Service dogs for those with Asperger's Syndrome

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I love my cat! He is a Maine Coon classic tabby who weighs 20 pounds. Heis big, and soft. and very fluffy. And he doesn't mind me squeezing and petting him all the time. My mom says he and I are a lot alike--weird! Zeus (that is his name) likes to chew on my metal bookcase and nibble on my toes to get my attention.

Regarding litter box odors: This is not a big problem, really. Frequent scooping of the box will just about eliminate any bad smells; and a decent litter will do the rest. There are even automatic boxes that will do the scooping for you (though they're expensive). If you get a "flushable" litter, you can put the lumps down the toilet (unless you have a septic system).

I have always found dogs to be much smellier than cats. In a house that has one or more big dogs, I can always detect a slight "doggy" smell--a mix of waste, body odor, wet dog, hair, and mud. That dogs should smell and cats shouldn't is pretty obvious from a natural perspective; dogs, in packs, hunt when one group of dogs chases prey (which smells them and runs) towards another group of dogs (who are downwind and can't be smelled). Cats, solitary hunters, are better off not being smelled by prey, so they're fastidious about cleaning themselves.

Currently, I live in a house with three big dogs; I've declared my room off-limits, and when I go into it, I always notice the smell of dog changing to the natural (mold/dust) smell of Old House, mixed with the plastic-and-ink smell of two computers, and a slight trace of apple from the bagful of fruit that's always hanging in my closet.

If you blindfolded me and carried me to any part of the house, I could tell where it was... each part has its own smells, from the people and dogs that stay in it and use various scented items. I can't tell the difference between the dogs by smell though. I suppose Dog > Aspie in that respect, no matter how sensitive we are.

Oh, and--When I first decided to answer this thread, I thought it was going to turn into yet another dissertation on my obsession with cats; but I ended up writing about the smells of my house instead. Weird, huh?

I never knew dogs where so lovable till 1 followed me home. I always was a cat person, never wanted to have a dog. Now me and my little buddy are inseperable. He goes on walks with me, he sits at my feet when i am reading or watching the tv. He loves going for rides in the car. He looks sad when i have to go and can't take him. He jumps up and down and wags his tail to greet me when i come home. I love petting and hugging him it is very calming and great free therapy. The only problem is my cat is a little green-eyed monster. I can't blame her as she is used to being an only pet.

It seems people with Aspergers tend to relate well with animals. I personally love birds. I could identify 200 species when I was only 2! I used to have a cockatoo for a few years, but sadly she died (I currently have a dog, but the connection isn't as strong, and despite having had many pet fish they were all idiots who I didn't care for when they died 2 hours after being purchased). I've also thought cats were particularly cool, but unfortunately I've never had one as a pet due to my dad's allergies.

I have thought of finding out the training requirement in my state and working with my dog to meet them. I am self employed and it alows me to take him with me a lot but then I'd be able to take him even more places. He's realy big though(about 130 lbs) and a German Shepard so a lot of people are frightened of him as it is but at least only dog people approach me