moodychick

Please don't get me wrong... I'm NOT offering parenting advice here , just saying that I don't think it's reasonable what you are expecting from a dog. That is not what i would expect froma normal dog JJ lol. That is the sort of things that Righteous Pups train the Autism Assistance dogs for. And yes, we are always one step behind him at the beach and down the street etc etc. But because he isnt our only child it can make things a little difficult. If i turn away from him for 2 seconds to talk to my daughter he can be gone! And i am not talking about leaving him out in the backyard on his own lol. But you know alot of kids you can leave them in teh backyard while you go in side to get a drink, or to go to the toilet? Well i cant do that with Nathan. If i have to go inside to get a drink, i have to bring him in with me, and OMG the tantrums! All we want from a normal dog is companionship and love for Nathan :D Even now, if i go outside for a smoke, I have to stand right at the door where i can see him, because otherwise he will climb the gate and get into the cupboards, or do other things. If i go to the toilet, and hes in the loungeroom, i have to lock the front door before i go. We have had to install special locks on all our windows so that he cant open them. During Summer its absolute hell trying to keep him away from open windows. We have had him climb up a chest of drawers, using the handles as steps, to play in the fish tanks! Now the top of these fish tanks is level with my head, but he climbs up and plays with the fish :S Moves the lid and everything. There are a whole range of things i could tell you about how he puts himself in danger........But the more i say, the more i start to feel like an irresponsible parent, which i am not. Lets just say that nathan has no fear! and leave it at that. But i am not silly enough to expect anything other then companionship and love from a dog. However the Autism assistance dogs are trained for these types of situations!

Ok Well i contacted Righteous pups. They told me that they cant actually recommend a dog, because if they recommended a breed of dog, and we went and got one, and something went wrong then we could sue them But she said just send us an email, tell us a little bit about your son, and we will send you an information pack. So i have sent the email, now just to wait back I figure the worst they can do is say no.........but the difference in our lives if they said yes would be absolutely amazing!!! Not having to sit outside in the hot sun every second hes out in the back yard, making sure he doesnt climb the fence. Not having to worry that he has worked out how to open the gate on the driveway. Being able to take him to the beach, and not being one step behind him at all times! Being able to take a shower, and not having to lock him in his room so that he doesnt unlock the door and escape off down teh road. Knowing that if he does somehow get out, that the dog could track him. A best friend for him, that could help calm him down when he has a meltdown. A friend who likes to play with him, no matter what he says, or how silly he acts! Not having to have him locked in the loungeroom like a jail cell, so that he doesnt get into something, because he can undo all the child safe locks. Or worrying that he has pulled a chair over to unbolt the door and gone walkabout, or out the window! It could make a hugeeeeee difference to our lives! And if they say no? Well we just keep looking for a potential best friend for him!!!

We have been looking at breeders JJ. Had the secretary of the Mini Foxie Club tell us that even if she had any pups she wouldnt sell one to us. Haven't been able to find local breeders. Won't buy from interstate as we want Nathan to meet any pup or dog we are looking at buying before making a commitment. Have had a few people tell us that we are looking at the wrong breeds of dog, and that we should look at larger dogs. Had a friend who breeds Golden Retrievers tell us they wouldn't be suitable. He was nice about it though There is a woman in Ballarat, who has just mated her bitch, and said she will contact us in a few months if pups result. We don't seem to be having much luck at the moment lol. There isn't a huge hurry to buy, but at this stage we would at least like to look at a few different breeds so we can see how Nathan reacts to size etc. We know what we want, but we also know they may not be suitable. And we also know what we dont want! So its a matter of just getting Nathan out to meet other dogs, and talking to their owners etc. I am also trying to get onto Righteous pups, but every time i ring its an answering machine, so i will keep trying them as well. We want to keep our options open, which is where the RSPCA comes in.

