Would you recommend getting a dog?

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Actually out cat is the one with allergies he is allergic to ticks and even more so to flea repellant. One thing I did consider for a short while but decided against is was a bearded dragon (lizard). There is lots of good info online and they are supposed to make really good pets but in our case DD wants something furry whilst in your case it might actually be an option.
No idea on dog breeds really so not much help on that one.

I thought about this, too. What if your kid(s) is allergic to dog hair? I know I don't want the responsibility of owning a dog or cat right now. My son is all I can handle right now. Don't really know what to say- other than it's not a decision I'd take lightly. If you do decide to get a pet, do research on what would be best for you.

We were never dog people. Both of our kids have ASD. They are 8 and 10.

We have a dog.

He is wonderful.

When our youngest boy was 7 (pre-diagnosis) the school was thinking he may have ADHD. He had been begging for a dog for years. When the thought of ADHD or *something* came up I went online and did some research. Apparently having a dog can be really good for our kids, so we decided it would be ok to get a dog. I did more research on the kind of dog to get (because they are all SO different) and we would need one with a lot of patience and kindness in him., We decided on a big Goldendoodle. We got him from a breeder when he was 8 weeks old.

I have to say that getting him as a puppy was a LOT of work. If you can skip the puppy stage you'll be a step up. I am glad we got him when he was a baby though, it has been fun to watch him grow into a wonderful adult dog. He is a year old now and though he has always been great, he was a typical puppy with the nipping and needing to be trained. I put a lot of work into him and he's seriously the best dog EVER. He's not a barky dog, barking is very unsettling for my kids. Even when people come over he's all smiles and wagging tail. No barking, and I didn't have to train him that way. He's just naturally sweet.

Our oldest son was terrified of dogs, he wasn't very happy during the initial talks of getting a dog. When we took the kids to meet our puppy at the breeder's before we adopted him he was very happy to meet the little guy. Now this same boy has the strongest bond with the dog out of the two kids. Besides ASD, he also has Dysthyma and our dog is a huge comfort to him. The dog encourages the kids to get out and play too.

If you decide to get a dog, do your research to find the best dog for your family. I advise getting a large dog, they tend to be more confident/mellow and not yappy biters like small dogs generally are.

Regarding allergies, this is another reason we went with a goldendoodle. He's F1b which is a cross back to a poodle, so he's 75% poodle and 25% golden retriever. He does not shed, he is non allergenic. However, with that he needs a lot of grooming. I do coat maintenance at home and he gets a hair cut about once a month for $100. Non shedding dogs are great, but keep the maintenance time/cost in mind. I think a lot of doofles end up in rescues because people aren't able to keep up with the coat.

I second this. A trial run with a friend's dog would be a good idea, and you can see if allergies come up too.

Also if you decide to get one I recommend shelter dogs and not worrying about the specific breed too much (unless they do turn out to be allergic except to certain breeds), talk to several staff members and they should be able to help you find the right fit for your family. I think cuddly pets in general are great for anyone who has a hard time making friends but not having one isn't terrible if it wouldn't work for your family.

As a kid with AS i can say hand on heart that my dog has made the biggest improvement on my life. She is very very patient with me and when i was younger she used to allow me into her bed when i was upset. Our dog has also helped me understand emotions as well as understand rules. She means i csn have conversations eith passing strangers because she is so friendly and thus makes me respond to her behavior with the public. She has helped me to understand others opinnions and taught me how to support others- our dog is scared of bridges that you can see the ground through and i can now persuade her to cross them. She reminds me of mealtimes, prevents me from isolating myself and helps me to be a little independent. She is currentky helping me to use public transport without my mums assistabce.
From experience you will be a dog person once you own one and see how much it helps. I wouldnt suggest anything other than a labrodor, loyal to the end, patient, clever, very little maintenence other than walkimg and swimming. They are the ultimate family pet and theres a high chance i wouldnt be alive without my dog.

