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theotterone · Sep 16, 2009, 06:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rhapsody

I was wondering if anyone has found that having a dog for your child to look after and care for (with your supervision) has helped them better deal with their ADHD? - getting a dog has been suggested by my nephew's counselor.

Thank you.

It could help. My oldest daughter (9) was diagnosed this summer, and I was then diagnosed also. We got a puppy, and mean PUPPY (she was 8 weeks old when she came home), this past January. While, as it so often happens, my daughters' father and I do most of the care, the oldest does feed her some mornings and both girls have "poop patrol" every other weekend or so. It can be tough to get them to do it, but they do. We made that part of their deal in getting a dog.

A couple of things to keep in mind, make sure you research dog breeds. Some are better with kids than others. Also look at obedience training. The parents can work with the dog with it's food and toys to help curb (notice I said curb, not eliminate) any tendency to bite when it's food or toys are threatened. We have a 3/4 Rat, 1/4 Jack Russell terrier, but when my mom was researching dogs when she wanted one, she was told any breed of terrier is not necessarily good with kids under 10. There are breeds that are bred with temperament in mind, along with other traits. If they are going to get a "mutt", they should make sure they know what breeds are involved. Pure bred dogs are expensive! (My parents got King Charles Caviler Spaniels, and they were in the low $1,000s). A dog is a big responsibility and that lasts for the dog's life.

The only issue we have had with my daughters (the oldest one particularly) is with little impluse control, she will grab the dog by her front legs or pick her up. Even if we have asked her to do something or go to bed, she seems to HAVE to pick up/play with the dog. So there can be a down side.

Sorry I was so long winded. Hope this helps!