We attended the dogs for good workshops a few years ago with a view to getting a dog to help calm Freya down, we learned how they could be trained to help with meltdowns, getting out of the house, road safety etc etc
I was sold on the idea despite never having owned a dog, (we'd had one when I was a child for about a week before it was rehomed) I spent months researching the best dog for us and decided it would be a Bernese Mountain dog. Why?! you may wonder, they're huge! Yes but gentle giants renowned for their patience and love of children and most importantly for me they have a deep non offensive bark.
So off we went and spent about another year attending all the Bernese events up and down the country to make sure we were doing the right thing. I might add Freya was terrified of dogs and still is but I thought she'd get used to it.
Bernese dogs are fairly pricey to buy, about £1200-£2000 depending on the breeder, you'd think therefore not many people would be after one, you'd be wrong.
I finally met up with one of the best known and most reputable breeders who informed me I would not get one of her dogs, her reasons? the children were too small, I wouldn't have time to train it properly and as my husband was disabled we would not have the strength to control it. I was devastated. She suggested we get a retriever or labrador instead.
I have a friend with a retriever and she is still very hyper at nearly 2, I just didn't think they were a good fit for us.
I searched for a dog that would suit us and we ended up bringing home a cross between a newfoundland, collie and german shepherd, we named him max.
Lucas loved max, he loves all dogs and Freya was as expected terrified for a week or so but she did calm down a bit with him. It turned out it was me that the biggest issue with him.
At first he had come to me all the time, I was the one sat in back of the car with him on the journey home cleaning up his sick, but as the weeks went by and I got more stressed with him having accidents in the house and being the only one that would let him out at 5am, clean up his pooh from the garden or play with him etc he started to bond more with my husband who is generally much calmer than me. This annoyed me even more as I was the one running round after him.
I found it especially hard in the evening when I wanted to relax and he would stand in front of me yapping and jumping about, he started barking whenever the dogs next door barked and poking his head through the hedge to see them, on one occasion he was eating and lucas kept touching his bottom and he turned round and snapped at him, this was the final straw for me.
My husband said he was a good dog but he honestly really scared me and I was going crazy with all the stuff he was ruining and all the noise and dirt. We rehomed him after 4 weeks and he joined a family with 3 other dogs and no small children where he is very happy.
So it turns out dogs are not good for all people with autism and rather than add calm to your household they can just triple the stress.
I can't remember how I stumbled upon some information about ragdolls online but I started to read about them and decided to bring one home last summer.
When we went to view the kittens Daisy was the one that sat still for the kids to stroke her so she came home with us.
Ragdolls are renowned for their patient laid back natures, they love people and follow you around like a dog would just wanting to be where you are.
At first she was a little startled by how much noise the kids made and how fast they sped around the house but she soon became used to it. Within a month or so I noticed how much calmer Lucas was when she was in the room, he can be in the foulest mood in the morning and refuse to get out of bed but as soon as she comes into his room his mood just switches and he gets straight up to give her a stroke. She has been so patient with him carrying her around, wrapping her up in blankets, putting feathers and hats on her, she just lies there.
We currently have 5, 7 week old kittens and while we are having some issues with Lucas's behaviour with them the kittens are already demonstrating their wonderful temperaments.
I know lots of people have said their lives have been changed by having an assistance dog but for us our Daisy is a much better therapy cat.
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