We DO own a small 7 pound poodle that is all vocal cords when she hears something outside. Lordy that dog can bark, such is the nature of some poodles when they are guarding their family.
At first our daughter with autism wasn't sure how to interact with the puppy. We had to demonstrate EVERY way you interacted with the dog. How to hold her, how to pick her up, how to pet her.....her interaction was not instinctive at all.
It took a lot of time and she also watched us model how we interacted with our dog. Now would you believe she is the dog's favorite playmate? Our dog has discovered that if she brings a toy to my daughter...the toy ALWAYS gets thrown for her :) She is also responsible for keeping the dog's water clean and fresh and for taking her out of the dog crate in the morning for the first "potty break".
When our girls were very small we did have some fish (I hate fish :) the things we do for our kids!). They did enjoy watching them and it did seem to have a calming effect on both our girls.
Some folks have good luck with guinea pigs too as well as hamsters or small hermit crabs. Pets give your child a topic to talk about with others and opens up their world a little bit to how other living things feel and interact.
What pets do you own? Have you any recommendations for others?
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