Yeah i knew she wasn't what we wanted Mawson, but I just wanted to see how Nathan would react to a puppy. I want to get a feel for how he relates to pups, and older dogs, and what sort of dog he likes. A staffie is definitely bigger then what we are after, And i dont particularly like them personally. I was just hoping that we could have a look at a few dogs down there. Definitely interested in foxies and jack russells, prefer a dog with a short coat. We definitely arent going to give up on that avenue though. Would love to give a dog a home from the RSPCA rather then buying one through a backyard breeder. I'm not sure of the name of the girl who served me, She was young though with short black hair. Quite a nice girl, i just think i mustnt have explained what i wanted clearly enough. I had thought that we would be able to actually go through and look at all the dogs, not just have them bought out to us. I know its mainly kelpies and cattle dogs there at the moment, but i still just wanted to see how he would react to them. Shall keep my eyes peeled on the web site though

The Visit didnt go so well unfortunately Janet I rang before we went down there, and explained that i wanted him to be able to look at all the dogs, and if possible have a play so we could see if there was one certain one that he liked. I also said i would like to have a look at one of the pups. She said that was fine and to bring him down. So we went down there, and she bought out one of the pups, named Coco Pops. Gorgeous little brindle puppy, while we were waiting for her to come out, a border collie cross was taken past, and nathan loved it and had a quick pat as it went past. But when the pup came out, he wasnt interested at all :S Was more interested in the dogs outside the window lol. Sashia loved the pup, and she adored her in return. In the end Nathan came over to have a pat of Coco, but Coco got all excited and jumped up to kiss his face, and unfortunately her paw got him right under the eye So we came home from the visit with a very crying nathan, who had 2 big scratches down his cheek saying he wants a puppy that doesnt have claws lol. We didn't even get to have a look at any dogs besides the pup She said ok, sorry we couldnt help, and then went and put the pup away She did say that they dont often get little dogs coming through, and to just keep my eye on the website which ive been doing daily anyway.

We are heading down for a visit to the RSPCA shortly :D Just to see how Nathan goes with the dogs and pups there, and see if there is any certain type that he prefers :D

Got you tlc

Hi Mawson, nice to meet you. We have been looking at the RSPCA for a while now, but it seems to be all kelpies etc there. Have been in a couple of times I keep an eye on the website for Warrnambool and Portland, but nothing as yet! We did actually want an RSPCA pup to begin with, but when we were unable to find one we started looking at different options. So if there is a small dog that comes in.....we would love to take a look at him or her! We just want a small dog, to be with Nathan, and one that gets along with Scruffy. Small dogs are easier to take when we go away on holidays etc lol. If i had my way, honestly, i would be getting a Rotti! But hubby keeps telling me no, it has to be a small dog, and then later on down the track i can get my rotti.......sigh......the joys of young kids! Just as my daughter is now old enough to handle a bigger dog, Nathan comes along and changes the plans lol.

Would love to meet you janet, with or without dogs. And i can understand them loving their family and 7 acres lol. I wish some days i had room like that to let nathan run off some of his energy, and then scruffy wouldnt have to beg to escape from too much play hehehe. Its really just an experiment to see if he takes an interest in certain dogs, big or small and that sort of thing. We already know he loves scruffy, unfortunately scruffy doesnt love him back so much! Unless of course there are food scraps being handed through the fence.....

Hi Moody Chick! I have a Boxer boy I would be happy for your little man to meet, he's a tad boisterous, but some vigorous exercise before they meet should minimise his excitement. Also have a friend with a 6 month old Boxer pup, so maybe a more suitable size and not quite so boisterous. We get together a few times a week to socialise the dogs (and ourselves!) You are more than welcome to join us at any stage. Boisterous is ok Chatabox! I don;t know what sort of interest he will take if any lol, which is why i want to find out :D Would it be ok if i bought my foxy x as well? Theres no hurry :D The foxy x is welcome to join us too! The more the merrier. We usually organise our "play dates' around the weather, we try to get out most nice days, but stay in when the weather is inclement. We are in the midst of moving house this week, but once settled in the new house would be happy for you to come visit us at home, or meet you at the dog park at Harris Street Reserve. I'll just need to organise my friend to be there too if you'd like to meet the younger boxer. My pup wont be moving in for a week or so, although if she's arrived she'd be great for your little man to meet as well. I usually get on Facebook more often than here, so might be easier to let you know a date, time and place on there. Just let me know your Facebook profile name and I'll add you as a friend! Thanks Chatabox! And it would be lovely to meet the younger boxer too. My sister In law has a boxer named amber, and she is the most beautiful old girl, but unfortunately they live up in NSW so we dont get to see them very often. I think i have managed to post a pic of our boy in my signature lol. My facebook is

Our scruffy is a x breed tlc. I dont mind cross breeds at all. We have looked at both lol. We were just thinking that if we went pure breed then we would know the temperaments of the parents etc etc. Just let me know when your up to it tlc, as i said there is no hurry, because being a stay at home mum, i can pretty much meet whenever is good for other people. Glad to hear that tully is feeling a little better! I too hope she continues to be ok, i don't even want to think about how i would feel if something happened to scruffy!

