I guess it's not too late to ask this question, but does any one have some knowledge they can impart on having an autistic kid at home and bringing a new puppy? We are bringing Odeo home next Friday!!!!
I don't know if any one of you will be of help here, but I thought I should ask any way!
My younger son is on the spectrum, he is 8 yrs old and hi-moderate functioning, he can talk (we decided to throw grammar out of the window at this point), he is very independent and is an extremely funny little guy. He is very social and initially wanted a cat and not a dog. Since he is a fan of Garfield (go figure!) but my husband has a lot of allergies and my older one (10 yr old) wanted a dog, so we picked Odeo. Finally after lot of talking and explaining my little guy is all excited, we have all of Odeo's gear (crate, ex-pen, pee-pads, kongs) and he keeps telling us it's for "his puppy". I'm glad he is able to connect, and every time we visit the puppy he is little antsy (since they have other dogs there as well) He did pet Odeo couple of times and is really excited seeing him and one time he even kissed him.
Are there any specific things/ tips we have to keep in mind to make the transition easier for both of them? Some time tips are applicable to all kids...special needs or not
I don't know if any one of you will be of help here, but I thought I should ask any way!
My younger son is on the spectrum, he is 8 yrs old and hi-moderate functioning, he can talk (we decided to throw grammar out of the window at this point), he is very independent and is an extremely funny little guy. He is very social and initially wanted a cat and not a dog. Since he is a fan of Garfield (go figure!) but my husband has a lot of allergies and my older one (10 yr old) wanted a dog, so we picked Odeo. Finally after lot of talking and explaining my little guy is all excited, we have all of Odeo's gear (crate, ex-pen, pee-pads, kongs) and he keeps telling us it's for "his puppy". I'm glad he is able to connect, and every time we visit the puppy he is little antsy (since they have other dogs there as well) He did pet Odeo couple of times and is really excited seeing him and one time he even kissed him.
Are there any specific things/ tips we have to keep in mind to make the transition easier for both of them? Some time tips are applicable to all kids...special needs or not