• Welcome to Autism Forums, a friendly forum to discuss Aspergers Syndrome, Autism, High Functioning Autism and related conditions.

    Your voice is missing! You will need to register to get access to the following site features:
    • Reply to discussions and create your own threads.
    • Our modern chat room. No add-ons or extensions required, just login and start chatting!
    • Private Member only forums for more serious discussions that you may wish to not have guests or search engines access to.
    • Your very own blog. Write about anything you like on your own individual blog.

    We hope to see you as a part of our community soon! Please also check us out @ https://www.twitter.com/aspiescentral

Pets?

I have three cats and two dogs. I only have dogs because my husband works nights and I felt safer with a couple of dogs in the house. Well we really have two because one would chew the place to bits. I also have several fish tanks. I love tropical fish. Some of them are so crazy and they get their own personalities too.

I want more cats but the husband says no. I would honestly be an animal hoarder if he wasn't around. My mum is. She has I think about seven horses, chickens, geese, dogs, three cats, rabbits, I dunno but she probably has other stuff I don't know of atm.

Right now my animals are giving me the hungry look lol ...
 
@ Dragon's Tooth: I know the hungry look well: the pug will sit & stare directly at you almost as if she's sending her thoughts into your head. It's kind of eerie & impossible to ignore. The cat is extremely vocal & will haunt you like a spectre until you give her what she wants. As for the Dane, he stands beside you, looks obliquely at you (sort of a sideways Aspie look) & begins to 'sing' a distinct dog opera. This isn't howling but a kind of talking he only does with people when he wants something. He seems to be trying to use 'people talk' since he thinks we're too dense to understand dog talk.
 
Just an update to our pets list we have 2 corn snakes, kind of spur of the moment. My husband has wanted pet snakes for a while but we agreed no more animals until after the dog is gone because she is so needy/gets jealous.

Then he began researching them more, it became an obsession, we found a really good reptile shop not far away and went to have a look around. We ended up buying the vivarium all the bits and paid for the 2 snakes and would pick them up a few weeks later all because he really loved the two he held. That was back in June and they are settled in nicely, the dog is not bothered in the slightest and the snakes often slither across her and she doesn't move.
 
@Soup ... my cats are worse ... they actually sit on my keyboard or what ever project I'm working on and meow. Or turn off the computer. That's if I ignore the hungry look while my cat gary is sitting on my computer mouse ... hehe ...

The dogs have it down pat ... they just sit with their heads in my lap looking up with big eyes while I eat. They are getting pretty sneaky too so you don't even know they are there until a head is in your lap.
 
I say sorry in advance for my useless spelling.I preferre dogs. Cats are allright good if they the daft cuddly belly tiggle type my familly had one called rambo who lived to 23!, but dogs look up to you so they like your kids. So yes they alot more hard work but also alot more sosiable. They hafta know whos in charge though, espesially more domenent types they look up to leaders not necessary agressive but leaders. Your niebours dog although dont know situatoin was probilly scared and thought you was gona take over his territory. So in a sence he pretecting his familly what he sees as pack. Although i may be wrong! All dogs got such different personalitys its how they are brought up and there instincts. We got 5 dogs now!
Misty who we bought is husky malamute cross(huskamute) She lovelly personality she can even talk or try too talk. But we cant trust her off the lead she be fine then sudenlly run off she clever but not always abiediant. Alot of huskys like this. Then we got kenneled dogs summer her daughter who came from misty getting with are cousins collie bit of accident lol. But she is rearlly abediant she always wants to please, but bit shy with strangers. Then we got Xena who we breed misty and pedigree malamute so she like 6 stone. She got the dont give crap attitude not as abediant as summer but better than here mum. They all love cuddles and attentoin and none of them gard. Unlike the little dogs, mums Jackadoodle who is mums little baby her lap dog she spoilt little thing lol. And finelly we got Bichon frichs called teddy who looks just like a teddy bear. He really friendly and sweet but littly yapper and randomlly gets excited and gose mentle lol. he bites hold of mistys tail and trys draging her round the kitchen! Misty loves babies and actually thought teddy was her baby as she has fantom pregnacys.
 
Pugs are funny little thing loads of character. You ever met sombody who has bulldogs they lovely 2 with loads off character. Or french bulldogs.
 
Dogs are also bit of a wrong planet on here so I like them. And mostly hate their owners for bad training.
I have two males, a terrier and a scent hound. Hound is bit more goofy, that I hate, but more laid back which gives me comfort.

Lately I've been thinking if I'm too AS for my dogs. Too faceless and hard to predict. Maybe I just should buy fishes.
 
Dogs are also bit of a wrong planet on here so I like them. And mostly hate their owners for bad training.
I have two males, a terrier and a scent hound. Hound is bit more goofy, that I hate, but more laid back which gives me comfort.

Lately I've been thinking if I'm too AS for my dogs. Too faceless and hard to predict. Maybe I just should buy fishes.

I think that you would probably do better with a friendlier breed. Scent hounds, like beagles, are incredibly stubborn creatures. I know this beagle from my dogs obedience club and her owner has a hell of a time trying to teach her anything. Lovely dog though. And once she gets a scent ... there's not much you can do with it.

I have Australian Shepards. They are a very friendly breed. Aussies actually form a pack around who ever lives in the home and they become very attached to that pack. My dogs are currently very attached to me because I am unemployed. I have a lot of issues with face pulling so to speak. They over look that. They are a bit of an attention whore for lack of better words. My husband was telling me that when I went shopping the other day one of my dogs went and poked her head under the fence looking for me and waiting for me to return.

