[Ravenflight]

O.k I am going out on a limb here. My son is very high functioning Aspergers . All of his doctors are recommending a companion dog for him, Not so much a service dog but a good solid companion. He needs an active dog that can keep up with his long walks and jogs. As my son is almost 6 foot at 15 a small dog is not an option
He has been asking for a Dobie pup. I am wondering if anyone knows a good breeder in North Oregon or Southern WA. I owned a beautiful Dobie years ago for 16 years and it is the pictures of my guy that has my son asking for a pup like that.
We have a local trainer who is willing to work with my son and any puppy he gets to make sure they are both good members of society.
Thanks for any advice anyone may have.

 

[Rosemary]

Have you though about getting an older puppy or adult rescue? For starters, they would, most likely, be easier to housetrain. Also, a baby puppy shouldn't be taken on long walks or runs. A (youngish) adult rescue should be able to keep up with a little bit of conditioning.

An older dog can be trained, too. My Rattie went to class, and got his CGC, at age 11.

 

[RedFawnRising]

O.k I am going out on a limb here. My son is very high functioning Aspergers . All of his doctors are recommending a companion dog for him, Not so much a service dog but a good solid companion. He needs an active dog that can keep up with his long walks and jogs. As my son is almost 6 foot at 15 a small dog is not an option
He has been asking for a Dobie pup. I am wondering if anyone knows a good breeder in North Oregon or Southern WA. I owned a beautiful Dobie years ago for 16 years and it is the pictures of my guy that has my son asking for a pup like that.
We have a local trainer who is willing to work with my son and any puppy he gets to make sure they are both good members of society.
Thanks for any advice anyone may have.

Hi, welcome to DT.

One of the first words that comes to my mind, in reference to the raising of a Doberman puppy is: Chaos.

How rooted to routine is your son? Depending on how he handles a need to improvise, be fluid, and spontaneous, a bit older candidate might very well be the better bet for a companion.

Adopting a young to mid-age adult would also let you see, essentially, "what you get," whereas a puppy is a rather unpredictable bit of protoplasm

 

[Patches Mom]

You have to wait for a Doberman puppy s growth plates to close usually at about 18 months old before your son could do long walks or jogs. A rescue might work out better for your son Good Luck in your quest.

 

[PatchworkRobot]

I think an older dog is a great idea. As puppies go Dreizehn was pretty easy and he was still chaotic. If you go through a good doberman rescue they'll know all about the dog, sometimes even a ton about it's background, and will be able to set you up with a good, stable dog.

 

[Ravenflight]

My sons need to stick a routine is mainly at school and meal times. Its his social situations that are his really week points. At home and with the family he is pretty laid back and comical.
An younger dog 12-18 months would be ok. I should have mentions that all runs and long walks are on hold for the next eight months. We just went through spinal surgery and my son is mobile but his doctor has confined him to several short walks a day.
Our main goal at this time is the breed and and healthy dog from healthy lines. We figure that this is one dream we can help my son have so we are starting the search for the right fit with my son and rest of the family.


lol yes the dobie puppy terrors as we called them. I do remember them. When my first boy was six months old he got into the pantry and with one tug of a flour bag went from being red/rust to white /red/rust. Then he ran it through the house.

 

[workingk9s]

Honestly, I think as long as you are there to help, a Doberman could be a nice addition to your household. You might check with Starlaine Dobermans. She is very active in health testing and also is very active in the breed ring. From other members here, it seems her dogs have good temperaments as well. Contact JulieW via PM maybe as she has 2 Starlaine Dobermans.

ETA: Starlaine is also a member here, so you can contact her from DT if you want.

 

[melbrod]

My son is Asperger's too, though he doesn't seem to have the need to exercise you are describing in your son. I do think that out of our animals, the cat seems to fit him more than the dogs do. Cats aren't quite as messy as the dogs--my son has a little trouble with OCD-like issues, and "dirty" chores seem to be a little less with the cat. The cat is not quite as pushy with a "nose in your face" as the dogs are either. I think he likes the reserved yet deep affection the cat shows with him.

It just depends on what mix of personality traits your son has, I guess--certainly you could not take a cat on long walks!

 

[Rosemary]

I just wanted to add that both my 14 year old daughter and 9 year old son are autistic, aLthough most people wouldn't realize my daughter is. Well, I also have a house full of cats (7), and three dogs, including a 17 week old GSD. My son can be a real brat when it comes to the animals, and even my daughter, who is normally good with then, freaks out when the puppy jumps on her (and we've had 2 pups in the last two years).

