Charley Bear: Our Service Dog

His name is Charley Bear…

Yep…he’s a dog and he’s great!  In February we got a miniature Golden-Doodle dog and he’s great.  Yeah he barks (sorry neighbors…well not all of you–he’s a puppy, deal with it!) and he still bites and jumps a bit too much…but he’ll continue to learn and he’s great!

My wife and I were hesitant to bring a dog into our special needs family.  Our son, William (6) has autism and our daughter, Margaret (4) didn’t much care for dogs prior to getting Charley Bear.

I had dogs around me growing up–but never the “Boy and his dog” type scenario…they were just there.  My wife had cats (ick) as a child.  So neither of us were really gung-ho at first.  But now we are.

Charley Bear loves to please.  He loves William and Margaret and loves to play with them.  He allows the ear pulling, the squeezing, the grabbing and tugging…he’ll snap at the kids still–but for the most part, he’s just what our family needs.

They’re not cheap dogs and Charley Bear has already cost me a bit in medical issues–ear infection, allergies, toys and stuff…but to me it’s worth it.

I can’t wait to see how the kids and Charley Bear grow up together.  He is their dog (although I like to play with him just as much) and I’m excited to see how they all mature and grow together.

If you have a special needs child…consider getting a dog.  Make sure you get a dog that is willing to be harassed because that’s just what is going to happen.

You’ll be glad you did.  Anyone else have stories about their pets with special needs children?

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Seth/Melanie Fowler

Authored, Look at my Eyes, a parent's perspective re: navigating autism-early intervention, insurance, treatments, a paradigm of a family & child with autism