Dear Meghan: My kids (5½ years old and 2½ years old) are very afraid of dogs, and I’d like to help them move past it. Neither of them have had any noticeably negative experiences with dogs. We don’t have any friends with dogs anymore, and haven’t had many in the past, so they rarely get a chance to interact with the same dog twice.
Column by Meghan Leahy
In public, both kids want to be picked up when they see a dog. We have to cross the street or leave the park if we see a dog out in the neighborhood, within 15 feet or so. We did have a nanny who was afraid of dogs for the first four years of my older child’s life and one year of my younger child’s, but I never could get a straight answer as to what she told the kids about dogs.
We talk about how we don’t pet or touch strange dogs, but we can ask their owners if we are allowed to pet them. Is there anything I can do to help them move past this fear? Thanks.
— I Love Dogs
I Love Dogs: Thank you for writing. It’s not uncommon for young children to be afraid of dogs. Many dogs and young children are at eye-level, and it can be scary if even a friendly dog starts to jump, pant or bark excitedly. And I can tell you with a good amount of certainty that, yes, your nanny’s fear definitely affected your children.
