Fear Of Dogs In A Child....and How To Help?

[k9angel]

My brothers kids are the same. They are of varying ages, the eldest 6.

They have never had a bad experience with them, it's just that they have never grown up around them or had much to do with them.

They scream when they see mine and have to be carried by their Mum or Dad. It's really sad.

Many a time when I have visited the pound I have seen similiar. A family goes to meet a dog, they're all in the exercise yard waiting and as soon as the dog is bought in, the kids start to scream and cry and run off to the safety of their parents.

I also see it alot when I am out walking my own dogs. Kids panicking and crying at the mere sight of us approaching.

I tend to agree with Dannys darling with trying the gradual exposure first. If that fails then I'd seek professional help.

Goodluck and please keep us posted.

[WeimMe]

My nieces were frightened of dogs - especially larger dogs - when they were younger and eventually came to regard my Weim as a friend rather than a terrifying beast by frequent visits and no forced interaction. I didn't lock Daisy away, but she is also a dog who isn't especially interested in getting attention from guests so after a while they just ignored each other and now they will give her a pat. That said though, they were mildly afraid (would cry and ask to be picked up when she was about) and your nephew sounds like he's absolutely terrified, the poor kid.

Maybe you could slowly expose him to dogs that are confined and on leash (like a show perhaps?) with no expectation to touch or interact and take it from there.

What NOT to do - what my sister-in-law's idiot friend did. Daisy was being baby sat over Xmas on year at my brother's house and idiot friend thought that it would be a great idea to take the opportunity to desensitize her very very frightened son (who suffers from Aspergers) by shoving him in the back yard with a large unrestrained strange dog. I'm sooooo lucky that she didn't bite him...he had her cornered and was hitting her and screaming in her face.

I hope that it all works out, the canine/human relationship aside, it would be very difficult to go through life being so afraid of an animal that you would encounter so frequently.

[megan_]

I was terrified of dogs as a child. I couldn't even walk anywhere near a little white fluffy dog. I once almost got hit by a car because I ran into oncoming traffic when a dog approached me off lead (in my defence, he was charging me).

That said, we always had family dogs and I loved them? I never felt scared with any of them and would sneak them into my bed at night for a cuddle.

I sort of feel the same way about dogs now, however I'm not terrified of them, I just don't like strange dogs and I'd rather not be around them. Fortunately my boy is great with other dogs so he deals with them very well.

Cosmolos course of action sounds like a good one. The boy needs to interact (eventually) with really well behaved, well trained dogs. Most people will say "my dog is good with kids" but the dog isn't well controlled and values the child higher than they value the owner, which could scare the child.

I suggest seeing a trainer with well trained dogs (Cosmolo's if they live in Melbourne). The boy can observe them from a locked car at first. Then build up to actually being a few meters away, then holding the lead etc.

I'd suggest also stopping all talk of getting a dog until this is resolved, as it could be putting undue pressure on him.

[twodoggies2001]

I'm certainly no expert - but I think a fear as profound as your grandson's probably needs some professional help. There are numerous therapies that I believe can be highly successful in treating fears and phobias. I would maybe start with the local community health centre or your GP to get a referral - or maybe even search the white or yellow pages for therapists that deal with fears/phobias. Continuing to force interaction with dogs without treating the fear - may actually make it worse.

I agree with this advice. Your grandson does need the professional help and needs to be desensitized. He obviously has a phobia which is so unfortunate as he is missing put on the love and companionship a dog could provide him. I wish your family luck in this venture and hope this all works out for everyone.

[Loving my Oldies]

I agree with this advice. Your grandson does need the professional help and needs to be desensitized. He obviously has a phobia which is so unfortunate as he is missing put on the love and companionship a dog could provide him. I wish your family luck in this venture and hope this all works out for everyone.

Considering the ever increasing reports in the media where "professional help" and counselling after disasters are being shown to do more harm than good, no way would professional help be my first port of call.

