Looking for a dog with certain characteristics

[Scrappi&Monty]

My little cousins got a puppy about 6mths ago. My youngest cousin is 12, and on the autism spectrum with some learning & behavioural problems. Also often likes to be naughty & push buttons despite knowing what's good. (He's a sweet boy and loves to help me with my dogs, but he completely disrespects my mum & his own mum, and sometimes just does naughty stuff; like feeds the dogs his food and gets in their faces.) 

He adores the puppy, and helps with clicker training him, which is going pretty well. Their puppy is a work in progress you could say, cheeky little bugger who is naughty yet obedient if that makes sense. 

 

Would DEFINITELY recommend getting a more mature dog though.

I have seen Service dogs/Pets As Therapy dogs for adoption whose owners can no longer have them for various reasons. 

 

https://www.petrescue.com.au/groups/10850?listings=rehomed

 

http://www.assistancedogs.org.au/pages/autism-service-dog.html

 

https://www.guidedogs.org.au/autism-assistance-dogs

 

 

Edited June 6, 2017 by Scrappi&Monty

[persephone]

@wild_rose

This article might be a really useful read for you  Hope it helps you in your decision making . 

https://pressplaypets.com/should-i-buy-a-pet-for-my-child-with-autism-or-adhd/

 

[persephone]

Found you something else to read ....  This is really interesting .http://www.sitdropstay.com/do-you-really-want-a-dog/
excerpt :

Quote

 But please, please, please, remember there is a really hard side too. Just like parenting, it also involves lots of hard stuff like repetition, sacrifice, discipline and patience. Be prepared for sleepless nights, huge time commitments, testing of your emotions and many years of responsibility. If you’re renting, be prepared to choose your next house (and even suburb) based on whether or not it’s pet friendly. Your dog may pee on, chew up or ruin your stuff. You may not be able to go away when you choose, and if you do, be prepared to organise and pay well for quality pet care. There will be vet bills, ongoing costs such as flea/tick prevention, training, quality food (low quality food will cost you more in the long run and is irresponsible anyways)  
 

 

[piper]

On 2017-6-6 at 4:06 PM, persephone said:

OK. So he is not a naughty boy , he is a special needs boy

 

 There are indeed organisations who provide specially trained dogs for those to whom it might be a benefit. I really do think it is sensible to look at that option !!

 

When I read the comment on Autism, contacting an Assistance Dog organisation immediately came to my mind as well. The dogs are well trained and thoroughly temperament tested then carefully matched to a person with needs.

 

The risk with an adult dog is that very few people rehome perfectly behaved adults - and most of the things on your list are a result of time being put into them and bringing them up right. Dogs begin rehomed are far less likely to come from this environment, the main reason for rehoming is "behavioural problems" which in most cases means lack of training, interaction and/or mental stimulation.

[wild_rose]

Thanks guys. The first thing I did at the beginning of my research - contacted these service dogs organizations. Their websites look promising, however in fact, it's really hard to get such dog. I wrote them, asked questions, so what they replied:
-"You can apply only if your child is severely impaired"
-"You can apply only if you live in our state"
-"You can apply only after participating in our workshop. The next available workshop will be in a year. And then a waiting period will be around 2 years or more"
-And another organization replied only on my first email, not second

[karen15]

Finding the right dog vs any dog is really important wild rose. A year sounds like a long time but goes so fast. It would also give your child time to grow and learn how to interact properly with dogs.

 

I think it quite unfair to think of animals as disposable and expect them to tolerate all manner of torment. Have you thought about what will happen if the dog you get doesn't work out? I've got the impression, possibly wrongly, from your posts that if the dog doesn't work out you won't keep it.

 

if I were in your position, I'd get onto a suitable agency, do what is needed to get on the list and then use the waiting time to find dogs for your child to interact with and learn how to behave with dogs.

 

I waited 4 years for my westie. I planned what I was going to do when my staffy died, found a breeder I got to know over that time and contacted her when my boy was PTS with a view to get a puppy in 9-12 months time. Animals are a long term commitment and worthy of investing time to find the right one for your lifestyle.

[persephone]

@wild_rose

Getting something  special ..whether it be a diamond ring, a house, or a dog who will fit in perfectly with your child and family  is a long and involved process . 

Please don't rush . 

Let friends/family  know ..... spend time with them and their dogs, and note carefully how your boy reacts to them WITHOUT the "novelty Value" How does he react when tired, or hungry....after he has been around the dog for some hours ...Does he watch and enjoy, does he get rough...does he seek the dog out ? 

The organisations  do have rules /guidelines and waiting times. Dogs such as these  do not happen often , training takes time ..and then  there needs to be a match found . 

Experienced dog owners MAY successfully seek out and choose  "just " a dog who can be trained further at home ..and become a wonderful  support. 
This is NOT something recommended for someone who has never owned/lived with a dog before . 
Living with a dog for the first time IS a big deal .
hair shedding /dirty feet /chewing/barking/knocking things over ... getting too loud and running too fast ...habits, keeping the dog happy and occupied ..It is extra work - honestly . . It's not like chooks/guineapigs  in a cage ...

obviously the BIG thing here ... 

DOES YOUR BOY WANT a DOG ? 

Does he absolutely love being around dogs ?

have doggy books/toys?
Does he get excited when he sees a dog ?
Does he enjoy the dogs approaching him /touching him ? 

I am glad he enjoys horse riding ..horses are such calm and solid presences ... perfect for anyone with a need for reassurance who can relax and learn with  the rhythm of movement ...

please be patient - none of us here wish  for a 'failed'  attempt at pairing a dog and your family - we are all dog people... from all sorts of backgrounds/fields of dog-related  ownership/employment , and our comments and suggestions are from a place of concern. 

