Does My Dog Know I'm Aspie?

[total-recoil]

Something else has got me thinking lately. For quite some time, a lot of people have joked about how the dog (a German Shep) pulls me so hard when I take him out on walks. It's not just that he pulls but may sometimes get hyper. Not at all in an unpleasant way or rebellious but sometimes he just seems to charge up.
I already know that other people have found German Sheps can detect nervousness in humans and I've heard of cases where the dog has started to act hyper when in the company of someone in a room who is nervous or maybe depressed.
So, I wonder if my dog picks up aspergers. The other day when I arrived to take him out, I had a few things on my mind and was pretty much lost in thought. I started walking the dog and acted the same with him as always except in my mind I was deep in thought as we were walking. Then, he became more and more hyper, pulling like crazy, sniffing around and really nervous and unsettled.
Funny thing is although he bonded closer to me than anyone else, he can be far more relaxed with other people but with me sometimes he can become hyper. It's as if on my bad days he picks up vibes and then becomes unsettled because I'm unsettled.

 

[Cerulean]

I don't know if they can, but I had an interesting experience with a German Shepherd mix a few years ago when I was volunteering at our animal shelter.

I was asked to walk the dogs, and I'd been afraid of dogs since I was a child and my neighbor's chow bit me several times, but I wanted to get over that phobia so I agreed. There was one GS named Lady who had been abused and was afraid of everybody who had come up to her. I got her out of her cage and we took her outside and let her off the leash to run around, and she just came over and sat next to me. She let me pet her like nothing in the world was wrong. It was so sweet, the shelter people were really surprised and asked if I could take her. Unfortunately a one bedroom apartment with someone who's never owned a dog didn't seem like a good situation for either of us. I visited her several times and eventually she was transferred to another shelter and that was the end of it. Part of my "job" there was taking pictures of the dogs for the shelter's flyers so I had my camera with me and someone offered to take some pictures for me.



Awww, Lady.

 

[earlyedition]

My dog loves me. I think they can sense it. I think my dog may have Aspergers. One day I asked my dog, Did you know that I am autistic. My dog shook her head yes.

 

[wight]

No, you dog doesn't know you're an aspie. I had a German Shepherd, basset hounds, border collies, terriers (in other words lots of dogs). Dogs are very sensitive to the energy and moods of people generally and their owners particularly. So that is what you are experiencing. If you're nervous he will be, if you are calm, he will be. My GSD was already a bite first, ask questions later, sort and I had to learn to calm myself before I walked him or he was unmanageable.

 

[earlyedition]

I'm always calm around my dog. I asked my dog, Do you know I'm autistic and she shook her head yes. She will shake her head yes or no at questions.

 

[clearly]

My two doodles are very sensitive to my moods. They can sense when my mood changes and will come up and kiss/cuddle me to make sure I am alright, they seem to be keeping an 'eye' on me.

When I cry or I am upset they are here to comfort me immediately, it's very cute and reassuring. I don't like being cuddled by humans but boy do I love cuddling my doodles.

That's what I love about dogs, they are non-judgemental and accept people for who they are. What you see is what you get with a dog, there's no bloody mind games, which is very refreshing and extremely calming.

 

[earlyedition]

I have an aulstraian shepherd I'm not sure that's spelled right. She is so sweet, and smart. She is protective over me and I'm so blessed to have her. She is years old and we rescued her 8 years ago from the humane society. She loves for me to pet her, brush her sit outside and read just anything to spend time with her she just loves being around me and just loves me unconditionally. My sister in law gets ill at me for no reason. I believe she likes to stress me out. She opened the blind today when I already told her the sun coming in is too bright and it tortures me I closed it. What is so hard to understand about our eyes and ears being sensitive. I wish people understood more and treat us with some sensitivity and respect.

 

[earlyedition]

I meant to say she is 9 years old I just now realized I didn't tell how old my dog was.

 

[earlyedition]

It was very bright this morning so I went and got my sunglasses before seeing if my dog would eat she had her bowl there but won't eat without me standing there. I said it's bright even through the sunglasses and she whined. She is a sensitive dog I think she senses my eyes were hurting from the sun when I said that.

 

[Brink4ce]

My Lab-Retriever, Xiya, is extremely well-adapted to my needs. When I get back home from work, she's visibly excited to see me, but she won't touch or nudge me. She'll sit or walk by me and give me space to unwind- just waiting for me to pet her without visibly showing me. She is careful not to nudge me with her cold, wet nose and doesn't ever lick me. She's adapted to know what makes me uncomfortable and she avoids it. She's amazing!

 

[earlyedition]

1. My Lab-Retriever, Xiya, is extremely well-adapted to my needs. When I get back home from work, she's visibly excited to see me, but she won't touch or nudge me. She'll sit or walk by me and give me space to unwind- just waiting for me to pet her without visibly showing me. She is careful not to nudge me with her cold, wet nose and doesn't ever lick me. She's adapted to know what makes me uncomfortable and she avoids it. She's amazing!

My Lab-Retriever, Xiya, is extremely well-adapted to my needs. When I get back home from work, she's visibly excited to see me, but she won't touch or nudge me. She'll sit or walk by me and give me space to unwind- just waiting for me to pet her without visibly showing me. She is careful not to nudge me with her cold, wet nose and doesn't ever lick me. She's adapted to know what makes me uncomfortable and she avoids it. She's amazing!

 

[earlyedition]

Sometimes my dog will lick me on the hand or something it doesn't bother me at all. Most of the time she will just lay up against me or put her head in my lap. I pet her a lot she just usually puts her head under my hand when she wants petted she likes to be petted more on the side of the head than at the top. How do you get to work? I have Aspergers and can't drive. I am thinking about seeing if the library will take volunteers to work there and see if I can get public transportation to take me. The library will be a nice quiet place to volunteer I would like that. My brother said Walmart is probably hiring I like shopping some at Walmart but it's a loud place I couldn't handle that noise all day long.

 

[ADCguy]

Dogs have a very high EQ as well as amazing facial recognision abilities, i dont know if your dog know you have aspergers, but he/she knows theres something different and he/she just wants to protect you and make you feel better. Before my dog died, he used to be my main moral support when i was a child. I remember everytime i got seriously upset the dog would come to find me, no matter whst was in his way, hed break the rule about going upstairs and he would try to open doors. But he always found me and gave me a cuddle

 

[Mia]

Funny thing is although he bonded closer to me than anyone else, he can be far more relaxed with other people but with me sometimes he can become hyper. It's as if on my bad days he picks up vibes and then becomes unsettled because I'm unsettled.

My own dog used to do the same, if I was stressed or anxious or hyper he would pick up on it during walks, he would become protective and not let any other dogs within my or his space, if they tried he would growl. I sensed after a time that when I broadcast any feelings of stress or fear or anxiety he became somewhat anxious and protective himself.

Over my fourteen years with him, I learned to put those thoughts and feelings in another place for later, a bit like compartmentalizing them. So that he could play with other dogs, run around, and generally enjoy himself without worrying about me. Now have a cat named Thor who sometimes wakes me up in the middle of the night, and seems concerned about something, could be that I'm talking in my sleep or thrashing around.

 

[earlyedition]

Dogs have a very high EQ as well as amazing facial recognision abilities, i dont know if your dog know you have aspergers, but he/she knows theres something different and he/she just wants to protect you and make you feel better. Before my dog died, he used to be my main moral support when i was a child. I remember everytime i got seriously upset the dog would come to find me, no matter whst was in his way, hed break the rule about going upstairs and he would try to open doors. But he always found me and gave me a cuddle

 

[earlyedition]

My dog is very protective of me and smart. She is also so sweet.