Dog for our family

[apm101]

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Hi all,

New here, looks like a great forum!

Looking to pick the forum's collective brains.

My family is thinking about getting a dog. The background is that our 7-year-old son is high-functioning autistic/ aspergers, and we have seen research that suggests a dog of the right breed is a really good route to improving socialisation in kids like him, apart from giving a lot of pleasure. He certainly struggles with friendships and interactions at school. He looks for companionship from our cat, but being a cat, he's not so keen on that! There are also sensory advantages to a dog with soft fur.

A recent BBC documentary reinfiorced this view, and followed the process for a family with an autistic lad and their choice of a golden retriever. They were fantastic companions!

My limited research is suggesting a retriever or lab would have the right kind of temperament for this kind of situation, but we have added complications.

1) My wife and I both work. We live in the London suburbs- I work in central London (occasional work from home day), and my wife is a teacher at a local autistic school. Thus, the dog would be home alone for a good few hours each day. We can commit to walks at the beginning and end of the day, and long romps at the weekend.

2) As mentioned, we have a cat already. He's a nice cat, but as a rescue, still can be a bit standoffish from time to time. He loves cuddles, but on his terms. We would want to make sure we could all live together happily, so cat-chasers are out.

3) We have a large detached house with a good sized garden

4) As a teacher, my wife is off for a good chunk of the summer, as well as Easter, Christmas and half terms. Two days a week she also comes home early, usually by 1600.

5) My mother-in-law walks our son to school 3 days per week and home once, so walks & company those days would be much better.

6) I had dogs when I was a lad, but not since. I did, however, spend 3 summers working for the Met Police looking after police dogs whose owners were on holiday. I think I developed a reasonable understanding of how they work, albeit limited to largely GSDs, labs and springers! My wife is a bit of a dog novice.

Any advice is very welcome indeed, about breed suggestions, processes to follow, and more generally, too!

Many thanks in advance,

Alex.

 

[carriescanines]

Hi, yes that documentary was fab! just didn't agree with leaving a puppy to cry at night, you need to gently build them up to being left alone.

i would suggest more research, getting a dog is a massive commitment and making sure you want to commit to a dog. Yes a dog would be a great companion for your son but do you have time for one and do you want to put a lot of time and energy into one. As in the programme, puppies are hard work and need a lot of time put into them but it is also a great for them to grow with you.

research training classes around your area look for a positive reward based trainer, speak to people with dogs - why do they have that breed? how much does it molt? how much walking does it need? people love talking about their dogs so will answer your questions

go to dog shows, another great place to talk to people about their dogs. there is also discover dogs in London where you can go around and speak to different breeders.

a great book to read, before you get a dog is The Puppy Bible - claire arrowsmith & alison smith as it goes through points to consider to what to expect from your puppy each week

regarding the dog being left alone for long hours, you shouldn't leave a dog or more than 4 hours - you could look at dog walkers or dog day care - again this is a expense but worth it

regarding your cat, as long as they are introduced correctly, it shouldn't be a problem

hope that helps a bit!

 

[Raven oaktree]

Hi , have a look on support dogs website , they actually have a section for autism assistant dogs, and have a look at dogs for disabled website too . There are quite a few charities out there that do now supply assistance dogs to disabled and autistic children as therapy dogs , that way you would get a fully trained dog that knew how to respond to your child and be able to cope if your child has meltdowns etc . Google 'dogs for autistic children ' and you will get lots of advice on how to apply , what it involves etc

My son is very disabled and we are training our GSD to help him . She is not quite 2 and is doing brill. If you chose to get your own dog from a pup , as we did there are also dog training schools out there that will train a dog to become assistance dogs for/with you and once they have passed all their 'exams' they will be listed as an assistance dog and will be able to go to the same places as guide dogs ...so your dog can always be with your son.

As regards leaving the dog alone all day , more than 4 hours is just not fair on the dog , particularly the kind of dog you will need ..i.e a family loving high energy dog . We pay £12 per hour for a fab dog walker to come in when I'm at work to take her out for a walk , give her a drink and pop her back in her crate . so not cheap exactly , but well worth the money . I only work 2 days a week and take my old boy with me , but i know my dog walker does discounts on more than 3 days a week , so maybe have a look for one that does discounts too .

 

[gypsysmum2]

All good advice above.

Retreivers moult quite a lot and Labradors moult too. Can you cope with that. They are also of the Gundog group which makes them active dogs. Either one would need about two hours exercise per day, preferably split into two sessions. Training would also take time out of your day.

Some other breeds to thing about are those from the toy group, which are bred to be companions rather than to work. Obviously not a teeny tiny toy breed but a more robust one. If you think they are too small then why not go to the other extreme and think about a Giant breed. They are usually very placid and need surprisingly little exercise compared to a working breed.

Take a look at the Kennel Club website. They have a search facility where you can put your requirements in and it comes up with suggestions.

Choosing a good breeder is absolutely essential. They puppy needs to have come from a robust household with children either in it or visiting regularly. The puppy should have been reared in the house and have been exposed to all sorts of noises and family activities from birth to eight weeks. Some of the larger breeds are reared outside. A puppy reared outside is at a big disadvantage when it has to live in a home with lots of noise and activity. Remember that all breeders love their breeds and will tell you that they are marvellous pets and excellent with children etc. Test out the adult dogs in the house with your son to see if they are phased at all. They should retreat but recover from anything unexpected.

All puppies need thorough socialising. This means seeing and interacting with lots of other dogs of all shapes and sizes during the "critical" period between 8 and 12-14 weeks. After that they need lots of top ups to reinforce their trust in other dogs. They also need to see all sorts of people and all ages of children during the early months of life. Your wife may have the advantage (if allowed) of taking the puppy to school occasionally?

Lots to think about

 

[carriescanines]

I also found this article for you, regarding introducing a dog to your cat

http://www.patriciamcconnell.com/theotherendoftheleash/introducing-cats

I hope its useful

 

[carriescanines]

check out the programme on channel 4, 8pm (or watch again) - Rescue Dog to Superdog. It may help your search and show you what you can train your dog to help with. The trainers on the programme are both very good!