A smart pup for HAYDEN

Hayden has been successful in his application for an Autism assistance dog. This is incredibly exciting for us.
The things that these dogs can do is amazing:

- tethering (dogs stay calm and anchored in position near traffic)
- tracking (by scent) if the child goes missing
- behaviour disruption - touching or nudging a child to disrupt repetitive behaviours, and snuggling and licking if upset. This can prevent escalations into meltdowns.
- positive social presence (a reason to communicate in public), and a calming presence (less frustration and anxiety).

Many children have a special connection with animals, particularly dogs. We've seen this in Hayden on many occasions. He is acutely aware of dogs and has a real interest in them. These dogs are so specifically trained that they can dramatically enhance the quality of life for children with autism.

It will be an interesting road ahead - these dogs are trained and raised from birth (just like police dogs, and guide dogs for the blind), so it costs $20k before they're fully trained to do all of the above. But we are so happy to even have the chance, and we know that we can do it. There's no time limit, and not even the sky is the limit now.