The psychiatrist has an idea that a nice cuddly dog will open your child up and give him an outlet for affection.
I wouldn't bet on it, especially if it disrupts your household. My aspie young adult son hates our dog. He startles when it barks and cringes when it jumps on him. Too bad for him, I adore the little pest.

I recommend a pet but with the understanding that dogs are often different just like people are different. For us, the balance in our home was a delicate thing so I made sure to adopt a pet that was housebroken and friendly with children and other animals etc...

We got trooper. He was about 2.5 German shepherd mix. Adopted and was already housebroken, loved kids and cats even. He was already neutered as well. All the hard work was done. It was a GREAT decision. My son loves him.

One of the benefits of adopting is that you get to go meet them, talk with people about the character and temperament of the dog and if it doesn't work out the agencies normally want you to being them back versus sending them away. So they would understand the situation.

Good luck!

Personally, I am wary of the advice, just because it sounds like she made it sound so absolute, which really is inappropriate. First of all, your son isn't going to magically stop being afraid of dogs just because you get one. Eventually, maybe, but that is too much a "thrown into the deep end of the pool" approach for many kids who have fears; it could completely backfire. Second of all, dogs take a LOT of work. A LOT. They need companionship and attention constantly, and require structure and training. One of my neighbors recently gave hers away because she really had not been prepared for everything involved. Your energy and attention may need to be focused on other priorities that would suffer if you had to take care of a dog.

Lots of things are helpful to kids, but that does not make them necessary. You have to pick and choose for yourself what you think will work best for your family and situation. If you like the idea of adding a dog to your family, then it is a good idea. But do NOT do it just because someone suggested it could be helpful to your child. The thing is, dog people tend to think everyone should have a dog; they can't see the downsides to it. But, really, there is nothing that says dogs help all ASD kids.

We don't have a dog. No one has ever told us we need to get one, and when my daughter asked for one my ASD son was quite clear that he would not want a dog in the house. But, that is us. You really have to decide for yourself, and I think you've got a lot of good responses in thread to show both sides.

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Dogs are great for kids on the spectrum, especially large social dogs who's face is in the child's face. That being said, someone would need to take care of the dog. See http://www.dogsforautism.org/ & http://4pawsforability.org/autism-assistance-dog/

I can see that tactic backfiring with very bad consequences for child and dog.

It is not a problem with trained companion dogs where the dog and child are introduced by trained handlers and usually not a problem with a dog raised with the child and an involved adult. A parent needs to teach the child not to accidentally hurt the dog or other living things.

I would not recommend a shelter dog with unknown socialization.

DS would get very frustrated by a dog that wouldn't get out of his face. He would probably grab the dog's head and squeeze it while yelling at the dog. Not because he doesn't know better, or that we haven't explained to him how to treat animals, but because that's what he does when he loses control.

Then I would agree it would not be for the best. It was not that the dog would seek to be in his face, but when they were playing on the ground together, the dog's face would be at the same level.

Ah, now I understand. Yes, agreed.

I agree, it seems touchy-feely kind of thing. It might work out it might not. We got a service dog 6 months ago, a beautiful big black lab. He is very friendly and sociable.
When I go and jump on the trampoline with my son the dog wants to come on and play too - but with me, not with my son - because my son is not interested in the dog in that way.

We have tried. The dog tries, he brings toys to my son, but my son's main interest is stimming with straws or playing with me, he's just not interested in the dog it would seem, at least not in playing with the dog.

The dog is still very useful to us in getting out and about though in the community, and going for walks and my son being safe. My son does like this, and he requests it. We tether my son to the dogs harness. That was the primary reason we got the dog.

I think getting a dog cause the shrink told you to is a bad idea. Dogs are potentially 12+ year commitment, they are WORK, they poop, pee and shed, they need to be fed, watered, played with, walked, groomed, trained, and you cant go out on day trips or vaca without making arrangements for the dog.

I have a dogs love em to pieces, but its a HUGE commitment one the whole family should discuss and decide on!

good luck