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Originally Posted by Tinkerbell  I grew up with dogs in the family - they were just always there and I enjoyed their company.
However, I now have 2 small grandchildren who are both terrified when there are dogs around. They both enjoy walking in the countryside and natural parkland, but many canines are also exercised in the same environment. The children's nervousness is nothing new, but was compounded recently by an overfamiliar large dog approaching them at speed, and as per usual was not on a lead (which I appreciate is commonplace in such circumstances). It's almost as though dogs can sense the nervousness of some folk and it encourages the dog to approach them. I don't know how the initial 'frighteners' were experienced.
But how do you overcome this problem? I attempted to pet 3 Westies in their presence on Sat. to illustrate that there was nothing to be afraid of, but this did nothing to change the situation. Has anyone else been faced with this and how have you overcome it?
Tinkerbell |
hi tinnkerbell i grew up always having a dog in the family so i was never afraid,in fact i had three of my own since i have been an adult,i too have grandchildren and one of them is petrified of dogs,she is seven and i think she would rather go under a car to get away from a dog,i think us humans give off a smell when we are scared and that is what the dog picks up,stems back from stone age i am afraid, all you can do is hope they grow out of it.