Do your children react unexpectedly and show a new side of themselves?

[Lougle]

DD1 has never really shown much interest in our dog (we have a Westie).

Yesterday a friend visited unexpectedly, and it was close to bedtime. He had a drink, then asked if he could take our dog for a walk. We said that would be kind as he rarely gets the opportunity.

I shut the hall door, and got his lead. Suddenly there was an almighty commotion. DD1 was in hysterics, shouting through the letter box "DOn't take my dog! He take my Dog! Don't you take my Alex!!" No matter what we did, we couldnn't reassure her that he was just going for a walk.

We couldn't retract the offer, the poor dog was so excited, all we could do was cuddle DD1. I eventually had to go and get my Dad (only a mile away) to comfort her.

It just shows how much she loves Alex, yet she has never shown that she finds him vaguely interesting before

Isn't it all part of that lovely puzzle that we have to figure out and yes, ds2 (asd/adhd) announced today that he wants to learn the guitar!

Dd3 want to learn the 'complano' however, it could be while before we find someone who can teach the 'complano'!!

Yes! My DD, nearly 5, asd, doesnt make friends easily and gets anxious a lot but stayed two nights away with us ...but not in our room, on a readybed in twin boys room...even tried to join in with chat, well shouted WOW and Oh Yeah at inappropriate times! lol. :)

Lougle- dd1 did something similar a few years ago, we took our dog for a walk on a retractable lead, she was only a pup, she started playing with another puppy and got tangled up so i had to take her off the lead to untangle her, dd1 went mad and thought we were going to leave the dog there or the dog was going to run off, it took me quite a while to calm her down (and untangle the dog at the same time), she dad never shown any intrest in the dog before and if anything she didn't even like the dog (she does now) so i was shocked at how protective she got.

We have a similar thing. We've got three dogs and ds1 has never shown any interest in them whatsoever, but when our old girl was very ill last year and it looked like we might have to have her pts he was beside himself.

I wasn't completely wrongfooted by it, as I genuinely thought he barely noticed the dogs exist.

We also had a conversation yesterday where I explained that the dogs aren't coming on holiday with us next year, because, although we are going to our usual holiday house in Ireland for a few days, we are then going camping on the west coast for two weeks before coming back to the house again to round off the holiday. (The start and end of the holiday at our usual holiday house is designed to appease his need for the same holiday every year, which after 8 years is now starting to grate with dh, ds2 and I. We shall see whether or not its successful.) Anyway, I thought he wouldn't care whether the dogs were there or not, but he was quite upset and quizzed me as to whether or not there was some way we could take them with us. "Please can't we take the dogs" and even "I'll look after them" etc etc.

We go to Ireland every summer and all he ever does is complain about having to walk the dogs on the beach in the evenings, as he has already been on the beach and doesn't see the need to go there again. Other than that, he shows absolutely no indication that he has even noticed we have the dogs with us.

I'm still not sure whether its because he loves the dogs, but doesn't show it, or because he likes things to be the same and that includes having the dogs where they 'should be'.

Great to know others have found the same. Thank you

Same here. We got a cairn/jack russell cross as sort of therapy for DS (6) and for me as DS was off to school.

Totally ignores her, rarely pets her.

We had a couple of days away and on the second day, he pipes up 'I miss my Libby!'

Unbelievable.

I guess it was because it was 'different' without her there.

Should've read 'was completely wrongfooted'. Sorry its been a long day.