Be Dog Confident
Our next Be Dog Confident workshop will be hosted online in October. Keep an eye on this page for details about how to claim a free ticket.
Helping children build their confidence around dogs
With over 50% of Irish households owning a dog, there are a lot of pooches around the country! The chances are high you will come into contact with them at the park, along the street or even at a friend's or family member's house.
At Dogs Trust, we understand that not everyone is comfortable being around dogs and we know some people may also be scared of them. This can impact a child's life, from not wanting to play in the park or visit friends, to being worried about walking down the street in case they see a dog. We want to help children build their confidence around dogs so that they feel less anxiety when they encounter a dog, which will be beneficial for both the child and the dog! We also hope this will help families with dogs who have visiting children.
Therefore, as an extension of our successful Be Dog Smart campaign we have developed a Be Dog Confident campaign, with workshops and resources for children and their families on how to safely manage these fears and build their confidence.
Our Be Dog Confident guide is available to download from the link below.
Top tips for parents:
If your child needs to build their confidence around dogs remember our safety tips and stay CALM
Create a positive dog experience with your child by exposing them to books and films with dog characters
Acknowledge your child’s discomfort of dogs. Fear and anxiety are normal feelings and by acknowledging our fears we can learn to overcome them and build confidence.
Let your child meet dogs in a safe and controlled environment. If they are still not feeling confident teach them how to do slow breathing – breathe in for 5 seconds and out for 5.
Make believe with toy dogs and talk through behaviours that dogs might exhibit. Explain what these might mean and that dogs have thoughts and feelings just like we do
These top tips will help your child build confidence, however if a child’s fear cannot be alleviated, the help of a professional may need to be required. Dogs Trust has been working alongside psychologist Dr Claire Hayes to develop a programme and guide to support building confidence with dogs and managing a fear of dogs in children. If the fear is at a high level, or to overcome a fear altogether, further professional advice should be sought.