I'd find it difficult too. If I really wanted to tackle the problem, I'd probably suggest that we all met up on a walk - the beach or some woods - so they could get used to her running around chasing the ball and join in. Even better if the dog is worn out and ready to settle down when we got home so they could see her acting quietly.

Alternatively, I'd suggest to your friend that she locks the kids in the lounge instead

Seeing as you are mentioning nasty dogs, I have posted above regarding the experiences with dogs I have had in my home, but there is a nasty experience I will share, and this situation could have so easily been avoided if the adults around had half a brain cell between them. The timescale of this occurring was over a whole year, maybe longer.

A dog and an 8 year old (ME) The dog started to bear its teeth to me, and i told the adults (Mum, Dad, Grand mother, Grand father, Uncle, Aunty, Other Uncle, etc), I was told often "She is smiling at you, she is happy?" I was 8 and had every dog book printed I think, and I know she was not happy and smiling, I told them, and told them, and refused to be in the same room as the dog, as I could see the look in her face, and the snarls, then came the growls. Again I was told "She is laughing" and nothing was done, I knew what was going to happen, I warned them, and warned them, and warned them, but no measures were taken to protect me, I was laughed at and belittled, and became the joke of the gatherings. I still took it upon myself to keep clear of the dog, and was successful for the most part,. One day, it was a warm winter day, and I was in the garden, and Gran called me in, just as my Grandpa was exiting the kitchen with the dog's dinner. (I bet you know whats coming dont you?) I asked him to wait for me to pass and he just laughed and put the dinner down for the dog, I know I either had to wait for the dog to finish, or risk nearing the dog, I chose to wait, and I was called again, and again and again, I was not going to pass that dog. My Gran threatened me with a good hiding if I did not come immediately, and my Dad would give me one too for not listening, so, I braved the situation, and geared myself up to venture near the dog, just as my Grandpa shoved me forwards, and the dog bit my face. It took a huge chunk out of my lip, and I have been disfigured ever since, people are polite and tell me they can hardly see it, but I know they can.

If only they heeded my warnings, if only they had opened their eyes, if only I was not laughed at, this could have been avoided.

RESPONSIBLE PARENTING, RESPONSIBLE OWNERS, is all it took to avoid this situation, and the lack of self worth I have felt ever since my first meeting with this dog, knowing that nobody cared enough to keep me safe and I was not worth the effort. (I only have to look in a mirror to be reminded) Remember safety works both ways too. Protect the child AND protect the dog.

I must add that in all my years the above account is the only one I have ever suffered on a nagative aspect, I love dogs, I miss not having one, but am still greiving for Poppy.

I've posted about this before but I was bitten by a labrador as a child and developed a fear of dogs that only really abated when our neighbours got a lovely mild-mannered dog that I could slowly learn to trust.

The key thing for me, though, is that I allowed the other dog in IN MY OWN TIME. I'm sure I would have ended up with a lifelong fear of dogs if I was forcibly confronted with a dog and made to be near it when I wasn't ready for it. No-one suggested I go near the neighbours dog, it was only after watching it carefully and seeing, over a period of months, that the dog was calm and steady that I could bring myself to go near it.

So while I do think it's a good thing that kids and dogs mix in a carefully controlled environment, I think if a child already has a fear of dogs, people need to tread very carefully when it comes to helping them to get over that fear.

I hear what you're saying. When you were a child (after the bite), did your parents ever take you to visit houses where dogs lived? Were those dogs shut away whilst you were visiting?

The child in question has never been bitten by a dog, I've known her since she was born and would know about something like that happening. My experience to date with little ones indicates that the less of an issue you make about the dog being in the house, the sooner they get over their fear. I guess I'm just becoming inclined to suggest she no longer visits my house if it's such an issue.

I don't believe it helps that the mother always refers to my dog either as 'he' or 'the naughty dog'. Daisy is a she, and she's noisy, not naughty!

I myself have been bitten; when I was about 13 our pet dog bit me on the ear (I was lying on the sofa, he was sitting in front of me. I sat up suddenly and he reacted with the bite). I had to have 7 stitches. I still begged and pleaded with my parents not to have Floyd put down, and in the end they agreed not to.

