I went with the younger two boys to choose our puppy today. Although our dog isn’t going to be a service dog – he is going to live in a family with a severely autistic child and therefore it was important to choose the right pup. We’re also hoping that he will become a bit of a therapy/interaction dog for Archie so we were looking for a dog with an excellent temperament.
Entering the world of dog breeding is always a bit of a minefield – anyone will tell you there are some breeders out there that you would do well to avoid. We have been extremely lucky in that we have found an excellent golden retriever breeder very near us. Goldendance Golden Retrievers based in Cornwall really do go the extra mile. We met the Mum when she was in the early days of pregnacy and the aunt and they really are dogs with a lovely temperament. Goldendance take their responsibilities as breeders very seriously and as well as all the health checks work on early socialisation and preparing the pups for family life. The pups are introduced to cats and children, played CD’s of loud noises, handled, have their claws clipped and grow up in the midst of the family home. They’ve taken a CD of Archie being Archie (i.e. a bit loud) and will play that to the pups so they’re all desensitised to him, and we left a blanket behind that had been rubbed in our hair and on our faces so the pup was left with our smells. If you’re looking for a well bred golden I highly recommend checking out their website.
Anyway I had a re-read of Golden Bridge: A Guide to Assistance Dogs for Children Challenged by Autism or Other Developmental Disabilities
I found it hard to choose. All the dogs were gorgeous. Luckily Carol, the breeder was available to help. She has previously provided dogs for Woofability and was able to help us select the most suitable dog. I was initially drawn to a very forward dog but Carol explained that he might be a bit dominant and this is something Patty Gross suggests avoiding for a child with autism. We went for the one who was happy to investigate the children’s laps but a little reserved, more sensitive and gentler than his brothers. Carol showed us that he was happy to expose his tummy and happy to fall asleep away from a big huddle of puppies. All signs of a secure little pup.
So little Chewie was selected, cuddled and named and promptly fell asleep. We’re hoping to go back with Archie soon so we can start to introduce Chewie and Archie to each other. We have four weeks to get the house and garden puppy proofed and then the fun will start in earnest.
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