I’m not sure what’s happened! My DD is 22 months and until very recently was delighted by cats and dogs. We don’t have pets at home but she’d say hello to them in the street and the park and be very excited to meet them. Literally overnight she seems to have developed a fear of both cats and dogs. It’s not extreme (yet) - she doesn’t meltdown - but she’ll yelp, say no, go away, and try to hide or avoid them. It’s such a sudden and pronounced shift that I’m struggling to understand it, and am concerned because I don’t want her to be scared of any animals, especially domestic pets! We really want to have a dog and/or cat at some point!
She was out with granny and grandpa when it first happened, but there wasn’t any kind of incident, I don’t think. I may have to probe further there though…Nothing out of the ordinary with us, either, and she has witnessed some little dogs having a disagreement before now in the park with no effect apart from ‘noisy dogs’ ‘naughty dogs.’ She’s recently decided pigeons are a nuisance too, but that’s mostly to do with them hanging around her snacks! 😂
Is it developmental? Or are we looking at the beginning of a phobia? 😕 Trying not to make a big deal of it and just reassure her it’s okay to be scared, and they’re fine etc., but we’re headed to Granny’s soon, whose mad old collie is a true child-hating bitch in all senses of the word. We have to keep them apart, so that’s not going to help matters ☹️🤬