Frankly, at the outset, we weren't sure if the goals we had for a dog to provide physical stability for Patrick were feasible. Bean goes to school with Patrick every day and is part of his sixth grade class. He is a first-class icebreaker. Wherever Patrick goes, Bean is a welcome and natural avenue for people to start conversations and interact. Bean can hardly stand it when Patrick decides to do something without him.
Bean likes to work.
He brings Patrick his shoes in the morning, walks along side him and provides stability so Patrick can take off independently from the adults in his life, and he is company. He runs along side him when he rides his bike, fetches sticks from the river, chases balls, and is incredibly affectionate. Whereas most parents might get irritated when a child wanders off in a store, we leap with joy that Bean provides Patrick with the independence to wander off and follow an impulse here and there. There are down sides. Bean gets distracted by cats, sometimes ignores Patrick's initial or even second commands, is inappropriate with his nose sometimes, and has been known to sneak food off our plates if we go out of the room for a moment.