Afraid of dogs

D

d meister

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My 7 year old son is scared stiff of dogs any hints on how to sort this problem .Please dont say buy one because we dont have the room
 
Hi there -
We have 2 large dogs for the past 2 years, and my neices and nephews - who live near by were terrified ..
How we got around this was by introducing the children to the dogs one by one for short supervised period...

One of the children was so scared she would scream continously - it was hard work but now emily is very confident around dogs..hope that helps
 
Is he also scared of puppies ? Maybe he can be desensitised to the idea of dogs by bringing him close to a small helpless new born puppy and gently encouraging him to hold it in his arms ?
 
The thing about puppies is they are very hyper, jumping and stuff - and can sometimes overwhelm kids that are already afraid.
 
pinkyBear said:
The thing about puppies is they are very hyper, jumping and stuff - and can sometimes overwhelm kids that are already afraid.
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But new born puppies have their eyes closed and are very helpless and dont jump around.
 
Sure - but newborn puppies unless u live near a person who breeds dogs or a farm - can be hard to come by...
 
Have you contacted ISPCA or similar? I'm sure I've heard of them providing an informal service where they introduce kids like your son to appropriately behaved dogs.

Has he maybe had a bad experience with a dog at one stage?
 
pinkyBear said:
Sure - but newborn puppies unless u live near a person who breeds dogs or a farm - can be hard to come by...
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I know but where theres a will theres a way and I'm all out of any other ideas :confused:
 
My niece was afraid of dogs, including ours.

I knew she was subconcously picking it up from her parents (you could see that her mother was nervous around dogs). Once the parents were ok with our dog, she stopped being scared.

Are either you or hour husband giving off "scared of dog" vibes?

If so, it might be good to work on it together, e.g. if it is your husband, get him to hold a small dog to show your child.

And I think you may be better working with an older, small dog first, as these are less likely to be hyper or overfriendly.

Remember, a large dog to a 7yr old is the same relative size as a pony to you. That's pretty scary, when you include the teeth, slobber, large paws etc.
 
New born puppies are hard to find alright, most are about 10 weeks old by the time they are given to new homes (I think-open to correction). Introduce the child to an older dog as puppies tend to bounce around alot and nip playfully. Our own dog was a handful as a pup but now she's very quiet and pleasant around visitors, (just looking for a pat on the head the usual stuff!)
 
Ask around your area to see if any nursing homes or hospitals are involved in pet therapy. If they use dogs, these animals will generally be very calm and quiet and that would provide a great first 'meeting' for your child.
 
have u thought about visiting your local Guide Dogs Assoc. Highly obedient dogs there. Maybe if your son sees them "working" and not barking and jumping or whatever.... just a thought.
 
I agree with the others above about him meeting some solid quiet types who don't jump, bite, etc. We had a wonderful big old lab up to recently. New neighbours moved in next door and their kids were just terrified of this old dog. They would scream if he as much as looked their way. Slowly they came to get to know him and realised he was no threat but more of a pal. Eventually they learned to pet him and see how delighted he was with their new reaction. Recently they got a puppy of their own and now are the biggest doggie fans I know! Take it very slowly with a quiet reliable dog and he will get over it no problem I bet! Best of luck!
 
Caveat said:
Has he maybe had a bad experience with a dog at one stage?
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People always seem to think there has to be a bad experience with something to be afraid of it, but people are afraid of spiders, mice etc for no reason either. If people controlled their pets better - put on leads in public areas, dont let them roam around estates - then maybe his fear would not be so bad. Usually people dont like dogs cause they jump up on them etc and unfortunately you can't stop dogs doing this unless controlled.
 
Buddyboy said:
Are either you or hour husband giving off "scared of dog" vibes?

If so, it might be good to work on it together, e.g. if it is your husband, get him to hold a small dog to show your child.
Click to expand...

May not be easy to do if the op and/or her husband are afraid of dogs themselves.
 
go visit the DSPCA facility up in Mount Venus Rathfarnham. Lots of animals, cats, dogs, ducks, pigs horses etc all caged and a cafe. can be a nice way of introducing him to animals and their needs in a safe way. Can volunteer to take a quiet dog out for a walk around the grounds.
 
A_b said:
People always seem to think there has to be a bad experience with something to be afraid of it, but people are afraid of spiders, mice etc for no reason either. If people controlled their pets better - put on leads in public areas, dont let them roam around estates - then maybe his fear would not be so bad. Usually people dont like dogs cause they jump up on them etc and unfortunately you can't stop dogs doing this unless controlled.
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Why oh why did you use this page as an excuse for a rant?

Anywhere someone so much as mentions the word 'dog' (there I said it!) there seems to be a wave of people ready to slam dog owners.

I for one was bitten on the face by a dog as a child but at least I had the good sense not to let this impair my view on ALL dogs. Maybe its something to do with growing up in the countryside where your dog was more than just an animal at the end of a lead.

So there, my rant over! :p

PS. Still think dogs should be on a lead in built up areas incase anyone wants to attack me over that!
 
ah sorry. didnt mean for it to sound like a rant!! Just think unfort somethings you are afraid of and no matter what you do, it won't change it!
 
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