As soon as we arrived at our vacation home in Rhode Island, my sister’s golden retriever puppy jumped on my 4-year-old. He’s now petrified of the dog and gets hysterical anytime Chessie comes near him.
This is stressing my sister out. The same sister from an earlier blog who isn’t a big fan of cramming kids into a vacation home in the name of spending time together. She thinks it’s her duty to keep the dog away from Jonah. It’s my feeling that Jonah needs to learn to deal with the dog.
My sister suggested that what we needed to cure Jonah of his fear of dogs was to get a dog. Don’t get me wrong, I love dogs and I think they are great for kids. But I don’t want one. My sister pointed out that getting a puppy was just like having kids again, and I’m done with that. I don’t want to rush home from where ever I am because the dog needs a walk. I don’t want to have to spend hundreds of dollars when the dog gets sick. I don’t want to have to walk the dog on a freezing, raining, windy night.
So I’m thinking there must be some other way to cure Jonah of his dog fear. In the meantime, he keeps asking when my sister and her kids are leaving. So much for togetherness.
Let me lend my support as a professional dog trainer to your position. I agree that Jonah & Chessie should be properly re-introduced. Fear of Chessie has generalized to all dogs based on one exposure?
Also, you should absolutely, positively, NOT get a dog if you don’t want one. Some 3-4 million pets a year are euthanized when surrendered to shelters as unwanted pets because their owners did not have the very sensible forethought you are displaying!
There are many other great ways for Jonah to have positive experiences with dogs if your sis is unable to provide one via Chessie. Simply watching dogs from a safe distance (hopefully increasingly shorter distances) at your local Petco or PetSmart. Reputable breeders relish the opportunity to socialize their young pups to children. Asking your local dog training school when puppy classes are being held will give you the opportunity to encounter responsible dog owners exiting class with tired pups. Many public schools and libraries are offering programs that permit your child to read to a nice doggie.
Best wishes working out your family issues. Family is tough.