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Originally Posted by Medusa
Hubby thinks I've unconsciously passed this onto my son by "protecting" him when we were around strange dogs when he was younger. He's now afraid of all dogs, even though when we meet one on the street I tell him it's nice and won't hurt him.
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Same thing happened with my wife and our son. She is allergic to bees and has an overall phobia of all insects. After a few run and hide from the bug incidents, my son started doing the same thing (even when he saw an ant). I started keeping him with me if an insect came around and showed him that they were harmless if treated nicely.
Regarding the dog issue, I was fine with them until I was 7 y/o and my uncle's German Shepard/Doberman mix bit me in the face at a family reunion. A trip to the hospital and 5 stitches later, I was afraid of dogs. My fear subsided over the next 15 years after interacting with my friend's dogs and realizing that they weren't all out to tear my face off.
I think Deltona has the right idea. Maybe start with visiting a pet store where they have puppies. Let him watch them play and if he is up to it, interact with them. Once he seems comfortable with puppies and smaller dogs, work your way up in size.