How to deal with a dog who is afraid of children? First, ask yourself what the reason for this behaviour is. This knowledge will allow you to understand why your dog tries to avoid contact with the youngest. Thanks to this, it will be much easier for you to help him overcome his fear. Remember, however, that your dog doesn’t have to like children immediately. It will be a great success if you allow him to accept them.
The dog is scared of children
A dog’s relationship with young children can vary. There are cases when a dog loves to spend time with children. She derives great joy from it and knows how to avoid scaring the little person. Unfortunately, it also happens that dogs are afraid of children.
Many dogs are pretty indifferent towards children. More precisely, it does not matter to them whether they are dealing with an adult or a child. Everyone, regardless of age, is treated the same way.
Unfortunately, there are also cases when the dog has a rather negative approach to children. Here we can distinguish two different attitudes of dogs. Some dogs do not like children, are not very good at them and try to avoid spending time together.
However, some dogs are afraid of children. They make them feel stressed and anxious. Why is this happening, and what could it be? I will try to answer this question for you.
What causes fear in a dog at the sight of a child
A dog may be afraid of children for several reasons. To solve this problem, you need to determine its source. That is essential if you want to understand your four-legged friend’s behaviour.
Consider whether your pet has always been afraid of children. Can you pinpoint the moment when his attitude towards the youngest changed dramatically? Consider whether your pooch reacts with fear to all children he encounters or maybe only some of them.
It is also important to realize how the dog reacts in a situation of stress caused by the presence of children. Is he aggressive or trying to hide at all costs in a distant place? How your pen reacts to the presence of children is also reflected in its attitude towards them.
Trauma from the past
One of the causes of dogs’ fear is the fear from the youngest periods. Perhaps your dog has had some very unpleasant experiences in the past where a child or more children were around. Unpleasant memories can be deeply embedded in the dog’s memory and affect his approach to children many years later.
Why do things like this happen? Minor children should be under the constant supervision of their guardians during contact with the dog. He often fears for the safety of the child in comparison with the quadruped. Unfortunately, we forget that the situation can be quite the opposite, and our youngest can also hurt the dog.
If the child is unfamiliar with the quadruped, he will likely try to treat it as one of his toys. As a result, it can pull the dog by the ears or tail or cause him physical pain.
The dog does not understand that the child does not want to hurt him but only cares about having fun together. He takes it as an attack in his direction. Consequently, he also begins to be afraid of other children because he is afraid that they will behave similarly towards him. In this way, the dog takes a defensive posture and tries to avoid the threat.
Children’s behaviour towards the dog
For dogs that didn’t grow up with small children at home, some behaviours of the youngest may be unfamiliar and, at the same time, alien enough to cause them anxiety.
For dogs, keeping their own space is very important. As a dog’s guardian, you know this, thanks to which you can deal with the canine in everyday life.
Children do not understand the need for dogs to have an inviolable comfort zone. In most cases, the youngest will want to play with a newly met canine friend. This situation often leads to many misunderstandings and clashes. The dog fears confrontation with children because such a meeting causes discomfort and stress.
The adult approach to the dog-child relationship
Parents, fearing for the child’s safety, try to isolate them from the dog, convinced that the dog will undoubtedly want to hurt him.
The pet feels the barrier, but he does not understand the reasons for its creation. The dog may take this as a signal that it should be afraid of contact with the child.
Being convinced that the guardians want the best for him, he follows their lead and keeps his distance. Unfortunately, as a result, the dog is afraid of children because they are something utterly foreign to him, unknown. Doing so creates a negative relationship between the dog and the child.
What to do when your dog is afraid of children
Knowing the cause of your pet’s fear, you can take appropriate steps to tame your dog in the presence of children.
If your pet is afraid because of trauma from the past or because he has not had the opportunity to contact the little ones so far, you need to take small steps. First, the dog must get used to the mere presence of children before accepting them.
A familiar smell
Dogs have a very developed sense of smell. You can familiarize your pet with the scent of children so that it becomes familiar and recognizable.
If you want to convince the dog to have children, ensure their relationship is limited. Reduce contact to being in one environment so that the pet can gradually get used to the presence of children.
Having fun together
Only when your four-legged friend gets used to children can you allow interaction between them. Joint fun will be perfect for breaking the ice. However, remember that you must also participate in it.
If the dog understands that the child is a great playmate, it will be easier for him to eliminate the feeling of fear. The process of accepting children by a dog should be gradual. Otherwise, it will not have the expected effects.
All kinds of mascots are great for playing together. The child will know that the stuffed animal means fun. Toys with a rustling insert, such as DUMBO, TOFFI or FELIX from Bowl&Bone Republic, will be perfect.
Dog toy |FELIX
No pressure
Unfortunately, it can have the opposite effect if you try to force and convince your dog to contact children at all costs. Under pressure, the pet will close himself even more to his fears.
Not every dog has to like children
Remember that not every dog has to like children. Just like people, dogs have preferences that are hard to argue with. In some cases, the acceptance of the child by the pet will already be a significant achievement.
Along with acceptance, you can say that the dog-child relationship is stable, and this is what everyone should care about the most. Your dog’s fear of children may be due to its fearful nature. Some dogs can be timid and scared.
How is your dog’s relationship with children? Does he like them, or does he try to avoid them, or is he afraid of them?
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