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Fear of Dogs

Children develop many fears as they mature and age. Most of these fears are short-lived and completely understandable, but some of these fears may be completely unexpected and a little hard to deal with. The biggest fear that children have and that parents are least ready to deal with is the fear of dogs. Fortunately, there are many things that parents can do to prevent this fear from ever popping up.

• From an early age, expose your children to friendly, calm dogs of all sizes. If you know someone with a dog, make frequent visits to their home so that your child will become accustom to being around dogs. If you own a dog, prepare your pet to interact with your child. Before your baby arrives train your dog by putting your hand in its food bowl while it eats, do this slowly and gently reprimand your dog anytime it gets hostile. You can also play a little rougher with your dog, being sure to reprimand it if it gets too rough, to prepare it for the way a baby might play with it.

• If you do not have access to a friends pet, you can take your child for visits to the local animal shelter. Many shelters have programs that allow for children to play with and interact with dogs. Just be sure to explain your goals to the attendant on duty so that he or she hooks your child up with a relatively calm and friendly dog.

• Overcome your own fears. If you or another adult that will be around your child is afraid of dogs this fear will rub off on your child even if try to hide it. Children can sense anxiety in adults and just knowing that you feel that there is something to be afraid of will be enough to plant this fear in your child's mind.
If you try to avoid a fear of dogs in your child but they still develop the fear, there are few things that you can do to help them overcome it. Just remember that these tips only work for a child that has developed this fear out of the blue, not for a child that has suffered an attack or other scary situation involving a dig. For those children and situations, speaking with a therapist is usually the best course of action.

• Acknowledge and accept your child's fear. Explain to your child that you understand their fear but that you can also help them overcome it. Do not pressure them or make them feel bad for having the fear, but remain positive and help them understand it.

• Buy books or visit an animal shelter to help your child learn about dogs. Many times fears are caused by the unknown. The more your child learns about dogs the more they may accept and even enjoy them.

• Teach your child the right way to handle dogs. Many children are too rough with dogs, which causes the dog to become overly excited or even a little rough. By teaching your child the right way to interact with dogs, you will ensure that they dog responds in a gentle, non-threatening manner.

• Do not ever force your child to pet or interact with a dog if they are afraid. This course of action may work to increase their initial fear. Instead, let your child be around dogs and slowly become more comfortable with them. Eventually, if nothing scary happens, your child will make the first move to play with the dog.
• If your child does take steps to interact with a dog, praise their progress.

If all else fails, you can choose to wait your child's fear out. Many times children will outgrow their fear of dogs, especially if you take steps to make friendly dogs part of the background in their everyday lives.

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