Library · When My Pet Gets Older
and the dog who rests more now.
The dog sleeps more, walks slowly, and does not chase the ball the way he used to. Vivi turns that change into a narrated, animated story your child stars in: what is different, why, and how to be a good friend to an old dog.
Who it helps
For children who have noticed that their dog has slowed down and keep asking why, or who get sad or cross when the dog will not play. Autistic children and children who find change hard often need the explanation more than once, in the same words each time, and a social story gives them that.
The story stays with the living dog. It does not talk about death, and it does not promise the dog will get young again.
Something is different
The dog rests in the sun instead of running to the door. Your child notices, and wonders.
Asking a parent
Bodies change when they get older, like legs that get tired faster. Simple, true, and enough.
Quiet company
A soft bed in a comfortable spot, a gentle stroke, sitting close instead of a running game.
Still friends
The dog is older, your child is still a little sad sometimes, and they are still each other's friend.
Yours, not ours. These are the moments a story like this usually walks through. You choose what goes into your child's, and read every page before it is animated.
Questions parents ask
When your child first asks why the dog is different, and again whenever the sadness comes back. There is no appointment to prepare for here; the story is for the ordinary days in between.
Yes. Tell Vivi the dog's name, what he used to do and what he does now, and read every page before it is animated. If you want something said differently, ask for the change in plain words.
Say what is true in small pieces: bodies get older and slow down, the dog still loves them, and there are new ways to be together. A social story with your child as the main character shows the same gentle explanation every time they need to hear it.
Your first story is free in your first 30 days. After that you buy credits: 3 for $9, 10 for $26 or 30 for $66. A story is 1 credit, and a Fully Animated story is 10 more. Your first routine, Choose-Along and plan are free, then 1 credit each. Bought credits never expire.
Your first story is free. Set up your child, start from When My Pet Gets Older, and watch it together before bed.
More moments: Saying Goodbye to a Parent · Playing with Siblings · When I Lose a Game · Trying a New Food · Asking for a Break · all 30 stories →
Vivi Kids is independent and is not affiliated with or endorsed by Carol Gray or Team Social Stories.
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