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5 year old scared of dogs

11 replies

southeastastra · 12/04/2007 19:04

argh what can i do? if he sees a dog he freaks and thinks it will eat him. it's getting embarassing now. i don't know anyone with a dog either so i can't get him used to one slowly.

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WigWamBam · 12/04/2007 19:14

I shall be watching with interest, as I have the same problem with dd, who is almost 6. While a healthy respect for dogs is no bad thing, it's a bit ridiculous when she starts flapping because the smallest dog on the planet comes within six feet of her!

It's a fairly recent development, she has never really been frightened of them before - it's almost as if she's suddenly worked out that dogs could hurt her, and so she gets panicky whenever any dog is around.

I have been trying to tell her about different types of dogs, and some of the things that they do - guide dogs, hearing dogs, police dogs - to try and get her to see that not all dogs are dangerous, which seems to help a bit until the next time someone lets their dog come bounding over and she freaks again.

We are trying to teach her to stay still and not shout whenever there are dogs around, as that will only attract them and make things worse, but she finds it hard to do when she feels so panicky.

Sorry, that was of no use to you at all! Hopefully someone else will be along soon and we can both get some advice!

southeastastra · 12/04/2007 19:21

hope so! we've even had dog walkers offering to introduce them to him, but he won't have it. it's spoiling days out with him.

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WigWamBam · 12/04/2007 19:24

We've had the same - the owners of big, soft, soppy dogs offer to let her come and meet them but she won't go anywhere near. I really think it's just that she's become more aware of what they can do, but it's getting silly now.

I thought about taking her to a rescue centre to look at some dogs in a controlled environment - do you think that would be helpful?

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southeastastra · 12/04/2007 19:26

i took my son to the local rspca but all the dogs were barking like mad, and i think i made the situation worse.

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hotcrossbunny · 12/04/2007 19:27

Do you have a Pets at Home near you? There always seeem to be dogs in there and they're always on the lead. He might slowly get used to seeing them around and that nothing happens to him?

Lovecat · 12/04/2007 20:21

Do you have a riding stables nearby?

I ask because my niece was terrified of dogs (had picked it up from her mother) and I took her riding from age 4 - I have never ever come across a stable yard without dogs in it, and they are usually very friendly - at first she was very wary but as the weeks went by and she saw how others interacted with the dogs she lost her fear. By 5 she was getting down on the floor with them and rolling about (2 enormous french bloodhounds, a rottie and a sausage dog!).

Her brothers weren't interested in riding, never came to the yard and remain terrified of dogs...

So maybe a series of half-hour riding lessons, if it's affordable? (fun for your ds too!)

Twinmummyx2 · 12/04/2007 20:38

It's hard, i am terrified of dogs..they scare the c**p out of me...don't know why..never had a bad experince with one.. in this life anyway.

All my kids love dogs though..glad i haven't passed it on to them...they know i am scared of them though...i just freeze when one comes up to me....

i am such a woss....at the grand old age of 32 i am getting more and more scared of things......

i wouldn't rush him into anything....he will come round in his own good time. i wouldn;t be embarrassed either-he is only a child.....my DP is embarrased of me though

babedia · 12/04/2007 21:13

I have the same problem with DD1 (3.5 years old). It's getting so bad that it's affecting the sort of place we can go out to. No walks in woods or anything like that. She just shrieks, a really panicky cry. And if she sees a dog on the pavement and I don't hold her she'll even go out on the road without checking out for cars (something she'd never do normally), so it's getting dangerous too.

The first time she saw a cat quite close, she was only 7 months and shrieked in the same way. Her baby sister has been in the same situation, face to face with a cat and wasn't bothered at all, so I'm not sure if it could be something they've picked from us. I'm totally happy around animals but DH isn't.

Taking her horse-riding wouldn't help at all. She's even more scared of larger animals!

Hallgerda · 13/04/2007 08:02

Encourage him to say hello to the dog and just allow it to sniff him. Explain that that's how they greet each other. I know it sounds ridiculous, but it helped me and my formerly dog-phobic son. I think it helps to make the dog seem more like us and so less threatening.

pointydog · 13/04/2007 08:09

until he knows someone with a dog I don't know how to make this better.

dd2 was just like that - would stare nervously from a distance and say 'look at its teeth - do they eat children'

then I sent her to a childminder with a dog (I did feel a bit bad) which she was dreading. AFter day one it was all, 'don't worry mummy, she's just saying hello'

southeastastra · 13/04/2007 10:46

aw Twinmummyx2! i suppose it will just take time.

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