Aspie Adolescent - Get a Dog?

[Anonymous]

Our kids are begging us to get a dog. I was never a pet person but am starting to warm to the idea. Our oldest, DS 13, has Aspergers and accompanying social challenges. It occurs to me that the companionship of a dog could be beneficial to him, but I also wouldn't want him to just hang out with the dog instead of seeking social opportunities with peers.
Wondering about viewpoints of having a dog in this circumstance, and if there are particular small dog breeds that are recommended.
Thanks in advance!

[Anonymous]

My kids have other challenges than ADHD but having dogs has been really beneficial. We got a big Lab from a rescue group. Nice calm dog but one that needs two vigorous walks a day. Good exercise for kid and dog. About a year later we inherited a 10 lb toy poodle. Belonged to my grandmother who died. She likes but doesn't 'need' the walks. She's also the perfect lap dog. We don't let the Lab on the furniture or in our beds.

I think the dogs are actually a good social tool. We've met a lot more people in the neighborhood. They're an instant conversation starter. But, you need a dog that is friendly and good with other dogs. Another benefit is that our youngest used to be awkward around animals. Spending so much time around the dogs has really increased his knowledge and comfort level with dogs, big and small. All the kids, though, had to learn when to leave the dogs alone. If your DS can't learn the cues, I wouldn't get a dog. HTH.

[Anonymous]

Agreed with PP. We have a 7 year old with ASD and our dog (goldendoodle) has been awesome. The only challenge we did not anticipate is that our DD has a very hard time listening to the dog's need for space. Other things we were warned about are not issues - the dog is very laid back and easy and was very easy to house train.

[Anonymous]

There are a bunch of junior handler dog opportunities that your child might be interested in. I train my dog in agility, and we loved having teens with their dogs. It's a safe social activity because most people are focused on their dogs and just encouraging each other.

[Anonymous]

My AS DC is a young adult and we have always had dogs. Beautiful relationships.

[Anonymous]

Our bichon has been such a wonderful addition to our family. Took awhile for our Aspie teen to warm up to him but now he loves him dearly.

[Anonymous]

Maybe try fostering a dog first to see if it works for your family. My HFA son really wanted dog, said he would walk dog, feed dog. I had my doubts so I volunteered to foster a rescue dog. It was a lot more work than I thought! Between training her to go potty on leash (we don't have fenced yard, and walking three times a day, it really put a crimp in my day. I am not a morning person and didn't like going out every am first thing rain or cold or whatever weather. I am sure once a dog is settled things are much easier than doing a foster. But at the end of a week, ,my son said he realized it was more time and work than he was up for. I ended up doing 80% of the work! Also depends if you are working out of home. So we decided to get a pair of cats and my son loves them to death. They sleep in his bed, they hang out in his room during homework.

Just see what works for your family and lifestyle. Wishing you the best in your decision.

[Anonymous]

Consider doing a rescue where they foster for a while and can help match you to a mellow, friendly dog of whatever breed. Our AS DC has really come a long way in perspective taking thinking of the dog's needs, plus dogs are a great topic of conversation for kids.

Watching him use ABA terminology (do some work and then choose your break) with the dog is also entertaining.

But please be sure you want the dog too, most of the heavy lifting of care may fall to parents long-term.

[Anonymous]

I agree with the PPs - except about fostering a dog first. It's like trying to decide if you want a child by fostering one first. The dog you foster may not have been raised in a stable environment, may be of a personality that doesn't do well with change or with kids. Unless it's an owner surrender, the dog likely was in a kennel for a while and then a series of foster homes. Those dogs are not in their normal frame of mind, you won't know what their personalities are like until the dog has had a chance to settle. We've fostered a number of dogs from several area rescue groups. The only dogs that we fostered that were 'typical' were those that had already been with a foster family for a while and had a chance to de-stress. Not to say that you can't get a great dog right off the rescue truck but it's not how I'd want to start out. You'd be better working with a couple of rescue groups, tell them your needs and have them look for a good match - that's what everyone wants, a good match. A few of them even let you have a trial period. This area has such a high adoption rate that a good number of rescue groups have partnered with more rural shelters in other state with high kill rates. They bring the dogs from those high kill areas up here. We've gotten some great dogs from them but most of them were highly stressed when they came to us.