Waikato group trains assistance dogs to help children with disabilities

The generous donation of two 8-week-old puppies may open a new chapter for a Waikato-based organisation providing service dogs for children with disabilities.

If all goes to plan, these two Labradors – known for their gentle temperaments – will be the start of a breeding programme which will spell the end of having to source dogs from Trademe and the SPCA for Assistance Dogs New Zealand trainer Julie Hancox.

In 2008, after 10 years working as a guide dog trainer for the Blind Foundation, Mrs Hancox set up the Assistance Dogs New Zealand Trust to cater for those whose disability did not fit a certain box.

“There is a gap in New Zealand for service dogs being made available without prejudice to the type of disability,” she explains.

While guide dogs are a well-known tool for the blind, through specific training assistance dogs can make a difference to the lives of people with a whole range of behavioural and medical conditions.

“A lot of children with disabilities are isolated from friends and other children and having a dog helps with this regardless of the disability,” says Mrs Hancox.

Assistance Dogs NZ is not limited to working with dogs for children with autism, however this has been the primary focus of the organisation to date.

Children on the autism spectrum can display many varied characteristics and the ablity to specifically train each dog forthe needs of a child and their family is what sets Assistance Dogs apart.

For Vanessa O’Sullivan the arrival of Andy, the golden labrador, in 2009 marked an almost immediate turn-around in the lives of her sons, James and Trent, who both have autism.

Initially Andy was trained by Mrs Hancox to provide help with recognized behavior patterns such as interrupting bouts of repetitive movement known as stimming and acting as a restraint in road safety situations for, then 6-year-old, James.

But Andy’s abilities as a service dog have far exceeded these roles and within the first week of being in the O’Sullivan household he had brought about noticeable progress.”

At six James had never written or drawn anything and within three days he drew a picture about a dog with Andy’s name beside it.

“Trent never voluntarily showed affection or expressed his emotions and he now cuddles Andy and tells him everyday what he means to him. We just couldn’t live without him,” said Ms O’Sullivan.

At present there are nine families from the north island awaiting specially trained dogs for their children through Assistance Dogs NZ.

After fighting last year to have assistance dogs given the same public access as other service dogs, Mrs Hancox is now continuing with the on-going battle for funding.

Before training can even begin the puppy must first live with a volunteer “puppy walking” family for a year, this is so they can learn to be gentle and loving with children and get used to all types of stimulation.