[twodoggies2001]

I agree with this advice. Your grandson does need the professional help and needs to be desensitized. He obviously has a phobia which is so unfortunate as he is missing put on the love and companionship a dog could provide him. I wish your family luck in this venture and hope this all works out for everyone.

Considering the ever increasing reports in the media where "professional help" and counselling after disasters are being shown to do more harm than good, no way would professional help be my first port of call.

so, where would you go?

[Loving my Oldies]

so, where would you go?

The OP has been given lots of excellent advice as to how she and the family can help the little boy.

[ESCS]

My younger daughter was terrified of dogs after she was chased and snapped at by a small offlead dog at the park when she was 4. The dog missed her face by a whisker so understandably, she developed a fear of dogs. I didn't realise how serious her fear was until we came across a puppy at Petstock. As soon as she noticed the puppy, she screamed and screamed.We started to take her to the mobile dog hydrobath at Petcafe where there are usually lots of dogs but all on leads. We sat and watched them from a distance and gradually over time, we would go closer and closer. I would make the experience as much fun for her as possible by telling stories about the dogs we saw. We didn't touch or pat any dogs (it was really just to get her comfortable around them again). Once she was comfortable around dogs, we introduced her to friends' dogs who were quiet, calm and well behaved. When she was ready, she would pat them (we just let her decide when the time was right). We finally got our own puppy about a year after the incident. We have 2 tibbies now and our little girl loves them. She is still wary of other dogs (she doesn't like patting or interacting with other dogs)but she is happy to walk past/around them.

[dee lee]

Considering the ever increasing reports in the media where "professional help" and counselling after disasters are being shown to do more harm than good, no way would professional help be my first port of call.

I agree.

From the OP's posts, IMO, I would disagree that it sounds like a phobia. People with phobias do not like the thing they are afraid of. I know someone with a dog phobia and she cannot stand the very thought of them.

Definitely there is a need to go slowly, but gradually desensitising and teaching the child it can trust some dogs will go a long way. This technique is recommended even with phobias.

Who can blame a child for being scared of a silly jumpy bitey licky dog? They can be very full on.

Personally, I found that having a calm trustworthy dog in our house for daily safe exposure was the best therapy. We undertook some meet and greet sessions with "nice" dogs prior to that but weren't making much headway, the constant contact was much more reassuring to her.

I understand that its not the way everyone would choose to go, but I assessed the likelihood of my daughter getting worse by continuing the minimal contact with dogs and made that decision. Best thing I ever did.

Bluefairy, one way or another, I hope your grandson gets to a stage where he can enjoy the love of his own dog. There is nothing like a dog to understand and snuggle with when your mum is "mean" (as my daughters tell me regularly :laugh: ). Good luck. :)

[Whippetsmum]

I agree with this advice. Your grandson does need the professional help and needs to be desensitized. He obviously has a phobia which is so unfortunate as he is missing put on the love and companionship a dog could provide him. I wish your family luck in this venture and hope this all works out for everyone.

Considering the ever increasing reports in the media where "professional help" and counselling after disasters are being shown to do more harm than good, no way would professional help be my first port of call.

Post traumatic stress and phobias are very different issues- to put it in dog terms, you are confusing your breeds.

This child has already been through a layman's desensitistion- it didn't work in it's varius attempts- pettting friendly dogs, nice cudddly pup at home, and Nan/Gran obviously has introduced her dogs. Professional help is not the first port of call in this case.....but it probably will work, because treatment of phobias is a well researched and has good sucess.

[Shazzapug]

Bluefairy...I will tell you a story...12mths ago I had a lovely family come to look at a pug puppy. They had 2 lovely kids, a 12 yr old and a 9 yr old girls. They came inside, as soon as the younger girl saw the adult pugs she started screaming...Pugs started running thinking there was something really scary cos the skinkid was going off.

She was happy to have the 8 week old puppy on her lap. The family were happy that she could do that. They bought the puppy, named him Chester and I now get photots with the younger girl doing all the doggy things and happy to do the doggy things, so a big step forward in accepting PUGs in her life.