10 year old with dog phobia

[Satsumastocking]

Any idea how I can find a therapist or dog phobia therapist in central London to help my DC with dog phobia?

I can't introduce him slowly to a dog as we don't know any. Certainly can't get a dog. He is fine with pictures, videos, etc. of dogs and loves animals in principle, understands that most dogs are friendly, that barking is a hello. I taught him breathing techniques for the panic when a dog comes near, but he usually cries, runs to me, and needs to leave the vicinity.

He's been scared of dogs since he was tiny and it seems to be getting worse, not better, as he gets older.

He says it's the sudden barking especially. He is scared going past dogs at a distance even on a lead. It's a big problem as there are few places we can go to where there aren't dogs.

When my child went through this, we took her to dog shelters see and chat to the dogs , she knew there was a locked gate between them which helped. It look a while of little and often, but now you wouldn't know she used to be scared.

That's an idea. I think DS is too scared, but I'll think of a way to suggest it, gently. Thanks.

Hi, I have been through this. It was a real issue for us for about 8 years. It caused problems wherever we went so I can really sympathise.

I used to take my daughter to the local dogs home but becareful they are often loud. Although they are behind glass they do bark a lot. She found this to be helpful but if we went and it was particularly loud it was back to square one. She eventually got a bit better and desperately wanted a dog, it was the worse decision ever! I do not recommend this. It last a month, she wouldn’t put her feet down around it and would jump on the table when it came anywhere near. We had to re home it with friends, it was incredibly sad and stressful.

We tried councilling, hypnotherapy you name it nothing worked. In the end we visited a friends very old dog and it was exposure over and over again, even just sitting in the same room as the dog (my daughter wouldn’t even walk on a pavement anywhere near and would get hysterical) this really helped being calm and each time would get less and less anxious. It was an incredibly slow process though and often took 100 steps back again.

Maybe pop something on Facebook locally.

We are now 5 years on and have our own dog who she loves dearly, the cahms councillor was really at a loss with her as it was so extreme, so it can be done. Best of luck.

My daughter is 16 now and has been scared of dogs since she was about 6. We’ve tried everything too. We are at a loss what to do now. She won’t go anywhere