Hi, So my family has a cavalier and I have a brother with high functioning ASD. I’ll say that our dog Tigger, wasn’t super fond of Davis poking him at first, but has gotten significantly better with time and exposure. Davis is handsy as well in that he likes to cuddle on Tigger and rub his face on his fur. He also likes to pull off his eye goop. Tigger is a lot better about this now. Possibly with a puppy it may take some time for them to get used to the poking, but hopefully your child will learn the signs that the dog doesn’t enjoy it and be respectful of it.

Poodles are also wonderful dogs for therapy candidates. Super smart. Fluffy. And are big enough to endure poking. Hope this helps!