'
http://theautismblog.seattlechildrens.org/introducing-a-pet-to-your-home-and-your-child-with-autism/

Edited June 8, 2017 by persephone

[persephone]

7 hours ago, wild_rose said:

-"You can apply only if your child is severely impaired"
-"You can apply only if you live in our state"
-"You can apply only after participating in our workshop. The next available workshop will be in a year. And then a waiting period will be around 2 years or more"

My opinion on these replies ;) 

1 : there really are few of these dogs available ..so we try & help the most needy .
2: We need to visit you  for assessments/follow-ups . Interstate travel is way out of our budget .
3: You do need to be preparing  yourself ..and these workshops are a good way to do this. There are few dogs available, so there is a long wait . 

All perfectly reasonable from my P.O.V.  ( ex trainer of dogs for the visually impaired, and also for special needs kids/people in nursing homes etc - Therapy Dogs) 
one little tale - I assessed a young lad with a life threatening health problem .. such a lovely kid , and so  very keen to have his own dog to be there during physio and days  of bed rest .. ... everything was go. 
Some months later (he had been pushed up in the Queue), I did find him a  wonderful dog ...
Sadly, it was too late ..he had passed away not long before . 
Waiting times ... necessary, but yes, too long in some cases

Edited June 8, 2017 by persephone

[Dogsfevr]

10 hours ago, wild_rose said:

, it's really hard to get such dog.
 

It should be hard to get a dog full stop when you bring in a child with special needs then even more so .

I truly think you are under estimating  the time YOU need to put into a dog & not fully appreciating that just bringing a dog home will not work & there will be ramifications if your family doesn't do the process right .

If you bring home any old dog & it bites your child what is your plan.

If you bring home any old dog & it is afraid of your child what will you do

If you bring home any old dog that will not settle what is your plan

If you bring home a dog that is too active for you what will you do.

 

Questions no matter what the lifestyle is going to is very important & it requires any future owners to be honest & in your case being very honest in your time you wish to commit to the dog both on keeping its education going to ensure it keeps fitting in well with a changing body langauage & actions whilst also giving the dog much needed quality time out ,the dogs mental health in this case is just as important as the humans .

 

This shouldn't be a rush ,bringing the right pet home requires patience & passion

[Scottsmum]

@wild_rose

 

Have you considered or looked for therapy organisations which might be able to find a place for your son to interact with dogs?  You could use it as a way to see if he's really interested and also as a tool to help him learn to interact with them while you hunt for the perfect fit for you family.

 

Something like this: 

https://www.deltasociety.com.au/pages/classroom-canines.html

 

or this: 

http://storydogs.org.au/

 

His interaction with these dogs would be very closely monitored to ensure he doesn't hurt them 

 

Or even this - http://rdansw.org.au/

 

Also- yes this is a horse organisation, but i'm listing it because it might fill the "interact with animals" aspect I feel you're looking for and you've already said he rides at the local city farm - so maybe there is room for him in an environment where they cater for people with various needs.

[sandgrubber]

Have you tried autism support groups?  I can't remember where, but I remember seeing some discussion among parents with autistic children of bring a dog home after finding it very hard to qualify for a professionally trained dog.  As I remember, results were mixed, but some people had very good experiences.  I think the main lesson was temperament screening is more important than training for kids who aren't severely affected.

 

p.s. Still can't find the discussion I was looking for, but here's a clip from an autism group

https://www.autismspeaks.org/blog/2016/07/15/service-dog-or-therapy-dog-which-best-child-autism

Service dog or therapy dog: Which is best for a child with autism?

You are correct to recognize a difference between a service dog and a therapy dog. We’d add a third category – a companion dog that’s well-behaved and well-trained. In fact, that’s what we usually recommend when a family comes to us for advice on choosing a dog for a child who has autism.

Here are some distinctions to consider when deciding which type of dog is right for a child – or adult – who has autism:

Companion dogs
As mentioned, a well-trained family pet can be a wonderful calming influence for someone who has autism. An affectionate dog provides unconditional love and friendship on a daily basis. Walking the dog provides both exercise and a “social magnet” to ease conversation with other children. Learning to care for the dog teaches responsibility and practical skills. And pets provide parents with opportunities to teach and model caring behaviors and consideration of a friend’s needs – both important social skills.

If you’re considering purchasing or adopting a dog, we suggest golden retrievers, labs and labradoodles (lab-poodle mixes) because these breeds tend to have a calm temperament and high intelligence.

When it comes to adopting a rescue dog, we have one caveat. Many rescue dogs have unknown histories. That makes it difficult to predict how they will react when they feel frightened or threatened. Would the dog bite your child if he grabbed it roughly? Is it prone to chase cats? Attack other dogs? ...

Edited June 9, 2017 by sandgrubber

[mita]

http://www.assistancedogs.org.au/pages/paws-program.html   There's a program where dogs have been trained to live with children with autism.  Paws Program.  If you read the website, you'll see that families first get training, too, in all that's entailed.  Phone their enquiry number and you could at least get expert, practical information on what's involved with a dog in a family which has a child with autistic behaviours.   Just my opinion but it's not a good idea to just take pot luck & wing it with any dog acquired, without some input from expertise.   

Best wishes and good on you for asking the questions and researching.   You are looking for a track that'll lead you to something that's fair for child, family and dog.  

[m-j]

Not much to add to what has already been said except that Im a DSW and I use my dogs at work with all types of intellectual disabilities the benefits a dog can bring can be really awesome to see, but it is important the person wants to interact with the animal and the dog has a safe place to go to if need be. Several of our guys with severe autism have dogs at home and the relationship is great but their carers are mindful of both the person's and dog's needs and behaviour.

Edited June 11, 2017 by m-j