Kate

I have always loved animals. When I was a little girl, I was determined to be a veterinarian when I grew up. That dream changed when I realized most of the animals that I would be seeing were not happy to be there and did not want to play and cuddle with me! Shocking right? Growing up, we always had a pet. Outdoor cats, dogs, and horses. So naturally, I dreamed of the future when I would have kids and they would have pets to grow up with too! When Hunter and I got married we each had our own dog, but by the time Harper was born we had lost one dog to cancer and had to rehome the other due to some other issues. When the kids were three and four years old, I convinced Hunter we needed a puppy. I did so much research to find the perfect dog for our family. I wanted a dog that would be great with kids but also be good with Nolan. It had been about two years since he was diagnosed with autism and I had read so many success stories about animals and kids with autism. The calming and comforting effect dogs had on these special kids were so promising! One day, I read about a. Goldendoodle and I was hooked. Not only was this dog breed smart and kid friendly, it didn't shed! Hunter can tell you that once my mind is set on something it is really hard to change it!

So in May of 2018 we brought home Kate. I was so sure that she and Nolan would bond and he would take to her immediately and become the best of friends! I couldn't be more wrong. She was a typical puppy: jumping, barking, scratching, biting, etc. Nolan wanted nothing to do with this chaos. Even after she was older and very well behaved the most he cared about her was when she would run after the ball to play fetch; mostly because it was great for his videos he made. I pretty much gave up on my dream of Kate being a sense of comfort for Nolan. She was a great dog and such a special part of our family though!

Then, all of a sudden last year, Nolan started taking an interest in her. It started with him petting her as he walked by. Just a simple touch and a smile. After that, he would say, "ball" and wanted us to get the ball from her so he could throw it. One day we were at the pool and Kate came with us as she usually did. Often times she would get bored after a while and wander off into the front yard or go get in the pond. I would have to get out of the pool and call her 1,000 times and she would finally hear me and come back. Well, this particular day, I was standing outside the pool calling her and I heard Nolan yell, "Kate!!!!!" I couldn't believe my ears! At this time, he only said words if we told him to. It was very rare for him to say something correctly all by himself! I looked over and Nolan was standing beside me looking into the yard and said it again. "Kate!!!" Of course, I encouraged him and we called her together until she came back.

After that, Nolan called Kate constantly! The funny part was that he yelled her name all the time instead of just calling her. Even if she was right in front of him he said, "KATE!!!!!!" She's such a sweet heart. She always came running to see what he wanted. I think she really just hoped for a treat. He still calls her on a daily basis to this day. It usually happens when he wants to throw the ball or when he's laying in bed and he wants her his there. His newest favorite thing to do is to hold on to her tail when she has the ball because for some reason it makes her drop it. She is so gently with him and is just happy to be included! Kate isn't a specially trained therapy dog. She's just a sweet family pet that eventually became Nolan's favorite animal in the world.

We have recently gotten another puppy; a sheepadoodle, named Rex. For those of you wondering, a sheepadoodle is an Old English Sheep Dog and Poodle mix. Don't worry, I had no idea either. Nolan is more attentive to Rex than he was Kate when she was a puppy. He likes when Rex licks him but if he gets in the way of videos being made Nolan pushes him aside. Rex is quickly learning who the boss is! I'm not just bragging on my sweet dogs though. I just want to say don't give up hope. I gave up on Kate being a friend to Nolan but as always, he does things in his own time. And it's so worth it!