Our kids and dogs – an uneasy alliance

The idea of kids and dogs, conjures up images of an idyllic childhood, running wild and free with a beloved furry friend. As with most idyllic things, this is not always the case. This may look like a cute picture, but Oscar has an uneasy relationship with Meisie, my dad’s dog. And he has something close to phobia regarding other people’s dogs. This is a great post where a mother writes about her daughter’s Cynophobia. No matter how wonderful and sweet and well-trained your dog is, they can cause uncontrollable anxiety in some children.

Having Meisie in our lives has helped us to gently encourage Oscar to overcome some of his fear, especially of bigger dogs. He still wants to hold my hand when we are near dogs, but he is more willing to go to places where he knows there will be dogs. By being exposed to a big dog in small, manageable, positive doses, he’s becoming braver. This photo would not have been possible a few months ago! This just confirms to me that kids, especially special needs kids, just need time and patience.