Hi everyone My name is Mike, i'v been a member for a couple of weeks now but never got round to posting....too busy reading all the other posts My family and I have been thinking about getting a family dog for some time now and after looking around the tinternet and visiting various breed websites, we have finally decided we would like a Labrador. We do have a big consideration as my son Ewan 8 is Autistic and ADHD, Ewan is a very placid, laid back child but does on the odd occasion have a tendency to be a bit manic! I have visited the N.A.S (National Autistic Society) website but cannot find any info regarding autistic children interacting with pets, specifically dogs. we do not know any autistic families who have family dogs and so do not have any idea how to deal with any issue that may arrise. Ewan has in the past interacted with dogs (he said he likes the smell!!) owned by family and friends but has always had the option of distancing himself from the dog when he's had enough, i guess my main concern is that if we have a family dog, it's going to be perminant and thus Ewans only retreat would be if we remove the dog from Ewans immediate area by either putting the dog into another room or by moving Ewan to his bedroom....both options i feel are not fair on either party. We, which really means my wife and 5 year old daughter would very much like a labrador but i'm more interested in getting the right dog to interact with Ewan, whether that be a Great Dane or a Chiwawa. We have asked Ewan if he would like to get a dog and he said he would, but ask Ewan if he wants to do a 30,000 feet skydive without a parachute and he would say yes...which sort of explains how Ewan does not really understand what you ask of him. I guess i'm after any feedback you guy's can give regarding breeds and their interaction with people with learning difficulties, maybe some of you already deal with a similar issue in your lives and can give me some advise on how to interact ewan correcty with a family dog. Any sort of advice would be very much appreciated. Many thanks and i look forward to reading your replies Mike
Hi Mike. There are actually autistic children who have a dog specifically to help with their autism.They are harnessed and jacketed a bit like the guide dogs you will have seen except that the child is also attached to lead the dog. They are therefore allowed in many other areas that ordinary dogs are not allowed to.I wonder if anyone could post a link to the Crufts feature for you as it showed a young boy "working " with his dog.I will try and find one for you.Maybe the National Autism society(not sure on correct title here) would be able to advise further?
http://www.irlfunds.org/your_money_at_work/projects_guidedogs.asp?searchStr=1 This is all about a project run in Ireland. I know a similar dog has been trained over here and as Rachel said there was a big thing in Crufts about it. It may be worth emailing people and rather than getting a definite 'pet' find out if you would be able to get a trained dog for your son. Dogs can make such a difference. Good luck, welcome to Dogsey and please keep us posted. xxxx
Hi, I can sympathise with the dilema as my eldest sons girlfriend has a son who is autistic and also suffers from adhd he is 5. They bought a staffy pup for all the reasons you give and were adamant they would never give it up etc. etc. They took the pup on at 7 weeks and at 13 weeks he came to live with me, on a temporary basis as the girlfriend could not cope with both child and pup. That pup Diesel is now just over a year old and is still living with me and as far as I can see this is now his permanent home. The child visits and gets on great with all the dogs, his mum however isn't very dog orientated and I now feel she bought the dog for the child but lacked the commitment to see it through. The dog is great, the child is great they have a great bond, but 5 minutes after he leaves he forgets all about the dog. Taylor the boy can also be very manic and loud he likes nothing more than screeching at Syd my big male Dobermann who clearly thinks he's nuts But we tend to channel his energy into things like throwing the ball for the dogs, the dogs will keep bringing it back all day long and Taylor will be happy to throw it all day long. I think it's perfectly acceptable to seperate them for parts of the day, the dog will enjoy the peace and your son must have other activities to do. I don't think there is an ideal breed as such, most puppies are very lively although something quite robust is probably a sound idea. Which would rule out chihuahua's and similar tiny breeds. Also puppies require a lot of sleep so it would be a good idea to have a crate as a safe haven from the beginning, that way they both get used to being seperated for a while from a very early age. I think the choice of breed should be one you the adults really want and will put the required effort into, no matter how tough it gets at times.
