Dogs and Aspergers

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http://www.earthporm.com/dog-saves-owne ... ce=thedodo

The therapeutic actions of dogs re people on the spectrum who suffer meltdowns is a topic I haven't really considered before.

I know though that when I have been ill in the past, my animal companions have acted differently and have shown behaviours that can only be categorised as "intentional comforting behaviour". I don't have meltdowns (well not with outwardly visible signs). Instead I get mentally overloaded with too many thoughts simultaneously, as if I have lots of minds all operating at once. Another reason I like the video, my dog was named Samson too, and he was a big soul dog too, like this one

Interesting. I mean, I know that apparently dogs can improve self-confidence, social behaviour etc in children, so why the heck not with Aspies?

I know my dog definitely clowns around when I'm upset...

Now I am wondering if owning a dog is perhaps (?) less common in families with autistic children. The parents maybe make a no-dogs choice for a certain number of reasons, vis a vis parents of NT children. I can only wonder, I don't think it has ever been studied, though it is interesting to think about.

This article reviews the few studies to date on the value of pet therapy re ASDs and concludes that it is positive though more and better research is needed. It speculates benefits for adults on the spectrum as well as children.
Instinctively, I agree with that sentiment, though I am biased because I like animals so much.

http://www.advancesjournal.com/openacce ... ertsen.pdf

No matter what mood I am in, I almost always smile when I look at my dog (a ~12 pound chihuahua mix). He is extremely loving. He is not a therapy dog, but he helps me a lot.

There was the book a friend like Henry. Where the parents got a dog for their son, I think it ended up being good thing. Though I've not read the book in ages. There's a lot more to the book, I actually quite liked the book.

My dad was a pro-cat, anti-dog person so we had no dogs when I was litle.

I could not tolerate the piercing barks of yappy little dogs and I had been chased by big dogs while riding my bike. I also had a number of bad encounters with dogs that seemed to decided that there was something off about me and just dislike me on sight.

So I was afraid of dogs and not disposed to like them. But then I had a friend, one of a very few and so very precious to me, who had a big german shepherd. And that dog accepted me as part of the family. I made a connection with him that I will never forget.

Later, my wife wanted a dog and I resisted for years, but finally gave in and it was great. I developed a very strong connection with that dog. It was like telepathy. He sensed what I was planning to do as soon as I had set my mind on something and joined in. He was great company on walks. Great company all the time, really. I think that kind of connection would be of immense value to most children and adults. Not every dog has the right personality, but the benefit of being with a good dog is immense.

My dogs, I have 3 of them, will snuggle with me when I do not feel well or am in the aftermath of a meltdown. During the meltdown they scatter as when I had them, they were quite violent with lots of shouting, foul language and throwing things. But post diagonsis, I have been able to get calmed down before they have gotten that far, and part of my comfort measures is snuggling up with one of my dogs, usualy the boarder collie/beagle mix but sometimes my siberian husky. I definatly am able to connect with dogs, even dogs I have never seen before. Dodger

We have cats, but yes, a pet as a comfort animal for anybody with emotional issues is a no-brainer. I grew up with numerous pets (dogs and cats) in the house - maybe that is why I did as well as I did, growing up aspie in a mostly aspie household.

I love spending time with dogs. Not just mine but I'm also a humane society volunteer. One of our dogs there, a very quiet and gentle brindle pit bull, went to a family with a severely autistic neighbor boy. The kid would only open up to animals and one of the reasons they wanted that particular dog is because they thought he could also be a good companion to thier neighbor kid.

Dogs are naturally intuitive, their senses are sharper and they observe subtleties which we might not notice. They are very attuned to our emotional state, add to this their social inclinations and it makes sense that they would notice and possibly respond to the needs of their owners.

I interact with four dogs, each with distinct personalities and types of energy.
I had a terrible fear of wasps until earlier this year, as did some other members of my family, the oldest dog is quite responsive to this type of fear, and developed an ability to jump into the air and snap wasps in half without being stung.
My mom slipped on ice outside our house a few years ago (concussion &broken arm), the dog lay on the ground right beside her until she came to, then stood while mum pulled herself up using the dog for support and walked slowly leaning into moms body til they were both inside. There are many other stories but those two make owning an intelligent dog really worthwhile.

I have a super sweet but almost untrainable little dog, but she is constantly in the moment, when I was terribly depressed she would jump onto me in bed and lie on top of me wagging her tail staring, pulling a 'puss in boots' face until I responded, it was impossible to ignore her cheerful disposition.

My favorite dog is the one I bought as a puppy, he has the calmest energy, and would simply lie on my feet when I couldn't get out of bed, so I never really felt alone. If I'm anxious he will sit beside me and when I pet him in particular it feels like he shares a little bit of calmness with me.

The youngest one is large and daft, but observes the other dogs and particularly copies the things they get rewarded for, including wasp hunting and wanting to jump up onto me when I was in bed and depressed.
I can honestly say that action got me out of bed quicker than anything else ever did, lol.

I've got a Labrador puppy, and getting her has been really a mixed bag.

On the one hand, she's sweet and affectionate, and it cheers me up to see someone so obviously happy to see me. She's also introduced me to all the local dog-lovers in the neighborhood, too.

On the other hand, I find her overloading with her licking and following me around and jumping on me, and sometimes I just want to be able to go for a walk without people saying 'hi' to me all the time.

Cats are so much easier pets, and when they're in an affectionate mood, it feels so much more special to me.

I do not have a dog, but i have always liked animals. But i do have a parrot.