no one knows about autism assistance dogs and you have to owner train them yourself which is hard
What about ADUK Assistant Dogs U K
How did a flat coated retriever end up in the pound?
I'm here in 2019 I've noticed that maveric is retired? Or just does not go places with abby.
Adielina Richardson I’m catching up on older videos myself. Maverick is retired now (2019). The Maass’ did get Mac for Abbie when she was littler, but she outgrew the needs. Now his is a retired family fur baby.
@@phyllisheintschel1437 wait so she doesn't have problems anymore?
I adopted a black golden retriever and his name was maverick
Where did you get her teethed. I can’t find any that fit my 4 year old.
How much did it cost you for all the training?
i have autism (i take meds for it) we have not m trained my dogg but she already dose everything for it and and she knows what to do. woulf she be able to be a autism servuce dogg?
+lex equine Technically any dog can be a service dog. There is a difference between a therapy animal and a service animal though. Training would be necessary for public access. Thanks for watching!
If you can train your dog to do specific tasks to help your autism, that would cover the task side of service dog. Tasks for adults, older children etc with autism include things like alerting you to signs of your anxiety showing, providing deep pressure therapy to help reduce anxiety or prevent a meltdown, get help from a family member if youare having a meltdown, blocking you to prevent people getting too close to you in public, offering sensory imput by touching her when you are experiencing sensory overload, guiding you out of a room to get away from a social situation you are finding difficult. These are the most common tasks an autism assistant dog can do for an adult or teen with autism. I'm based in the Uk so I don't know much about your laws in USA about what other things are required for the dog to be recognised as a qualified service dog, but if you resaerch that side of it and think you can do what needs to be done to train her for the public access side of things, then you can look at some of the tasks I've suggested and see if any of those would help you and if your dog is capable of learning them. I'm training my dog as a dual autism and mobility assistance dog (in the UK we call them assistance dogs not service dogs).
What program did you get the dog from? I have looked into programs that want $18,000 or more. The ones that are free have stopped taking applications to 2026. These are just the ones I have found. My son is 9 and has Autism.
I've two boys with autism, I'd like more information on how to contact these individuals.
Kyleen Drake research trainers in your state. You can also owner train, but I wouldn't recommend that if you don't have experience.
Why don’t you guys use maverick as a service dog outside the home anymore? I didn’t realize he was even a service dog since watching your videos within the past year
Great blog.thanks,AletaSneed
Did you guys give him the name Maverick or did the shelter give it to him?
I love Maverick!
If i already have a dog how would i go about getting him to be a service dog for my child he is about 5 and same as mavrick he is our pound puppy
he needs to be trained to do some sort of task for it
He also needs to have the right personality for it - most dogs actually can't make it as service dogs because of their personality, but a small percentage do, and do it well (but just because a dog doesn't have the right personality for it doesn't mean there's something wrong with the dog, it just means service work isn't the job for them). If you want to train your own dog, you should find 1) someone who is knowledgeable in temperament testing potential prospects (called a 'behaviorist') to test your dog to see if the dog's personality matches the job description, and 2) if you don't have the extensive experience required, a trainer who specializes in training service dogs.
To old to be a SD most retire at 7
I have a question, i do was diagnosed with classic autism since a young age. Now i'm 14 but i've gotten social anxiety and also panic attacks. So there's much special help for me but either it doesn't change it or costs even more than a service dog does. I'm scared to go in public places but often try to hide it but actually get in panic so i don't know what i do and even can feel suicidal in such attacks which i commonly have. I really live in a different world and feel very lonely. I only do feel understand by my dog but hes almost 9. He feels my panic attacks and then comes to me and it goes away which is very nice since i can cry badly then and feel too upset. But since hes almost 9 hes too old to become a service dog so not allowed in public places. So would a survive dog also be something for some1 like me? I don't run away like others do. But i do feel very scared. And i'm also other than those who often have such a service dog.
What is the company you went through...im trying to get one for my son.
I have a service dog..she is a Chihuahua..I have narcolepsy...she helps keep me from falling down...
What are Mavericks tasks?
I have autism and I’ve trained my own service dog but she’s not allowed PA bc she has anxiety so she only works at home and outdoor places. How can I get a dog? I don’t have a job and my parents don’t have the money to pay for the original fee. We have enough to maintain but not enough to pay like 50,000 for a dog. How can I get one?
