Our story truly began back in 2005 with the birth of our one and only son, Matthew Zane.
He was around a year and a half old when we started seeing the signs of Autism. The first few years weren't easy, but early intervention is the key, and he was diagnosed with Autism at 4 years old in January 2010. Matthew really wasn't a pet lover starting out. They just weren't his thing. He didn't show empathy like most kids do. He was very withdrawn and struggled with communication and social skills. He really didn't start talking until he was 3 1/2 years old, and he didn't say much at all. He really didn't feel emotions and everything had to be "taught" to him. It was a very heartbreaking experience, but we realize so many others experience much worse. My Mom started raising Mini Aussie puppies when Matthew was pretty young. That started to spark his interest in puppies, and helped him open up a bit. He loved picking out his favorite and interacting with them. In 2013, Sean and I finally purchased our very first home, and my Mom insisted that Matthew should have a pet. He started with a manx cat that came from my parents farm. Ultimately, this was the perfect starter pet for Matthew, even though I'm not a big cat lover. This cat helped him open up even more. After that, we thought we should have a dog. Growing up, my family had a Chihuahua named Nacho, and he was the best. We found a one year old Chihuahua that reminded me so much of a Boston Terrier's color, but was NOTHING like a Boston or Nacho. My Grandpa had a Boston Terrier named Maggie, that I kind of remember, as I was pretty young. The only other time I'd seen a Boston was when the water truck guy came to fill our small above ground pool on the farm and he/she'd ride along in the truck. My parents had the pool for a 2-3 years and I always enjoyed seeing that dog ride along. I fell in love with Bostons nonetheless, but figured I'd never actually have one of my own. In October of 2014, we found a Boston puppy and decided to get Matthew a puppy after my husband talked me into it. We suprised Matthew with Beans and he absolutely LOVED her. Not too long after that, the Chihuahua became miserable with Beans around and we found her and the cat new homes where they could be the center of attention. After some long talks about how well Matthew did with his Grandma's puppies, we made the decision to get into breeding. And so began our adventure. Ultimately, the puppies have taught Matthew empathy, which isn't easily taught with his condition. Matthew has a different way of thinking. Most people now days don't realize he has Autism, but that's because of all the therapy and integration success through school and my advocacy. Matthew is sad to see puppies leave, but also sees how much joy the puppies bring to other families. The Bostons have truly done wonders for Matthew and I am thankful for the opportunity to have them in our life. We enjoy meeting so many great people because of them. Comments are closed.
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