Link Paws

Menu
  • HOME
  • Dog Videos
  • Featured
  • Dogs How To
  • Dog Stories
Home
Dog Videos
Lab Helps Autistic Child

Lab Helps Autistic Child

Mellanie May 4, 2020

Brittany Vance is a music journalist and an autism advocate who dedicates her existence to making this world a better place for special needs. She has a son Kierce who is a 9-years-old boy who has Autism and rare metabolic disease. Kierce also has an emotional support dog named Luke. Luke is a black lab, who is two years old now. They have Luke since he was 14 weeks old.

When I asked Brittany why she chose a Labrador over other dog breeds, she said this, “Research from the University of Lincoln found that children with autism experience fewer meltdowns in the presence of a pet. Also, pets help reduce anxiety and improve communication. Labs are on the top 10- list for kids with autism. They are patient, smart, and easy to train. Brittany trained Luke, the basic dog commands herself, and Luke learned very fast,” she said.

Kierce also has a metabolic acidosis. His doctors suspect a metabolic disease, but it’s unknown at this time even though he’s been tested by a Geneticist each year. Brittany shares that he has to eat every two hours, or he can get sick and be hospitalized if his body produces too much acid. His symptoms include lethargy, vomiting, and fast breathing, and he does have ketones in his urine during his episodes.

When I asked, how does Luke help Kierce with his meltdowns? Brittany explains, “Autistic kids have meltdowns which can occur randomly at any time, and Luke mostly distracts him. If Luke hears Kierce getting upset, Luke will whine too. And I’m like, look, you’re making Luke upset, and sometimes it’ll distract him and calms my son down.”

Brittany’s Choice

Britanny made a wise choice of the kind of breed to help her son out. The Labrador Retriever, Labrador or just Lab, is a medium-large breed of retriever-gun dog. (A retriever is a type of gun dog that retrieves game for a hunter. Gun dogs, or bird dogs, are types of hunting dogs developed to assist hunters in finding and retrieving game, usually birds). The Labrador is the most popular breed of dog in many nations. Their temperament is ideal. They are intelligent, kind, agile, outgoing, trusting, gentle, even-tempered. A favorite disability assistance breed in many countries, Labradors are frequently trained to aid those with blindness or autism, act as a therapy dog, or perform screening and detection work for law enforcement and other official agencies. They come in the colors: Black, Chocolate, Yellow- Wikipedia

Also, we know that majority of guide dogs are labradors because they just have the right temperament.

Labs can be also be trained to respond to hundreds of commands.

They are friendly, reliable, obedient, affectionate. They thrive in most environments. They are great with families with children.

When I asked Brittany the question, what does having Luke mean to you and your son? She said,” It means my son has a companion and a best friend. My son will learn how to care and love a living thing.”

Companionship and friendship that is the link we have to our paws.

 

Source

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Labrador_Retriever

Share
Email
Prev Article
Next Article

Related Articles

https://youtu.be/PtVVYSwjp74 Have you ever wondered if your dog’s wagging tail …

20 Reasons Why Dogs Wag their Tail

Dogs, just like their beloved hoomans, love treating themselves to …

Chill Doggo Hilariously Snoozes While Fur Parent Brushes Its Fur

About The Author

Mellanie
Mellanie

As long as I can remember, I've always had and loved dogs. I've had 5 dogs for years. Now, I am down to two, my Roxie, a German Shepherd, and Blackie, a German Retriever. I believe that we have a special link with our dogs and I want to highlight that link by sharing knowledge about our dogs and spotlight touching and inspiring stories about dogs and their humans.

Leave a Reply

Cancel reply

Popular Posts

    Find us on Facebook

    Link Paws

    Recent Articles

    • 25 Ideas to Help with Your Dog’s Separation Anxiety
    • 20 Tips to Stop Your Dog from Barking Uncontrollably
    • 10 Tips to Help a Dog Owner When Feeling Discouraged
    • The Importance of Play to Dogs
    • 15 Common Questions about a Dog’s Destructive Chewing

    Categories

    • Dog Stories
    • Dog Videos
    • Dogs How To
    • Featured
    • Link Paws

    Menu

    • HOME
    • FACEBOOK
    • PINTEREST
    • CONTACT
    • TERMS & CONDITIONS
    • PRIVACY POLICY
    • CURATION POLICY
    • DMCA
    Copyright © 2023 Link Paws

    Ad Blocker Detected

    Our website is made possible by displaying online advertisements to our visitors. Please consider supporting us by disabling your ad blocker.

    Refresh