Hi Moody Chick! I have a Boxer boy I would be happy for your little man to meet, he's a tad boisterous, but some vigorous exercise before they meet should minimise his excitement. Also have a friend with a 6 month old Boxer pup, so maybe a more suitable size and not quite so boisterous. We get together a few times a week to socialise the dogs (and ourselves!) You are more than welcome to join us at any stage. Boisterous is ok Chatabox! I don;t know what sort of interest he will take if any lol, which is why i want to find out :D Would it be ok if i bought my foxy x as well? Theres no hurry :D

Ok i have a favour to ask. Is there anyone here with dogs or pups that we could come around and meet? Doesnt matter size or breed. We are going to try an experiment with our little bloke, to see what sort of dogs he connects with and that sort of thing, before we think about buying. We went over to Port Fairy this afternoon and went for a walk along the river. he stopped to pat every dog that went past lol. So he is very much a dog boy, now we just have to find the right breed for him, and we are hoping that something like this might help. There is n o hurry, and if you arent comfortable with it thats ok. We are just trying to figure out ways to find the right sort of dog for him. I am happy to meet at a park or something if that makes it easier

Oh god thats scary tlc! Glad to hear she ok now!

What we are now looking at doing, is hopefully finding breeders in the area, of different dogs. We are hoping to take our family out to meet a few different kinds of dogs and pups, and see how we all respond, obviously we will be watching our son the most. Seriously its not something we want to jump into! So i am going to contact any breeders i can find in the local area, and find out if they have pups or dogs, that we can come and just have a look at, and talk to them. See how our son and daughter behave around the dogs and pups, and see how they behave around our kids. Hopefully the talking to breeders, and seeing how kids and dogs react together,will give us a better idea of what to look for. Thanks again everyone, you have all be fantastic and helpful! And i agree that dogs can bring out the best in Autistic kids! Just a matter of finding that right dog for our situation :D

Again i would like to thank you all for replying! And i would like to say, that just because we want a mini foxie or Tentie, doesnt mean thats what we will end up with. We want the right dog! We are not just going to jump in and buy a pup because they are cheap, or because they are available. We have been thinking this through for quite a while, and we will continue looking until we find the right dog! If it turns out not to be a mini foxie or tentie, then so be it! All i wanted was to understand why the lady was the way she was. Many of you have put forward your thoughts on this, and i understand it now. That was all i wanted, was an understanding of why she said flat out no. Seriously i do thank you all for actually reading and replying with your thoughts, it is much appreciated! And i do just want to reiterate, that if we dont find the right dog for all of us, including my son, then we will not be buying a dog! We do not want to get the wrong dog for our family! I would hate to get a fantastic little pup only to find out that it was the wrong one, and have it go badly, i would not like to do that to a pup! We are aware that foxies and tenties are mousers and ratters, however the rats are in a cage, and not put down on the floor around the animals, as we also have a cat that likes to eat rats! We take good care of ALL of our family members. I am also going to contact the Righteous Pups association this week and have a chat to them, and see what they say and recommend. I dont want any of you to think that we have made this decision lightly! We wont knowingly put any animal at risk, because as far as im concerned for every animal out there is its human soulmate! We have been contacting local breeders in the hopes that our son may be able to go and just look at the dogs, and have a play, and see how he reacts to them, and how they react to him. Its not just a "oh thats a cute puppy, lets get it and hope for the best" situation! We may end up having to wait a few years until he matures a bit more. Who knows? But this is why we are ringing around, and why I have joined up here, and why I am asking for advice before we do anything! So again thank you all for your time and your input, it is very helpful!

