Companion Dog

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I would like some input from other parents about getting a dog for our 6yo ASD daughter.

She does not need a full ASD service/assistance dog. So we are interested in a highly trained emotional support dog. We would love to have a dog that sleeps with her (to help with insomnia) and that helps to calm her in overstimulating situations.

Has anyone here had success with a dog? Or was the dog like another child to care for? I know that a highly trained dog will need care, but will the benefit outweigh the extra work?

Hello Mosers,

A perspective,

Humans first,dogs second,cats third.

A dog,should be not looked upon,other than the spiritual ease he or she gives.

Unconditional love,holds no expectations,

So,hold none.

Not look what could that help,but appreciate the 'unconditional love',

appreciate,the unconditional love that an animal brings,

forego your expectations and wants etc.

No expectations,just acceptance at a gift,the love from an animal.

Forget your mind agendas.

Think and look at the whole picture,

NOT,your perfect selfish picture.

We moved to the country to raise our kids for both the responsibility building aspect of chores as well as the emotional connectivity to animals (dogs, cats, chickens, sheep, cattle).

It has gone well.

I think companion dogs are a great idea.

Getting a dog for your child is the best thing you can do. Dogs support emotionally, and kids will feel way better and safer with them

English Bull Terriers work well for me. They're the clown of the canine world with solid concrete heads and love to be around humans more than other dogs.

Animals in general can be very helpful.
They're much less stressing than people while providing opportunities to bond and train "being with others".
I can't have a dog because of my husband's sensory issues (he can't stand the way dogs smell) but even a hamster turned out very helpful for my 9yo AS daughter - a sweet, furry ball to love

A companion dog might be a good idea. But perhaps you might let her be around some dogs first. Perhaps a neighbor or friend has a dog she can play with. My young grandchildren were afraid of dogs at first because the dog would jump on them when excited. I think some of the fear went away as the grandchildren grew larger than the dog and learned to command the dog and see that the dog obeyed them. Also they liked to play games with the dog such as fetch. It is like the old saying:

try before you buy.

I feel like a cat would be more likely to be good at calming an autistic kid, because dogs can be a source of overload when they get excited or want attention. But this depends a lot on the individual kid. Have you observed your daughter interacting with dogs? Does she seem to find them calming, is she scared of them, does she like them but tend to recoil when they show too much affection? (Eg personally I like dogs, but instinctively recoil when licked, because I hate the feel of dog saliva.)

Conversely, with cats, the biggest determinant is whether the kid is able to recognize overloaded cat cues and back off or approach gently to avoid upsetting the cat. A lot of autistic people are very good at this, but it does take learning, and there are some autistic kids who pester animals and don't seem to be able to learn when to back off.

I think support dogs are awesome but here's something you may not have considered. My daughter (6yo), who is as yet undiagnosed, is very erratic in her behaviour towards animals. We've had 2 dogs (just pets) in her life and she's far more likely to kick or hit out at them when stressed than go to them for comfort. Her relationship with animals has been one of the hardest aspects of her behaviour for us to accept as parents (we both take a lot of comfort from our hairy friends).

So yeah, another vote for 'try before you buy' but for a slightly different reason.

Are there any pet stores by you? Or animal shelters? (I hope they're open, because scamdemic.) It's fairly easy to visit one, and ask to "see" an animal or two. "See" means go into a gated alcove, and play one-on-one with that dog or cat. I (37, male) did that a number of times, and it was great every time. The animals seem to like me, especially the dogs. That being said, I'm good at interacting with pets, and know when to push the interaction and when to back off.

One quick heads-up: puppies like to nip, and some cats can bite or scratch. They're animals, and they do what they want. I've gotten nipped and scratched, although the animals get rabies shots when they arrive, so you won't need more than a bandage. (There are posted flyers in pet stores and waivers you sign in animal shelters warning you about it, because America is trigger-happy with lawsuits.) But all in all, it's worth it. There's absolutely nothing more adorable than a puppy climbing in your lap and trying to lick your (masked) face, as you sit on the floor. And whatever skin injuries you get, it's just collateral damage with an amusing story behind it.