FAQs

Autism Assistance Dogs are trained to increase safety levels by minimizing bolting behaviors common in children on the Autism spectrum. The parent has control of the dog on a leash and the child is tethered to the dog. If the child tries to bolt the dog prevents the child from going very far so that the parent can step in and take over and keep the child from running into an unsafe situation. Autism Assistance Dogs can also have a calming effect on the child increasing the child's willingness and ability to communicate, social and behavior skills, and attention span.

During the first year that your dog is with you, you send us regular progress reports, and the trainer who placed your dog with you responds with advice or suggestions. After that first year, we keep in contact with clients through yearly reports or visits for the duration of the working life of each team. Additionally, a Trainer is always available by phone or e-mail to respond to questions, concerns or problems.

Ideally, most Autism Assistance Dogs are placed within 12 months from the time an applicant is approved, depending on a number of factors.

We do not train privately owned dogs to be Hearing Dogs, Autism Assistance Dogs or Program Assistance Dogs. In order to be a working dog, the dog must have just the right temperament in addition to the desire to do the work.

We do not place Autism Assistance Dogs in homes with other dogs. Pets other than dogs are usually approved during the application process, unless the other pets would create unusual distractions for the Autism Assistance Dog.

Please visit our Career Change Dogs page to download and print out an application, then fill it out and send it in. You may also use the handy webform on the Career Change Dogs page to request an application be sent to you by mail.

We do not certify dogs that we have not trained.

No, they are not. Our dogs are trained to sounds and to alert their hearing impaired partner to sounds in the home, such as a door knock, oven timer, doorbell, telephone, smoke alarm, and even a baby's cry. If the person signs, the dog will learn it very quickly. We do teach obedience commands with voice and hand signals.

Currently, the expected wait time is approximately a year.

Before applying for a Hearing Dog, you need to decide if you would benefit from having a Hearing Dog in your life. Please review the Application Process section of our website. After reviewing the application process, application requirements and points to consider, if you would like an information and application packet, you may request to have one sent to you using the convenient webform on the Application Process page.

We do not train privately owned dogs to be Hearing Dogs, Autism Assistance Dogs or Program Assistance Dogs. In order to be a working dog, the dog must have just the right temperament in addition to the desire to do the work.

Before applying for a Program Assistance Dog, you need to decide if you would benefit from having a Program Assistance Dog in your life. Please review the Application Process section of our website. After reviewing the application process, application requirements and points to consider, if you would like an information and application packet, you may request to have one sent to you using the convenient webform on the Application Process page.

Ideally, most Program Assistance Dogs are placed within 12 months from the time an applicant is approved, depending on a number of factors.

We do not train privately owned dogs to be Hearing Dogs, Autism Assistance Dogs or Program Assistance Dogs. In order to be a working dog, the dog must have just the right temperament in addition to the desire to do the work.

We have placed thousands over the years. In addition to that, we also provide follow up and life time support to hundreds of teams that we have placed in past years. We make a lifetime commitment to each dog we rescue that we will make sure it is well cared for and being used properly.

The majority of the dogs we choose from the shelters are between 10 months and 3 years of age.

The basic things we look for are confidence and friendliness. These traits are important for training and critical for a dog which may accompany our clients into public places. We use dogs of all sizes and love to find dogs that love toys and treats.

The Apprentice Trainer position is 3 year program working with the Certified Canine Instructors on staff. After attaining the needed skills and passing the Certification Test, the Apprentice Trainer becomes a Certified Assistance Dog Instructor. Excellent communication skills and teamwork are required. The ability to communicate in sign language is preferred. Please e-mail us for a job description and an application. You may also visit our Careers page, where we post any current job openings, to download and print a job application.

Yes. All dogs receive the same basic training and then each dog receives specialized training depending on the person's needs. This way, each dog's training is customized to the needs of the applicant.

They have to be obedience trained and trained in the skills needed by the client they are being placed with. They must perform their skills reliably and regardless of any distractions around them. Those dogs that will be going into public places must pass the Public Access Test from Assistance Dogs International.

We are totally funded by donations from individuals, service clubs, groups of all kinds, and some businesses and corporations. We also encourage individuals to include Dogs for the Deaf in their estate planning. Leaving a bequest to Dogs for the Deaf in your will or trust can leave a legacy that will help for generations to come. We do not get any government funding for our organziation.

Our average investment per dog - from rescuing the dog in the shelter, all the medical work to get the dog in top physical condition, the 4-6 months of training, the placement expenses, and the lifetime follow up support for 10-12 years or more, plus assisting the client at the end of the dog's life - averages $25,000.00 to $27,000.00 per dog. This is a lot of money, and we do everything we can to keep the costs as low as possible and still maintain our high standards and quality. However, when you think of the lifesaving and life enhancing benefits of these dogs and the service they provide, it is worth a lot more.