I’m definitely not an animal lover. It’s not that I don’t like animals. I think they’re cute, in a way. I just didn’t grow up with pets and thus have no connection with animals. I’m not a roll around on the floor with my sweet little puppy kinda gal. In addition, I run a tight ship at home. We don’t wear shoes in the house, we don’t eat messy foods in our living room, I’m pretty particular. I don’t like clutter. I really don’t like dirt. I can handle dust (I figure that’s “natural”).
A dog – clean? I mean, they have to go out in the lawn to go to the bathroom. And when it does I can’t send it out in shoes to then be removed before it comes back in! It is kind of humorous to imagine as I think about it now!
Alright, alright – I’ll get to the point, here! I think I should get my son (age 7.5, high-functioning autism) a dog. I’ve read lots of great articles over the years about therapy dogs helping kids with autism, here’s the most recent article I read in Woman’s Day. Our son isn’t anti-social but he certainly has to work harder at maintaining and sustaining peer interactions (sibling/neighbor friend). He has a shorter attention span, he has a shorter fuse, he gets upset more easily, sometimes he just doesn’t know how to play along with what his peers are doing, etc. I can completely understand the reasoning behind why many children with autism excel by having a pet. The special connection, the confidence, the unconditional love and acceptance, the non-judgmental relationship, and more.
So, this completely naive pet-person is seeking the animal-lovers advice! Please post your comments if you have experience or encouragement to share with me and others on this topic. If I’m totally wrong in my thinking and dogs aren’t as messy as I’m guessing they are… please tell me. Or, if I’m being too naive and it’s even more work or more messy than I imagine… just lay it out there! If I’m going to go down this road, I will be educated! From most of my research thus far, it seems service dogs are usually larger dogs. Any experience with organizations that train smaller breeds for children with developmental disabilities?
Thank you, I really do appreciate your comments and hopefully there are others out there who will also benefit from this discussion!
Thoughtfully Considering a Canine Friend,
Kara
Right before Haydn was diagnosed, we adopted two kittens. I called them the Therapy Cats, and it has stuck. Haydn struggles with showing affection to other humans, but he will cuddle a cat up close and talk sweetly to it and sleep with it all night. One of our lovely kitties passed away earlier this year, but the other is still with us and still Haydn’s best friend. I remember that when I am cleaning up more cat hair.
That’s a good point Heather, when I’m cleaning toilets I sometimes think to myself, “Thank you, God, that I HAVE a house and toilets to clean and thank you, God, that I have three little tushies (that make this mess) in my house.” The good with the bad, right? ;o) Kara
If you get an actual service dog – they are well behaved and fairly clean. You can choose a dog to become a service dog and have it trained.
My son is on the spectrum and does better when we have an animal in the house. Currently we have a cat because we can have them in our apartment without them being certified therapy animals. He has to remember gentle touches and no rough housing with the cat so it helps him when dealing with people.
Sara, Have you heard of any specific places that can train your dog? As I mentioned in the post, a smaller breed would be easier in our home but it seems most often that places where they train dogs for you – it is larger breed. I’d be willing to travel for training. Thanks! Kara
Kara, my friend who has a service dog worked with a group here in Virginia (http://www.servicedogsva.org/). They raise the dogs and train them for months before placing them with a family. Then, the family goes and spends a week with the training center to learn how to manage the already trained dog. They have the highest of standards so if a dog “flunks out” it is not placed, is is simply put up for regular adoption by a typical family. Perhaps there is a similar group in your home state they could tell you about.