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Why is my four year old afraid of the dog

eryone in my family love dogs. But when we go over to my brothers house, my four year old little girl gets scared out of her mind. My brother has a 260 pound English mastiff, the dog is really sweet. But for some reason my little girl doesn’t want to be anywhere near the dog. From day one, she has just been terrified of the dog, she was really hesitant to meet the dog the first time, she did it. But then I noticed that she was afraid.

why is this? We have a border collie at home and they get along and play together just fine. When my brothers dog starts barking or stands up, or just walks near her, my daughter will run to me wanting to be picked up. She doesn’t even want to be in the same room as the dog, even when I’m holding her In my arms, she doesn’t want me to go anywhere near him.

of course I respect my daughter and I make sure she feels safe. But why is she like this?

My brothers dog has done nothing wrong. Why is she acting so scared of him? Like I said we have a border collie at home and they play together.

I’m new to parenting, is my kiddo doing this on purpose because she wants attention? Why is she acting this way? Because I know she loves animals.
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4meAndyou · F
Definitely respect her fear. If you want her to be comfortable with your brother's dog, you can ask her if she will sit in your lap while you pet the dog. ONLY if she says yes, sit on the floor with her, near the dog, and YOU pet the dog. Don't try to force her.

A mastiff is quite large, and their face can look frightening. Their jaws are also capable of locking, just like those of a pit bull, however, their temperament is so different that it is unlikely. IF a mastiff did ever attack a small child, (very unlikely), their jaws could break bones.
broxi3781 · 56-60, F
@4meAndyou
No breed of dog has locking jaws. It is a common myth, but has no basis fact. Unfortuntaley , myths like this impact very badly on the dogs affected.
4meAndyou · F
@broxi3781 While that might or might not be true, I have no idea if you are an authority. I am not...but I did research the dog. And they have mild temperaments, are a bit scary looking, and if they did bite, could break a child's bones.