time heals

[woodchuck]

Last fall my daughter fell on our sleeping dog and got a superficial mark from above her left eyebrow to 2-1/2" below her eye. It looked pretty angry for about a week before it finally started healing good. She kept her distance from him since about the beginning of the month here. Yesterday, the four of us were out playing and I rang the lunch bell and of course my son dropped everything and made a beeline for the house, my daughter catches up to the dog and puts her hand on his back which is the height of her armpit and starts walking along, they went up the yard, down through the orchard and twice around the courtyard before she led him to the house. The dog never minded or hurried at all, it was like watching a people/work dog, and her hand wasn't clenched, just in his fur. Kinda cool, so I go in the house to video it for mom and the damn battery was dead, it lives on a smart-charger. In the evening she repeated it so mom was happy, but then she started to get her face real close to his like they were best friends again but he doesn't go for that with anyone but me, so I'll have to retrain her on giving the dog's face some distance.

I'm hoping that this means she won't be subconsciously afraid of dogs as she grows up.

[sao95]

so the dog snapped at her? bit her? I'm confused :???:

[woodchuck]

she fell on him, startled him out of a dead sleep, he reacted, all we saw was the red mark afterwards. Our presumption was a snap of sorts.

[sao95]

no I mean when you said she got her face too close....

[Jackson's Dad]

I doubt she'll be afraid if she's that good with him now.

We usually find that kids who are afraid of our dog (who is the most gentle, wimpiest dog around) are usually afraid because their parents are too. Once, some friends of ours were over, and their 4 year old was all freaked out by our dog. Then we noticed that the mother (who the girl hung out most with) would wince visibly whenever the dog was anywhere near. Their other daughter, who hung out more with Dad, had no problems.

[woodchuck]

sao - the line about face too close means her comfort/confidence level is a little too good for her own good. Cody(dog) has many warning growls, starting with a mere hum to lifting a lip, turning head, and raising volume into easily heard growl. He plays nanny outside, keeping an eye on them, but in the house he still thinks he's #2 in the heirerarchy not #5. She'll learn in time to respect Cody and his signals. My son figured it out after two snarl/clicks, now he gives Cody's head plenty of room, plays with his tail occasionally but no where near the head.

[woodchuck]

Someday I'll be able to get to the point quicker, like you guys write, takes practice I suppose.