So, if your son needs routine, an older pup (6+ months) or young adult would probably be a better bet. Having to jump up from the table to run a baby puppy outside is a definite break in routine.

 

[Dobemama33]

I think for someone who is high functioning asbergers who is pretty easy-going but needs some help with opening up to people socially a puppy is a great ice breaker, especially a young puppy. Your son will meet a lot of new people on their walks that he might not have talked to otherwise. Good luck!

 

[DoubleDogDare]

My 5-year old was just recently diagnosed with Nonverbal Learning Disability, which is very often misdiagnosed as Asperger's. Routine is very important to him, and he has to be talked through change and transition quite a bit. When we got Dylan, it was a huge transition, and he acted as if the dog weren't here. I mean, he literally ignored him, looked right past him, etc.. It was his way of dealing with the introduction of a new family member. However, both of our dogs had died within the preceding six months, and we had a new baby on the way. So there were a lot of adjustments for him all at once.

That all being said, now that Dylan has been here for more than a year, and he's over a year and a half old, Andrew has shown a recent interest in him. He knows that when he needs to talk incessantly, Dylan is more than happy to lend an ear. He has found that if he's feeling some anxiety, if he throws a toy or plays with Dylan, it helps settle him down. Also, it's helping him socially. He told me the other day, "Mom, when I don't know what to say to other kids on the playground, I tell them about Dylan. Sometimes they tell me about their dogs, too!" So it's really brought him out of his shell. I think a doberman is an excellent choice, because they love their people deeply and they seem to be very in tune with our feelings. More so than other breeds I've owned anyway. But I agree with the general consensus, an older dog may be a good choice for you guys. You can always look into what's available in your area. Oftentimes, a breeder will have an older pup or a young adult that didn't pan out in the show ring, or for breeding purposes, and they choose to rehome it. That might be a great option for you if you're very concerned that your dog have health testing. Be patient and wait for the right one to come along. You'll know when it does.

 

[Ravenflight]

Thank you all for the advice. We talked about some of the ideas and my son loves the idea of getting one a little bit older that maybe didn't make it the show ring or just wasn't quite what someone else wanted.
We are lucky he is so high functioning but the social part is really causing issues when he feels he has failed in this area he gets depressed and goes into his "i just want one friend to talk to".
As we all know a good dog will listen all day to us ramble. I was looking at some of the suggested kennels and will be sending of emails and pms today.

 

[Marieldobes]

Here are some breeders both in Washington and Oregon taken from the DPCA Breeder's Directory. Many times a breeder will hold onto a pup until they are 6 or 7 months old to see if they will cut it in the ring and if not, they'll place it in a pet home.


Oregon
(Wolf Creek)
FOXFIRE - Michelle Santana
(541) 441-2952
[email protected]
Foxfire Dobermans - Breeder-Owner of AKC Top Producing Doberman Pinschers

Oregon
(Talent)
HEARTWOOD - Juanita ***an
(541) 535-7171
[email protected]
Heartwood Dobermans. Dobermans, Talent, OR

Oregon
(Beaverton)
SUNSET DOBERMANS - Dawn D Danner
(503) 799-9461
[email protected]
Home

Oregon
(Central Point)
WINDERMERE DOBERMANS - Katherine V Hinds
(541) 890-0814
[email protected]

Washington
(South Prairie)
ELECTRON DOBERMANS - Tammy Markey
(360) 897-6197
[email protected]

Washington
(Yelm)
EMERALD DOBERMANS - Cathy Ceely
(253) 318-0412
[email protected]
Emerald Dobermans - Index

Washington
(Kent)
SHERLUCK - Faye Strauss and Gary Strauss
(253) 631-1442
[email protected]
doberman

Washington
(Renton)
STARLAINE DOBERMANS - Elaine Hopper
(425) 228-7070
[email protected]
Starlaine Dobermans & Whippets


Jan

 

[brw1982]

I don't have any experience with children with autism or Asperger's and dogs, but a general, good recommendation for anyone is for the family to meet and spend some face time with some Dobermans to get an idea if they really want to live with the breed. Obviously, you've said you had a Dobe for 16-years so you know you love the breed. But I think it would be a good idea to introduce your son to some Dobermans so he's not just looking at a pretty picture and hearing stories. That way he can put an experience with the breed to the idea and pictures.

