My Dog is Autistic

Now that we have had both of the dogs for several weeks, it is clear that little Stella is quite bright.  She is learning things quickly:  she comes when she is called, already knows to stay out of the kitchen, and she is nearly housebroken.  She has also bonded with all of us, including Kali right away...she sleeps at our feet or tries to curl up by Kali and prefers to be with one of us, even when she is sleeping, than by herself.

You may recall me blogging about the problems we had bonding with Kali the first couple of weeks we had her.  She preferred to be by herself, and would frequently move away from us if we got too close when she was trying to sleep.  The breeder recommended that I put her on a leash and attach it to my belt so that she HAD to be with me for at least 48 hours.  She was so stubborn that she refused to walk, so I ended up dragging a 15 pound puppy around on a leash for 2 days.

Kali tends to get lost in her own little doggie world, and tunes out everything else, including us if we are calling her.  We had to get a Negative Reinforcement Device (AKA small BB pistol)* to "encourage" her to listen to us.  She will still get up and move away if someone gets too close to her for her comfort when she is sleeping.  She does have times where she will come and lean her head on our knees when we are sitting on the couch, and she appears genuinely glad to see us when we have been away.  She really IS a good dog:  quiet and fairly attentive, and always lets us know if someone is coming to the house.

Stella was the first one in her litter to explore away from her mother and siblings, is naturally curious and friendly.  Kali was the runt in her litter, and although she was friendly enough, we have to wonder whether "runt" equals lack of fetal blood flow, therefore underdevelopment of the brain.  As JP and I have noticed, she really does have many of the characteristics noted in Autistic children.

I wonder if it is a "real" diagnosis in dogs?

*JP offered to test the BB pistol before we used it on the dog.  I shot him in the back from about 20 feet away, and it was not painful.  It merely gets her attention.  We aren't as cruel as we sound!