I think a dog more along that line would be better for an aspie. They are bigger so you can cuddle them, they aren't aloof like the little dogs get and they are pretty intelligent so they can adapt to us a bit better. Some dogs have a stronger pack instinct than others (like its bred into my dogs) so that will affect their attitude towards you. I advise researching any breed before buying one because some breeds are better at certain things than others. Like German Shepards and New foundland dogs, both huge dogs, are actually the best family dogs because they are very tolerant of children. But you wouldn't know that from common knowledge. German Shepards are thought of as police dogs and when you see them savaging criminals on TV you forget that they are big softies. I have met a couple at dog club and if I had met them before I got my two I would now own two german shepards. I'm not saying I dislike my dogs, I love them to bits, but the german shepard I think I would have liked more. (we kind of brought our dogs without researching other breeds because someone we know is a breeder of Aussies. Our dogs have worked out fine but now that I have seen others I might have gone with another option. So in about 10 years time I will have another breed lol. I did research the Aussie breed though but I wish I had looked a little bit further than one breed).

My dogs also live inside so they know they are part of the family. Dogs that have to stay outside might find it harder to bond with a family.
 
Hmm, my last message turned out to be interesting. With first line I ment that I usally don't care about other peoples dogs because they're either badly trained or I wouldn't mind interfering with their training. As I don't like people come to pet mine without asking etc.

I advise researching any breed before buying one because some breeds are better at certain things than others.

It is true that people often just get some cute pup without acknowledging their needs. Hopefully you're still doing ok with yours :)
Gladly I have been thorough while choosing my little fellows. There are several kinds of dogs that would never fit to my habits, hobbies and preferances, and this includes shepherds, retrievers and spaniels. And most of terriers. I chose my terrier to be very calm individual of its kind. Hound is of a breed that is independent yet pretty smart. They're outdoorsy and sporty but not playing games with me. And I love them and manage them well in public, these aren't the problems.
I like studying dog psychology and earning them to act the hoped way is really interesting to me. But as dogs are evolved to read peoples faces and body langage determining their feelings of anger and happiness, I sometimes fear of being unable delivering these emotions to them. I have good way of using my voice on commanding and talking to them, which I've learned to use on my benefit. Terrier still sometimes stares me confused and realizes too late what was ment to happen. But I guess stil happens to everyone occasionally.
 
Dog psych fascinates me too from breed traits to individual differences. Also, a lot depends upon life experiences & how the dog has been treated (like with people). We have a pug & a Dane & they are so different in terms of self-esteem, intelligence, independence, curiosity, focus & concentration & preferences.
 
I love when I talk to mine and its like they are understanding what I say word for word. I know they can't speak back but if my dogs could I think we would a ripper of a conversation.

My dog pepper does this particularly well. Her eyes light up in a way that makes me think she gets everything I say. My other dog baloo always has the biggest smile on his face but he's not as expressive.

I had to include a picture of my two puppies ;) The black and white one is Pepper and the Blue merle is Baloo.
 

Attachments

  • IMAG0114.jpg
    IMAG0114.jpg
    319.7 KB · Views: 85
I was very close to my 10 year-old cat Precious, but in December we had to have her put to sleep. She seemed to understand me when nobody else could and was my best friend in so many ways, and I still miss her. We have 2 cats still living called Paws and Preston, who are brothers, and they're both very affectionate and loving. They definitely seem to be "people cats". We have 2 dogs too, working cocker spaniels Maisie and her daughter Misty. I'd say I was more of a cat person but as much as Maisie's constant barking annoys me she's very perceptive and always knows when someone's upset; she wouldn't leave my side the day we lost Precious. And it was an amazing experience to see her pups being born and watching them grow; when they started to develop their own personalities we knew Misty was the one we should keep.
 
I love when I talk to mine and its like they are understanding what I say word for word. I know they can't speak back but if my dogs could I think we would a ripper of a conversation.

My dog pepper does this particularly well. Her eyes light up in a way that makes me think she gets everything I say. My other dog baloo always has the biggest smile on his face but he's not as expressive.

I had to include a picture of my two puppies ;) The black and white one is Pepper and the Blue merle is Baloo.

They are adorable. I LUV them! I talk to my dogs all the time too. They listen well.
 
I think pets are wonderful. Everyone has their own preference, some like dogs, and others like cats. I personally love dogs, and think they are an owners best friend. I have a dog and he is wonderful. I don't know what I will do without him. I also have a pet bird and he talks like crazy.
 
I think it's great to have pet. They're great companions to talk to if you're feeling down (I talk to my cat even on my most stressful days). Plus, I have heard several times that there are health benefits correlated to having a pet - that's a good thing for my scientific mind too. Besides, I am an animal lover who has lived with a pet ever since birth.
 
I agree with everyone about finding the right breed of dog. As far as that goes, I seem to have fairly good intuition (or maybe just luck) when I'm adopting a puppy as to how they will turn out as adults. My Bear was actually a stray puppy and she is the perfect aspie dog--incredibly sweet, friendly, and always seems to sense if I need a warm snuggle (such soft and warm fur!), or if I need to let off some steam by chasing her around the yard trying to get her stick from her, or if I just need someone to talk to. I like cats, but I could not live without a dog--I would lose my mind.
 
I have 3 dogs in my house, I have mine, she's a pointer/springer/lab named "Trix" My guy has a Jack/Pug we believe, named Jojo, My Mom has a golden/chow/malamute/lab "Jumbo" I still mention my Basset/Springer/maybe Beagle named Underdog even though he passed :(
 
dogsnowday 011.jpg dogs.jpg 1st photo has Trix, Jojo, and Jumbo, I had to post the other photo, because my Underdog was alive, he was the black and white hound dog.
 

New Threads

Top Bottom