So we have a lot of dogs. Too many. I realize this and when I moved out here it was not my intent to have this many dogs.
HISTORY: When I lived in Elyria, I had four dogs and four cats. I got rid of three cats, kept one for my daughter Britt. I was only supposed to have two dogs but my ex moved in with his mom and was only allowed to take the small dog (Tiki). So that left me with two large dogs and a small dog. Brian felt that although he liked my dogs they weren't "ours" so we ended up with another small dog (Cujo). Hence four dogs.
SOOOOO we were not responsible dog owners and small dog got the other small dog and nine weeks later we had four puppies.
Anthony has Aspergers. Its not a disease, its just a socialization disorder so to speak. He doesn't socialize much and its not that he really doesn't want to, he just doesn't know how. He says things that might be inappropriate for the conversation and then when he is looked at different because of what he said, it discourages him from speaking again at a different time. He also doesn't associate with emotion. He might feel bad for someone but he doesn't get it. He doesn't lie ... because he is a shoot from the hip kind of guy. He is not the one to ask if I look fat in an outfit ... he will tell me what I probably don't want to hear. He also has a sensory disorder. Certain feels of objects either feel VERY good or like nails on a chalkboard to him. Now he has outgrown some of these things. Like his socks, I used to have to turn them inside out so he wouldn't have the seam on his toes. Tags. Things like that. He has to also be stimulated sometimes a lot and sometimes its too much. So maybe today he is constantly hugging me but tomorrow can't stand to have my hand on his shoulder. It's really kind of touch and go every day with him, but he's not mean about anything and he will tell you if he doesn't like something. I only worry about the anxiety that some things give him. Which certain cognitive objects can help him with that. He used to have a ball that had little tentacles on it (?) and that would help calm him down when he got anxious. It kind of sounds like its a lot but he's such a great kid and we just deal with things that come up on a day to day basis. We're used to making the different accommodations that we might need to so it never seems to big of a deal. Honestly though, going to new places and new situations with him gives me almost as much anxiety. I can't protect him forever. I have to kind of throw him into it and see how he does. We talk about it later if it was a bad experience and try to figure out what we can do next time to make it better. He is easily frustrated by those talks ... he lacks self-confidence, although we believe in him and we encourage him every day. He is truly my little hero. I couldn't imagine having to live the life he does with so many internal struggles and I'm so proud of how well he does.
So when the puppies were born, something changed. They cried and Anthony went and covered them up. He was always pausing a video game to check on them, making sure they were okay just because .... even covered them up if he thought it was chilly in the house. It was kind of interesting to me to see that he was worried about them. They're dogs. Little baby dogs, but still dogs and that's what he would say. But not with one particular little one. We called him Moo-Moo. So we have sold all the puppies ... except Moo-Moo. Anthony told me that he was his best friend and that he would take care of him.
Anthony is 12. He has never had such a big responsibility like a puppy. I explained to him what it meant and he just cried because he didn't think he could do it. I NEVER want him to think he cant do something. I told him we would help him and that was that. I have woke Anthony up at 5a, when Moo-Moo woke us up. He thought he could just put him back in his pen and go back to sleep .... but I reminded him that it wasn't happening. He has to take him potty almost every half hour and at least every hour. Needless to say, the last couple of days have been exhausting for him. But then when Anthony sits and plays the computer, you see the puppy in his lap. When Anthony is playing a video game, you see the puppy running around him .... Anthony loves this puppy and the puppy loves him. I am very proud to say that we have an 8-week old puppy that has only had two accidents in the house and they were both on paper in his pen.
So I have a lot of dogs. Sometimes they like to leave me messes to clean up and I have to clean my carpets at least once a week and they smell and I hate bathing them almost as bad as they hate getting baths. And when people hear that we have "another" dog ... I just smile and think of Anthony. Because everyone needs a best friend and I think he has the best one for him.
No comments:
Post a Comment