You might even be able to contact some area therapy dog organizations and request to meet some of the Doberman participants in their programs. I'm not sure how they go about organizing that but it may be a good place to start since therapy dogs will tend to be awesome candidates for meet-n-greets with people who have disabilities. And I'd guess (if I'm wrong here, sorry for assuming ) you'd be looking for a similarly tempered Doberman as one who works/volunteers in therapy.

 

[Marieldobes]

I don't have any experience with children with autism or Asperger's and dogs, but a general, good recommendation for anyone is for the family to meet and spend some face time with some Dobermans to get an idea if they really want to live with the breed. Obviously, you've said you had a Dobe for 16-years so you know you love the breed. But I think it would be a good idea to introduce your son to some Dobermans so he's not just looking at a pretty picture and hearing stories. That way he can put an experience with the breed to the idea and pictures.

You might even be able to contact some area therapy dog organizations and request to meet some of the Doberman participants in their programs. I'm not sure how they go about organizing that but it may be a good place to start since therapy dogs will tend to be awesome candidates for meet-n-greets with people who have disabilities. And I'd guess (if I'm wrong here, sorry for assuming ) you'd be looking for a similarly tempered Doberman as one who works/volunteers in therapy.

This is a really good idea, and the one to contact in the Portland area would be a DT member who goes by Bean. She has an awesome boy, Silas, who is a therapy dog. You could PM her - she does live in Portland.

Jan

 

[Q734]

Good luck with your journey and decision.
There are a good number of people on this board with special needs children in their lives who have dobermans, myself included.
The right dog is waiting.
Best wishes to you and your son. Kudos to you for researching in advance.

 

[JobeyV]

As the parent of an 18 year old with high functioning Aspergers I think a dobe is an excellent choice as a companion for your son. My son grew up around the breed & loved all 3 of them to bits. My son had a really hard time growing up and trying to socialise was a nightmare for him. The kids at school were absolutely vile to him all the time but there was always a dobe happy to see him when he got home ready with love, cuddles & nose pokes :nicejob:
Dogs are a great way to socialise. Hubby & I talk to people we would never normally even say hello to because of our dogs & this could help your son also. I think the bond between a dobe & it's owner is very special indeed & one that could benefit your son enormously. He will never feel alone with a dobe by his side.
Good luck in your search & let us know how you get on. I hope your son finds his very special friend very soon.

 

[Del Nasi Fan]

Getting a Diberman weather it be a pup or adult would be extremely benificial to your son my daughter is only 2 and she has Autism and we currently have one Shiba Inu pup and will be getting a Donerman pup really soon (Shiba is too small) to help keep her safe plus she onl really interacts with animals mine are not service dogs either. But I can tell you companion wise they make all the difference in the world.

O.k I am going out on a limb here. My son is very high functioning Aspergers . All of his doctors are recommending a companion dog for him, Not so much a service dog but a good solid companion. He needs an active dog that can keep up with his long walks and jogs. As my son is almost 6 foot at 15 a small dog is not an option
He has been asking for a Dobie pup. I am wondering if anyone knows a good breeder in North Oregon or Southern WA. I owned a beautiful Dobie years ago for 16 years and it is the pictures of my guy that has my son asking for a pup like that.
We have a local trainer who is willing to work with my son and any puppy he gets to make sure they are both good members of society.
Thanks for any advice anyone may have.

 

[Abby]

I hate to bring this up, but it would worry me to choose such an unhealthy breed to be a companion the way you describe. With so many dogs dying as young as 3-5 years old there's just too much of a risk, in my mind, that in a few short years you may find yourself trying to help your son through the loss of his best friend.

I would consider a breed with more reliable health.

 

[dglvr]

I must echo others' recommendations in getting a bit of an older dog. As a person who is considered "borderline" Aspergers (some doctors say I do, some say I don't) it is a very bad idea to expect that having a puppy will help your son socialize more. It is FAR more likely that the pup will end up under-socialized because your son is likely to avoid socialization situations (I know that that is my first instinct, and I need to force myself for the dog's sake to speak to strangers, but I am able to do that and many are not. And regardless, it's still a very unpleasant situation for me, as pleasant as they are.) and want only to be with the dog, not including people.