I was actually in the library earlier today looking at books and in the dog section was a book called something along the lines of "animal translations" (thats not the exact title, but it went something like that) which was about how animals are very much like persons suffering from autism-how they learn and react to things, specifically in a very 'visual' way. I know that inside the book somewhere were tips on picking pets and training them when they are coming into a household with an autistic person. I honestly don't know too much about austism and animals, or how autistic children are with animals, but I'm sure much of depends on the individual child's personality and behaviour as well as the individual animal's personality and behaviour. I have heard that dogs can indeed be theraputic to people with autism, and it is my personal belief that dogs which are truly in-tune with their people can be of great help. I actually once saw a program on the television where a boy with horrible asthma had gotten a german shepherd, and the shepherd would wake the parents in the middle of the night when the boy would have a sudden asthma attack-and this was without training. If you decide to get a dog either a lab or golden retriever would be a good choice in my opinion-both are very trainable and eager to please, as well as very loving. Although, as most puppies are, can be very mouthy, bouncy and rambunctious! I agree with Trouble recommending a crate (which I would recommend regardless of if there is an autistic child or not in the household) as it is a wonderful training device and can help keep you, your family, and your house in once piece. Just like with anything, if you have the patience, understanding, and time to commit to it I am sure you could make it work out very well. Best of luck to you guys! I hope it works out.
Thank you Fudgeley, Your replies are very much appreciated, as are all the replies i've received. I got in touch with support dogs and had a really good chat with a lovely lady called Rita, after a lengthy conversation it was agreed that Ewan's needs are not at a level where he requires the sort of dogs that support dogs provide. We discussed getting a family dog and It was agreed that it would be a good idea as it will still help Ewan with his interaction, we can teach Ewan responsibility by letting him be responsible for feed times and it was mentioned that dogs can have a calming effect on autistic children, so it all sounds great. plus they have e-mailed me a load of info regarding nutrition, exercise and training. However we didn't discuss which would be better for the family, Dog or Bitch!!...this may not have been mentioned as it may not make any difference but i thought i'd ask you guy's Does the sex of a dog make any difference if it receives the propper attention/training? Thanks in advance Mike
So pleased you've been able to chat with someone who can help. As for dog or bitch - I think if you ask people with bitches they would say a bitch is better and likewise with those that have dogs. I was always a 'dog' person until I got my first bitch. Now I really wouldn't mind which - as you say, it depends more on the individual dog and how you raise them. One thing I would add though, is be prepared for some very hard work during puppy stage - many people underestimated how much time/effort is involved in the first few months of a dogs life. Because pups can be so lively and naughty, it is unlikely that you will find the puppy stage a calming influence, but I'm sure if you can cope with that, you won't regret it.
Thats the thing, i personally have never owned a dog before, my wife's parents had a Irish Red setter Bitch when she was younger and they swear by bitches but friends who own/owned male dogs swear by them...so who do you listen to? Does it simply boil down to the personality of the dog/bitch and the training he/she recieves? My head hurts!!
Couldn't agree more with Hali on all of the above. Puppies are exhausting and need calm themselves so be prepared for a tough few months. A friend's sister has an autistic son (5) and got a lab pup for him but is finding life very difficult indeed. I'm not wanting to put a downer on anything, just to make you aware that the real benefits of having a dog around will not be obvious for a year or more after you have brought the pup home. Do Support Dogs have any dogs that haven't quite made the grade, that perhaps would be suitable for you to rehome, so you miss the puppy stage? It may be worth trying to find out about that? I love the whole kid/dog bonding thing,I really hope you find a suitable dog. Guide Dogs and DFTD rehome dogs as well, it may be worth speaking to them, they are VERY careful about where they rehome the dogs to so would only rehome a dog that would be suitable to you. There is a long wait though.
