* What about the dogs? Most doctor dogs are not in situations where they could potentially be hurt. Stressed? Yes, sometimes, although their people usually do what it takes to mitigate stress. But physically hurt? No.

A study that looked into the welfare of autism-assistance dogs points out that depending on the child, these dogs can potentially be in harm’s way. Children prone to aggression might unintentionally mistreat their dog. The study found that the dogs eventually learn to roll with the punches, so to speak, by figuring out when to move away and when to move in to distract the child.