Lawson is coming up to nine months now and a more beautiful natured dog you never ask for (despite having no manners about other dogs).  This is a pup who tolerates all the tiny minds of children can think to do in fun; strangely enough they have never thought of anything hurtful or cruel and will always ask if they are going to try something new. He will eat what he is given but has never snatched the kids food, shares his bed with them as they share theirs with him and shares his food bowl and expects the compliment to be returned. He now stands at the same shoulder height of our cattle dog, Jemma  which is 60 cm but he is a smaller length and weight than her.  He can bowl over an unsuspecting visitor as he still seems to have to grow into his feet but always turns off or brakes  before he collides with Liam.

As I wrote in A Koolie Type of Kid there seems some connection between Liam and Lawson, yes, he relates well to all of us and obeys when it suits him and if he has better things to do, well, “I’ll get to that “stay” part after I play ball” type of attitude, he plays with all the kids and us, but he is drawn to Liam.  Liam has a form of autism which affects his receptive and expressive language, he has trouble understanding and processing spoken instructions and statements and problems with speaking and communicating what he needs to. He can be hard to understand at times.  He attends a mainstream school with additional funding for assistance in the classroom he also has private speech pathology.  Herein lies the Koolie connection.

Much of what Liam does in speech therapy is challenging; to say the least; to his current abilities.  He is a child who dislikes failure, he would rather not try so we have the motto of “A try is as good as do” to encourage him.  As Lawson has grown, we have encouraged Liam to “speak” to Lawson but on the proviso that Liam “uses his words” and speaks clearly.  Being a dog of such an affable nature, Lawson has taken to these talks like a duck to water, he sits, cocks his head and gives kisses and rolls over at seemingly totally appropriate moments.  This methodology is a good outlet for Liam as it allows him to speak without interruption, it allows his thoughts to form into words unhindered and it helps facilitate his formation of sentence and syntax.  The therapist's idea was for him to speak to a mirror but I thought if he had a captive, non responsive audience it would be better, hence Lawson has become a listening post.

Another responsive form of  speech therapy for Liam is to give instructions to Lawson, being such a pack orientated dog, he loves to be romping about with the kids; inside or out; and sometimes he needs to be out instead of in.  It is now Liam’s job to put Lawson out, he calls Lawson to him (if Lawson does not come, Liam has to call him again, CLEARLY) and tell him OUTSIDE .  Now there are times, if I do this , Lawson comes then scoffs at my “outside” command and trots off to do other kid things with the rest of the children (he can play Trouble, you know) But Liam has it refined to a negotiated agreement, he gets a biscuit for Lawson and tells Lawson he can have it when he goes outside…Damn, if the dog doesn’t get it, at the door, waiting for it to be opened and outside he steps, turns, sits and waits for his biscuit.  “See Mum, that’s how you do it “ I am told. 

I am constantly amazed by the understanding Lawson has and the mentoring role he is, seemingly, taking in Liams life.  I  watch him as he waits for Liam to finish a sandwich and pass the crusts to him, his eyes are filled with a softness that belies his play manner, his face a picture of dutifulness and faithfulness. And I know that some where, on some level, there is a very special connection between them which I may never be able to define.