I have encountered a few children who are afraid of dogs to the point that they cry if they see one. The one thing I noticed is they do not have animals of their own and usually at least one of the parents or a close relative is also afraid of or just hates dogs. I think the fear can be transferred to a child from another person they have seen react badly to an animal. It really isn't your responsibility to fix this problem. His parents need to deal with it. It certainly is not good for any child to have that kind of anxiety and it would be a shame for him to grow up with this kind of fear. If they sooth his fear then it is the same as telling him it is alright to be afraid of this little animal. They need to continue to show him there is no reason to be afraid and not do anything to encourage the reaction. Maybe they could consult their family physician for help. |