I was always a little nervous of him after that happened, but that has not stopped me loving all dogs.

if i ever had a child, and he/she was afraid of animals, i would do my damnedest to get them past it.

tbh, i never see this happening, as i plan to continue keeping animals, and as such, i'm that involved in looking after my animals i can;t see a relationship coming up any time soon.

my ex didn;t like animals (infact, one of the many, many reasons he left was that my animals would come first :rollseyes
very, very wary of dogs, but, after two days of being around mine, and the dog i walk, he wasn;t fussed in the slightest.

tbh i hope one does savage him one day. but thats another story......

kids & animals, provided all precautions are taken, to avoid harm to the animals (therefore avoiding the majority of harm to the kids) and the kids is something i would expect to be commonplace
there's really no reason for them to be afraid of anything to do with pets, they need to be shown to be kind to animals, treat them with respect and that no harm is likely to come to them if they treat the animals in this way.

brining them up around animals in my opinion, teaches this
it gives the child some responsibility too, to respect the animal and care for it correctly
i grew up with missey. never had any friends apart from her through my school life at juniors
it teaches so much to a child, and seeing a dog and a child who are crazy about each other, it's a beautiful relationship which blossoms there.
it's a shame that a lot of kids don't get that.

i've forgotten where i was going now, but yeah, kids & animals make a good mix.
so long as there are rules laid down to both about eachother... think

as an added aside, i was bitten in the face by the tibetan terrier we used to look after.
(i was lucky - only a small puncture near my right eye)
it was my own fault however, never blamed him for it
can't say it made me farful of him in the slightest

It's such a shame that you had to be bitten before anyone would listen to you, and in such a bad way

If any child told me my dog was behaving like that I'd whisk her away from them immediately, and would certainly never laugh it off!

Thats the whole point tho isnt it, this dog was not "nasty", or "horrible" it just did not like me, and the feeling was mutual. A closed door with me on one side and the dog on the other.

You are a responsible owner, and maybe a parent too, so the situation would not occur, It still amazes me how they could have let that happen, they took the p*ss out of me for a year, and I proved I was correct.

In my situation above the blame is not aimed at the dog, nor me, but at the many adults who knew better than me and the dog.

A little like when my dog nipped my daughter, because she was painting her claws with naiul polish, I warned my daughter who was about 10, and I warned her, and warned her, I could see it in her eyes she was not impressed. Anyway when her last paw was bein painted the dog had enough, but daughter kept on trying to finish, and the poor dog kept pulling her leg out of the way, and eventually she snapped at my daughters elbow, not nastily, but just to get her point across. My daughter cried, and cried, because she was so disgusted with herself that she drove the dog to the end of her tether. It was in no way the dog's fault, she had given warning from the very first instance as did I, and my daughter chose to ignore it all. (No blood shed, no real harm done, but more respect earned for Poppy's feelings)

Our old dog, a Sheltie, died many years ago, but I only ever knew him to snap at someone in anger once.

My uncle used to wind up our dog, and one day he just went for him. We found out later he'd had to have a couple of stitches in his hand.

Every time they both met after that they were friendly, but wary of each other. Before and subsequently he'd never snapped at anyone for any reason.

I think dogs are born to be compatible with man, but there are the few exeptions, from both sides, its how each are brought up, and how each are treated in regard to each other that matters.

Like your Sheltie, most dogs have a very good reason to snap, and in my experience it takes an awful lot for it to happen.

My poppy hated her tail being touched, and, we knew this, and we avoided touching it, but I would stroke her down her spine and end the stroke on her tail, she tollerated it better as the years went on. Years later when she became incontinent, I could thread her tail through a hole in a childs nappy without hassle, something I could not do when she was young. She was so good. Even though she did not like having her tail touched. (If she had bitten me putting the nappy on, I would have still tried other methods, as I knew it was not her being nasty, just its her foible, "Dont touch my tail").

Funny I now wonder how my daughter got frilly knickers on her, and wooly tights over her tail, and I think I can recall it decorated with hair bobbles and ribbons.