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OP I am an adult that doesn't like dogs. I like them in an abstract way and can appreciate a really cute or pretty dog but I don't want them coming near me, don't want them bounding up to me when I am walking, and Don't want their noses touching me.
And I grew up with a dog.
I agree that it will be helpful to your daughter to help her get over the fear, but still think it is irresponsible of dog owners to let their dogs roam loose in stores or parks. I hate the dog owners who sing the "don't worry he's friendly" song. Just keep it, it's dirty paws and wet nose away from me and we'll be fine
I agree with the suggestions to call out to the owner "my daughter is afraid, please heel your dog "
Get serious....there are not dogs roaming lose in stores.....unless you live in Mad Max or something and if so you have more to be afraid of
OK, dogs in stores apparently is becoming the norm.
Problem is my daughter is deathly afraid of dogs. It's annoying to us as parents as we have to pick her up if there is a dog within 100', but now that she is getting bigger and soon will enter public school, it will become a problem if she doesn't outgrow this issue.
I've had two social issues that have been a little hard to handle "correctly".
Instance #1: On hiking trail, stopped at a hiker's break area with picnic tables. Daughter is sitting on top of picnic tables. Another hiker with dogs off leash approaches, and dogs get excited to see daughter and scamper up on top of picnic table. Daughter freaks out as she doesn't want dogs running toward her.
Instance #2: In store today. Dog enters store. Daughter gets nervous. Dog starts to bark at daughter.
How would you handle either of those two situations? Especially the dogs in stores situation.
Dogs in stores are going to be more common. Times change.
Unleashed dogs are annoying.
You are going to have to get your daughter over her fear of dogs. Fears must be confronted. That doesn't mean to go out and get a dog but you have to know someone with a friendly dog. Take her there and let her get familiar with the dog. She certainly can't go through life being afraid of dogs since more and more people are getting dogs.
My dogs are never unleashed in areas where they're supposed to be leashed. But there are lots of places where there are gray areas, and there are situations where she will inevitably come face to face with unleashed dogs. You HAVE to get her over this fear or she's going to spend her life terrified.
Do not get her a dog. That's a terrible idea. But I've got an elderly border collie who is practically immobile and loves children - all she wants is to have her ears scritched by them. Let your daughter interact with a dog like this - a low energy dog with a proven record of being friendly to and tolerant of children. Use a dog like this to teach your daughter the "etiquette" of dealing with dogs. And then introduce her to dogs of increasing energy levels.
I grew up with beagles - I was never scared of them. But a neighbor's golden retriever knocked me over once when I was very small, and I was terrified of larger dogs after that for a few years. I got over it, but it could have been fixed much sooner if my parents had paid attention and introduced me to larger dogs in controlled environments.
But parents also need to teach their children how to behave around dogs. I was at a dog park a couple weeks ago, and two boys ran around a bend in the trail with large sticks in their hands, coming directly at me and my dogs. Thank god my dogs are under voice control, because my Catahoula almost lost his mind. He set up a horrible barking that scared the kids into stillness, but if they'd continued to come towards him, it could have ended badly. There were no parents in sight. When I gently suggested to the kids that running through a dog park carrying large sticks was not the best idea, they looked at me like I was some kind of monster.
OK, dogs in stores apparently is becoming the norm.
Problem is my daughter is deathly afraid of dogs. It's annoying to us as parents as we have to pick her up if there is a dog within 100', but now that she is getting bigger and soon will enter public school, it will become a problem if she doesn't outgrow this issue.
I've had two social issues that have been a little hard to handle "correctly".
Instance #1: On hiking trail, stopped at a hiker's break area with picnic tables. Daughter is sitting on top of picnic tables. Another hiker with dogs off leash approaches, and dogs get excited to see daughter and scamper up on top of picnic table. Daughter freaks out as she doesn't want dogs running toward her.
Instance #2: In store today. Dog enters store. Daughter gets nervous. Dog starts to bark at daughter.
How would you handle either of those two situations? Especially the dogs in stores situation.
Teach your daughter not to be afraid. Maybe take her to a pet store and introduce her to some puppies? Dogs are a fact of life. You can't escape them.
Especially a store where I buy food, but really, any product where you dog is likely to touch, and then I am likely to touch.
Sadly a LOT of people don't make the investment.....grooming, vaccinations, worming, fleas, ticks, etc. Not to mention peeing on the displays! I just don't wish to be exposed to them.
Leave your dog home. It is NOT cute seeing your dog in the store. It is a sign of you not being concerned about anyone but yourself.
Especially a store where I buy food, but really, any product where you dog is likely to touch, and then I am likely to touch.
Sadly a LOT of people don't make the investment.....grooming, vaccinations, worming, fleas, ticks, etc. Not to mention peeing on the displays! I just don't wish to be exposed to them.
Leave your dog home. It is NOT cute seeing your dog in the store. It is a sign of you not being concerned about anyone but yourself.
This is about a kid afraid of dogs not you not wanting dogs in stores....the ship sailed on that one. You would be better off staying home.
For the suggestions about a dog park, in my situation, that is a terrible way of handling the issue. It'd be akain to taking a claustrophic person and locking them in a confined space, telling them that they'd eventually learn to enjoy it. Or taking someone with a phobia of heights skydiving. It'd be the worst possible idea.
I've love for my daughter to get over her fear of dogs, but I'm afraid it's not going to happen. I hope she'll outgrow it. It'll be up to her, not up to me, if she decides to let go of her fear.
On the other hand, tiredtired, I regret to say you have a problem with the park. People should be allowed to walk their pets outdoors on leashes. I think you need to remove your daughter quickly from the scene with a brief explanation to the dog owners.
If you look at my post again, I never said that it was at a park, it was on a hiking trail. The dog wasn't on-leash, the dog was off-leash. And my daughter was ontop of a picnic table, and the dog ran up to the top of the picnic table, too. The owner had no control over the dog.
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