My son was gifted an almost 2 yr old lab by another parent in an autism support group we’re in. She swore this dog was perfect for my toddler, and to just give him a try. We took him to the vet and they say he’s tip top healthy as can be, however, he’s way too chill. This guys is from an akc litter, a gentle giant, and not fixed yet. She had originally planned to breed him a few times to have puppies to donate to other special needs families and our wounded warriors. My wife had originally wanted a smaller dog, but agreed to give this 75 lbs cuddler a chance. He’s been with us 2 days now, and he’s perfect. He doesn’t play rough, doesn’t bark, doesn’t run out the door, etc etc. but he doesn’t play at all. I know he comes from a home with 3 or 4 other dogs that were picking on him pretty good, so I’m giving him time to warm up, but the point of adding a dog to the family was to bring one in to interact with my autistic little man and help him learn to play with someone other than himself. Any tips, suggestions, words of wisdom?
Hi Middleman, it's very early days yet, and as you say, he might just need time to warm up. It can take several weeks for a dog in a new home to relax, and feel safe and confident enough to let their whole personality shine. Did he play with people in his previous household?
