15/02/2022
ARE YOUR CHILDREN AFRAID OF DOGS?
Maybe they haven’t had the chance to interact in a relaxed and fun way with dogs, or maybe they were frightened by one and haven’t quite gotten over it. Perhaps they are just smart; dogs really are big, strong, and unpredictable to those who aren’t familiar with the ways they communicate. Dogs are everywhere, so don’t let the situation persist or fester — appropriate interaction with well-behaved dogs can prevent a lifetime of discomfort.
This is how I work with children: I set incremental and achievable goals for interactions between the child and dog. With my (or your) dog lying down and told to stay, I carefully manage the interaction between him and the child. I make sure the dog is calm and unthreatened, and point out to the child the sensitive places a dog dislikes being touched. Then I begin to play games that will lead the child to small victories in getting closer to the dog or petting. With more extreme cases, I start going for smaller victories. "Okay, so you’re not willing to be in the same room as the dog, how about if it’s outside the glass door? Can you go up to it if it can’t reach you?" I turn it into a game: “Can you get within three tiles from the dog? Okay, you got it, now run run run! Yay! Now do two tiles!” The child is having fun and we’ve changed the entire mood of the interaction to something more positive. When the child no longer sees all dogs as dangerous and is comfortable when near a dog, we have succeeded!
With an older child, I explain and demonstrate more about how dogs communicate, so they will feel confident distinguishing a dog that wants to interact from a dog that is feeling nervous or aggressive. Something we all need to know, right? I gently encourage the child to come close, touch, and then play with the dog in ways that are comfortable for both of them. Knowledge and some positive experiences are all most children need to be able to relax and enjoy dogs.
Here is what one client wrote about our experience together:
"Aaron was especially helpful in helping our children overcome their fears of dogs and helped our new anxious dog learn to be more obedient and playful. He was extremely patient with our five year old daughter who was petrified to come near the dog. He set goals for her that were appropriate for her age. She went from hiding behind the coach to petting the dog in an hour. Additionally, Aaron was really informative and helpful when we brought our dog home. He has a real understanding of dogs and the patience to teach children how to interact and care for them. We highly recommend Aaron!“
*photo by permission
For more information, see 10 Things You Can Do To Help Your Child Overcome Their Fear Of Dogs.
To schedule an appointment, call or What’s App Aaron Kahn at 053-340-4673.