I wonder if he could be trained to alert y'all if she was getting into her pull up
He's so freaking cute!
Maverick is beautiful!
Does maverick still go to public with abby????
Thanks for sharing!
We just got a puppy for our son who is on the spectrum. We are looking for a place where we can get our dog trained in the Bay Area.
Is what you did with Maverick a common thing? How long was he gone for his training?
Thanks!
Saiyan Ranger please let me know if you ever found anyone in the bay ❤️
Why don’t you use maverick anymore? He always stays home even from surfing I think! :(
Her needs changed
Do you still take Maverick out with you? I haven't ever seen him. We love our dogs and our granddogs. Magoo was also raised in a prison in prep for Leader Dog training. Due to his ebullient personality he washed out of the program. Serendipitously, he has become a successful therapy dog for my grandson who no longer suffers from sleep issues now that Magoo sleeps in his bed. BTW he is a Golden Retriever.
Lynn Asmus I know this question was directed towards FA but they've mentioned in previous videos that Maverick needs more training simply due to Abigail's needs changing as she has grown. He's still very much loved and makes appearances in various videos! He seems like a sweet boy.
Thank you, Kay.
So maverick did like water when he was young?
He wasn’t a water dog like Sandy but he didn’t mind it when he was younger
Aww he was a Gwinnett County jail dog?! I live in Gwinnett!
How much did it cost for the training? And how did you get him into the prison program?
Hi I have a form of autism called Asperger's (I think that is how it's spelled) and I been thinking/ wanting to get a service dog not only for my autism but for my anxiety too how much would it be to get one?
They cost a lot. In the US, if you go with a program dog, they cost at least $20,000 to train. I'm fundraising over the next year for a UK charity that gives fully trained autism assistance (UK term for service) dogs to people who need them, regardless of age, for free and for them it costs them just under $24,200 (£20,000) to train one dog to place.
You'll probably need fo fundraise.
You can train your own service dog (which, as a fellow autistic, may be better in that you can choose a breed which doesn't cause you sensory problems with Barking, shedding, drool etc) but it costs roughly the same (tho more risk of dog not passing training, esp if you get one that isn't in the standard Fab 4 dog breeds of Poodles, Labs, Goldens and Smooth/Rough Collies - not border collies. These are the ones used most by programs). It's less of a financial commitment ad yoh pay this over the dogs life while training etc rather than $20,000 upfront
Abbie’s hair is so pretty long ☺️
Aww Abby is so little
is he still a service dog?
i am i too old to get a service dog ? im 24 and i was diagnosed in 2012 with ASD and anxiety
No way! I don't know about the US/other places but in the UK there's a charity which donates autism assistance (service) dogs to any individual who needs them, adult or child, for free...
I'm a similar age to you (6 yrs younger, since you're 28 now) and I have my own rescue mutt who's about to be formally assessed (next weekend) by a company who helps autistic handlers train their own dogs and hopefully she'll be able to start training for me
wish i had a dog fore my son to help him get out to meet people and keep him calm . but I don't have the money for that. i am a single mom.
Let me guess. The service dog acts like an ambassador for the autism child. The dog socialize with people on behave of the owner to compensate the deficiency.
I actually have an autistic brother that wouldve loved this. Too bad we got a dumb cat...
No seriously the cat ran into a fucking wall on purpose. What a joke
#MaassSquad
AMAZING FAMILY
At what age did you get Abigail her service dog? My daughter is 6? And tends to still put random things in her mouth honestly in my current setting its really just no very dog friendly no fence or things that I feel neccessary for a dog? WAs the service dog reccommended to you by her therapist what was the deciding factor of having her have a service dog?
+Sol McNally Elopement is Maverick's primary job. She got him when she was 8. No recommendation, we just felt she/we would benefit from one.
Here because of the faq video
I love that doggie
I understand that we all not perfect at all and we all can get in trouble and get arrested and we all make decisions and we all make choices and there is consequences and we all make mistakes and we all all have record and we all can have felony and yes we do have regret and yes we have a fault and so on
Hi.
I qualify for a service dog the problem the money im 15 im saving up and that’s my gole
Tethering kids to dogs is really dangerous.