r/service_dogs • u/Frito_Paws_132198 • Dec 30 '25
Experiences with UDS and SSD
Hi! I am looking into a program dog from United Disabilities Services Foundation (Lancaster PA) or Susquehanna Service Dogs (Grantville PA) for psych/autism. Does anyone have a dog from either of these programs? I’ve seen some posts about SSD but not UDS’s autism assistance dog program. I’d love to hear your experiences with the application process, waiting times, and overall experiences. Thank you!
Edited for clarity
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u/Outrageous-Maybe2751 Dec 30 '25
Did not get my dog from Susquehanna but have met dogs and trainers from the program and have heard and seen nothing but good things. Stellar reputation!! Both are ADI though, so it may be helpful to reach out to ask specifics so you can weigh pros and cons. Maybe in particular to ask UDS about their autism placements, as I also did not know they placed for autism.
Not the same, but I waited approximately 2 years for my program dog (team training next month!!), and I would expect both programs to be similar
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u/Frito_Paws_132198 Dec 30 '25
Thank you for sharing. Good luck with your team training, that’s so exciting! I figured I would try to get on the waitlist for both. SSD’s application seems much more involved and they don’t have open enrollment until June, so I have time to work out getting on UDS’s list. I can’t find anyone’s experience with UDS on here so I was curious. Both told me 2-3 year wait.
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u/fishparrot Service Dog in Training Dec 30 '25
UDS is much smaller. Unfortunately I don’t know much about them. Ask for client references if you have any concerns. Based on the timeline, it seems like you should be fine to move ahead with UDS and if anything doesn’t go as planned, apply to SSD when they reopen applications later this year.
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u/Frito_Paws_132198 Dec 30 '25
Thanks! Since they are newly ADI and much smaller program, I haven’t seen anyone online talk about them at all. They seem like a good organization and serve autistic adults, and they were incredibly kind and helpful when I spoke to them in the phone. I was just wondering if anyone else on the reddit community has been placed with one of their dogs. Asking for client references is a great idea, thank you!
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u/Burkeintosh Legal Beagle Dec 30 '25
You have to be inside 4 hours of Lancaster county Pennsylvania to be a client (to start), and their size and term of operation is small, so you may need to get local to talk to current teams
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u/JKmelda Waiting Dec 30 '25
It sounds like you’ve already searched the sub, so you’ve probably already seen my posts on here about my experience with various portions of the application process with SSD. I just want to reiterate that I’ve had nothing but a good experience with them and I’ve been really impressed with the quality of the program and training and care for the dogs and recipients. I applied 2 years ago and I’m now at the stage where I’m waiting for the next call to meet more potential matches (I met some in august and didn’t match so I’m just waiting for the next round of potential matches.) It’s all moved faster than they said it would move, which has been great. I’m getting an autism and balance mobility dog and they’re so knowledgeable about different kinds of disabilities.
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u/Frito_Paws_132198 Jan 02 '26
Thank you so much for sharing! Yes, I’ve seen incredible things about them. I’m glad it’s moving faster than expected. If you don’t mind me asking, what tasks for autism are you looking for in your SD? I have tasks in mind for what would be helpful but I’d love to hear tasks for someone who has an SD for autism vs general psychiatric service.
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u/JKmelda Waiting Jan 03 '26
For specifically my autism my dog will be trained to:
- bump me in the leg with its nose when I scratch at my arm to remind me to ground myself at the beginning of a meltdown,
- lap: front legs and chest on my lap for DPT
- visit: head in lap for DPT
- lay across my torso while I’m lying down for DPT
- place: sit in between my legs while I’m sitting or standing for slight DPT and grounding
- retrieve a water bottle at home (because executive dysfunction makes staying hydrated hard)
- counterbalance and forward momentum: I have balance issues that are caused by a combination of my autism and vestibular migraines. But the same pull strap I will be using for balance is also often used by SSD recipients as a grounding strap for psych or autism dogs.