Thanks Janet. I know i will be the one doing the training and the feeding, and it will pretty much be my dog, BUT we have to make sure it is suited to Nathans Personality first. I know his personality will change as he grows up, and he may not be that interested in the dog in a few years time. Which is where it comes in choosing a breed that we all like, because even if he does lose interest, it will still be a family member that we all love and spend time with. So i guess its not really just for Nathan, but for all of us! However we really do hope to find a dog that he has a special connection with. You know sometimes you just look at kids and their dogs, and you can see the love shining out their eyes? Thats what we want! We want a best friend for Nathan if possible. We want someone that will love him through the tantrums, through the running up and down the hallway, the racing through the back yard, the jumping and rolling in the puddles! We want a friend for him that will love him no matter what he says and does! If we can't find that special friend, then we will not buy another dog! Thats all there is to it. And yes, Nathan is alot of hard work! He is absolutely exhausting on most days! But i also cant help that think that maybe if he has a special friend to play with, then he wont be so much hard work! I dont know............ We have talked this through and thought it through, and come up with objections and positives and more objections and more positives. Its not a lightly made decision........and all i can do is reiterate, if we dont find the right dog for nathan and our family, then we wont get one. Does that make sense?

I would like to thank all of you for your replies and personal messages in helping me to understand this situation a little better. It is MUCH appreciated that you have all taken the time to read my post, and to reply as to what may have been a part of the problem. I know all breeders aren't like this, as i have spoken to some lovely people over the last few weeks, i just wanted to try and understand a little more what may have gone wrong. Your assistance is appreciated, and please rest assured that we will not buy a puppy until we find one that is right for the whole family!

Thanks Weasels. This is why we are investigating all of our options at the moment, and will not just buy any dog.

Thanks Prada! Mini foxies hold a special place in my heart!! They are such little dogs with such big hearts and attitudes,to me they are irresistible lol. After the replies i have received here, i can understand her refusing me a pup a bit more. I guess it was also the attitude she had. She wasn't nasty, but just the way she didnt want to listen to what i was saying was upsetting. I did actually look at buying interstate, there are some lovely breeders out there, one i had a quick chat to this morning. The problem is, because we want to match a pup or dog with our son, we would need to see them interact first, and that is the problem. I would hate to buy a pup and have it sent down here without it meeting us or us meeting it, only to find out that he or she doesn't quite have the right personality to deal with our boy. Thats why i have been looking locally. At this stage there is a breeder in Ballarat, who have just mated their dogs, but otherwise we havent found anyone else So It is frustrating lol. We are ready, but unfortunately the pups are hard to get locally, and we dont want to go to a backyard breeder. So i guess at this stage, we just keep looking and ringing breeders until we can find the right one

Thanks Secret Kei, i shall have a look shortly.

