On the command “cover,” June climbed onto J.P. Impastato’s bed and lay across him. The young golden retriever’s weight provided deep pressure as the overwhelmed 12-year-old settled down and eventually fell asleep.
The response followed J.P.’s visit to a school he no longer attended. Afterward, he withdrew to his bedroom, where his mother, Jennifer Impastato, cued June to perform one of the tasks for which she had been trained. It was a practical demonstration of the distinction between a household pet and a service dog: June responded to a specific command with work intended to assist a person with a disability.
June’s placement with J.P., a Wantagh resident who has autism, was not based on a single meeting or on affection alone. The Impastato family began the Canine Companions matching process with an in-person interview in April 2026. In June, the organization contacted the family about several possible dogs.
June was the third candidate considered. The family needed a calm, gentle dog. During their meeting, June approached J.P., placed her head on his lap and remained composed when he hugged her. “She is the one who was the most perfect fit,” Jennifer said.
Training the team, not only the dog
Before graduation, J.P. and June spent two weeks in team training at Canine Companions’ Northeast campus in Medford. Recipients live on campus during that period, learning how to cue, handle and care for their dogs. J.P. graduated on Aug. 14, 2026, alongside 14 other students, according to public relations manager John Bentzinger.
Senior instructor Laura Ann Dubecky, who has worked for Canine Companions for 32 years, watched the relationship develop during those two weeks. J.P. began asking for June when he did not want to participate in other activities. He also sought her out by hugging her or lying beside her.
The work extends beyond “cover.” June is trained to nudge J.P. when he shows signs of stress, retrieve needed objects and help remind him about routines such as brushing his teeth. These are individualized, task-based behaviors rather than an assumption that a dog’s presence alone will produce the same result.
J.P. is also learning the responsibilities on the human side of the partnership. He feeds and cares for June and clears furniture before allowing her onto it. Those daily duties matter because a service-dog team depends on consistent handling and care, not simply the dog’s prior instruction.
June arrived with substantial preparation. Volunteer puppy raisers cared for and socialized her during her first 18 months. Professional instructors then provided about six months of advanced training. Canine Companions says its canine assistants learn more than 40 commands and are placed free of charge with people who have disabilities.
That task training also carries a legal distinction. Service dogs are trained to perform work directly related to a person’s disability; emotional-support animals do not have the same task-based status. Public-access guidance also requires a service animal to remain under the handler’s control, generally with a harness or leash. An official service-animal law explainer outlines those responsibilities and the limited questions staff may ask about a working dog.
June’s successful response should not be treated as evidence that one dog, task or placement model will suit every autistic child. A 2024 cross-sectional study of 75 families found that service-dog presence was associated with better child sleep behaviors, including sleep initiation and duration. It did not find significant associations with the measured areas of social and emotional behavior, peer relationships, caregiver strain or family functioning.
The researchers emphasized that results may vary with individual circumstances and that larger, prospective studies are needed. Their findings frame service dogs as an individualized complementary intervention, not a universal outcome or replacement for other support.
At graduation, volunteer puppy raisers Sharon and Tom Hoioos ceremonially transferred June’s leash to J.P.’s family. The handoff marked the end of June’s preparation and the beginning of the more consequential phase: applying trained behaviors within J.P.’s routines at home and in public. Jennifer hopes the partnership will support greater independence as he grows. What’s your dog’s job, official or self-appointed? Tell us in the comments.
By Tom Whitaker — Outdoor magazine editor who has reported on search-and-rescue, herding, field dogs, and working-dog handlers.