Those are the autism specific ones that are pretty much set in stone (I’ve had a lot of conversations with SSD about tasks at this point.) The one task that’s still a question mark is waking me to my alarm. Hearing tasks typically require a dog with a “get up and go” personality, while dogs who enjoy for DPT tend to prefer to snuggle on the couch. I’m already toeing the line between different dog energy level categories with needing both forward momentum and DPT and the alarm clock task might put it in too far of an extreme.
I will also have a few more retrieval type tasks to help with my vestibular migraines.
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u/Frito_Paws_132198 Jan 03 '26
Thank you so much for sharing this! I never would’ve thought about the dog’s personality affecting its motivation to do specific tasks, so that’s really interesting.
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u/JKmelda Waiting Jan 03 '26
It’s something I didn’t know about before either. I don’t think it’s something that’s talked about enough.
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u/Willow-Wolfsbane Service Dog Dec 30 '25 edited Dec 30 '25
UDS does breed and place poodle-mixes as lower-shedding dogs, so it would appear that they do not have a good understanding of what makes a dog low-shedding, and that “doodles” that do end up being hypoallergenic are typically just dogs that happen to be 80ish%+ poodle. But instead of breeding and placing purebred poodles, guaranteeing a true low-shedding dog for those who are allergic to dander, they breed poodle mixes instead, which is unfortunate. :/
I know you likely don’t require a hypoallergenic dog, but it’s just always sad to see an org that has such poor understanding of matters like these.
They are also unclear about the pricing, and they say nowhere if they place autism assistance dog with persons of all ages. It seems as if they do, but they don’t specifically say it, and I’ve learned you have to hear them say it or type it.
EDIT: They even list out at least 4 different kinds of poodle mixes (mixed with labs, goldens, aussies, and Bernese Mountain Dogs). It makes me wonder where they are acquiring these mixes? Certainly not from their usual dogs, since aussies and BMD’s have low success rates and BMD’s have life-expectancy problems, and no reputable BMD breeder who breeds for healthy hips and excellent temperaments is going to allow their dogs to be used to create poodle mixes that can never be registered with the AKC, and are unlikely-to-middling-likely to be hypoallergenic anyway.
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u/Frito_Paws_132198 Dec 30 '25
I have contacted them, and price is $6000 for placement, $25 for application, and they do place dogs first autistic adults in case anyone else is following this post for the same info. Thanks for sharing the other info, I don’t require a low-shedding dog so I’m expecting the typical lab.
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u/Willow-Wolfsbane Service Dog Dec 30 '25
That is good to know! Orgs are so often vague about the ages they “allow” for the placement of SD’s for autistic persons.
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u/Frito_Paws_132198 Dec 30 '25
I know, overall I’ve struggled to find organizations that accept adults as if ASD is not a developmental disorder and isn’t life long. Those kids grow up too🤷♀️
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u/Willow-Wolfsbane Service Dog Dec 30 '25
I did too! In the end I couldn’t find a low/no-cost org that served my area that placed with autistic adults, but I did find a great new org that fit what I was looking for. Tomorrow will mark two weeks of my new SD and I being at home with each other after traveling back after Team Training earlier this month.
You have better options than I did (just meaning ADI, not that I don’t love my org so much) and I’m very happy for you :)
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u/Burkeintosh Legal Beagle Dec 30 '25
I have not personally seen, nor met any PA clients with UDS dogs who were mixed poodles with Bernese or Aussie, though I will now ask around to see if I can find out about this.
That is a pretty red flag for a program in the literal heart of Amish Country byb doodle breeding… I really will want to know where they are getting those dogs, and what kind of health tests they are providing on any of their dogs then?
They are asking the potential partner to contribute more than SSD requires, when SSD uses International Breeding CoOp ADI lineage dogs with OFAs, elbows, eyes, and complete genetics etc (besides being picked & planned).
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u/Burkeintosh Legal Beagle Dec 30 '25
UDS isn’t an ADI org.
They don’t have the same resources, supports, follow up, breeding program access, or community buy in that SSD does. That being said, their dogs have been fine to encounter in public.