I would suggest you go ahead and apply. "Priority to the most needy" is not the way it works. Ideally, it would be, however practicality dictates the rules on this one. There might be a dog available, but not the right dog for a person with a greater impairment. I can imagine how a breeder might be a bit nervous on the idea of homing one of their pups in your situation and I don't blame the breeder for this. S/he is quite likely wanting to make the responsible decision for both your son and their pup. I'm not so sure it is a great idea to hide the fact of your circumstance either. There are different lines in most if not all breeds of dogs. Some lines of the same breed might not be suitable for the needs/requirements of a family. Another line of the same breed might be. The main person who knows and understands this is the breeder and for the breeder to make an educated decision needs the relevant information. But perhaps if, when speaking to any other breeder, you set out how you raised your current dog and how you manage your son with your current dog, this might have the breeder feeling calmer and more confident about a positive decision. I can hear how much you love your Foxies and I agree it is ideal to take on a breed that the family is happy with, but I ask this genuinely as I've not lived with Foxies and in my line of work have only really been introduced to the more 'difficult' ones (not necessarily the fault of the dog, either) - do you think the nature of the Foxie breed is as tolerant as it needs to be, to be able to grow and develop through the critical puppy period and beyond, with the least liklihood of misfortune as a result of misunderstanding? I don't know how anyone can answer your question directly and succinctly - we don't know how your son behaves; how you manage your time and household around his needs; how much spare time you would have to be teaching/training both son and puppy together, simultaneously, all at once and without being able to take eyes off one or the other (at least initially). Nor do I think that is our business - at least not for people like me who is not an expert in autism, in its varying levels. That's your judgement call, I think. I think the main thing is that you take a refresher on what this breed is like from the get go to mature adulthood. You've acknowledged that they can be a bit nippy (most pups go through phases of being mouthy, but yes, some can be worse than others and some more persistent). Can you manage your son and the pup together always, until both your son matures to the point of being able to be expected to be responsible with the pup/dog and the pup/dog with your son? These are the initial questions I think you should ask. But pardon me, perhaps you have. You sound as though you've put a lot of consideration into this, although there's one thing that I question mark ..... are you sure you've selected the Foxie breed with your son's priority in mind, or because it is the one you fancy? To my knowledge, I think the Tenties have a steadier temperament than the Foxies, but I profess to not have had the privilege to work with enough of them to be able to make this a blanket statement. This post is not meant to offend and I hope it is read in the light I intend it and that its purpose is to perhaps help give insight as to how someone on the 'other side' might read and respond to your plight. Hi Erny, and thanks for your reply. I might look into the assistance dogs a little more thoroughly. and yes i can understand how a breeder might be a bit nervous about putting one of their babies into such a situation. I can definitely understand it! I have no problems with a breeder telling me no, it was more the way she went about it that frustrated and upset me And yes i have to say the foxie is based on a family decision, not necesserily on our sons needs But a small dog suits our situation, we wouldnt like to buy a bigger dog, and then down the track have to rehome it because it was too big, or didnt suit our situation in a couple of years, if that makes sense. We see a puppy as a life long commitment, not just one to hand off when things get too hard, which is why we arent just jumping in to buying a back yard dog, or the first dog we see. If it turns out that we cant find a suitable foxie or tenterfield, then we will quite happily look at other breeds. Getting the RIGHT dog is a priority for us, and if its not a foxie, well we can live with that, but would still prefer a small dog. The reason we have started looking for a dog, is because our son has finally outgrown the need to pull the cats tail, and pull handfuls of fur out. He is happy to sit and pat it for a while instead of teasing it. Unfortunately our dog Scruffy just does not have the energy or patience to play the way our son wants Scruffy loves his walks, but anything more? Nope! Much prefer to just laze around in bed all day lol. But he has been such a wonderful dog for my daughter who is now 11, and that is part of the reason we are looking at foxies. Scruffy has always had such a lovely temperament! I can say you have definitely not offended me! I was the one who posted asking this question in the hope of understanding it from a breeders point of view, and you have helped me understand. So that is much appreciated thankyou.

Hi Missymoo. No i havent looked at Cairn Terriers, but will do that shortly, because we definitely want a kid friendly dog :D And thankyou!

Thanks Rastus. I shall definitely do that!

Thanks Rastus. I won't make that mistake again! Persephone, we have actually thought about an older dog. We have been keeping an eye out at the Warrnambool and Portland RSPCA's just in case something comes up. This is not a decision we are making lightly, as i said we want the right dog, so an older dog is an option, but he or she does need to have alot of experience with very active sometimes loud kids lol. The reason we are looking at pups, is because we are hoping that they can grow up together, and adjust to eachothers needs. Whereas sometimes an older dog may n ot be as ummmmm forgiving as a pup may be, if that makes sense? And yes i know shes entitled not to sell a dog, thats fine, but i just couldnt understand why she wouldnt listen to what we are looking for and why. It was very frustrating, i got off the phone almost in tears I have no problems being told no we won't sell you a pup, i guess its just the way it was said and the fact she wasnt hearing what i was saying. And yes I am hoping that people on here may be able to help :D I have been lurking and reading hte forums for a couple of months, and finally I thought it was time to get on here and get to know people. We just want the right friend for our son, and new family member for all of us :D Thanks all of you for helping me understand a little more. I was worried that i was going to get jumped on for saying the wrong thing lol, but you have all been very helpful and nice about it We prefer little dogs, however if we are unable to find the right little dog, then we will keep our options open, but in the meantime I am grateful for the fact that Pam was willing to listen and understand our needs, and i am grateful for the fact that i have all of you here to help me if i need it!