You think you all have it bad i sometimes get the same reaction from folks as your dogs do and i have little shih-tzu's
i dont understand it!As for staffies i have never met a more sookier breed,to tell you the truth i am more worried about my dogs getting bitten than myself. As for the kids being terrified of dogs the best thing the parents can do is buy a dog,otherwise the kid is going to grow up to be one of those ignorant people everyone meets on their walks.Personally i dont trust people who hate dogs just for the sake of it,something just doesnt sit right with them!

Hi Lorelei,  thanks for the words of encouragement.  I have even suggested some thought of therapy to my sister, for Pru.  She will gingerly touch (with 1 finger) one of my pups in arms, and will walk the pugs on leads, but never relaxed.  But a dog off the lead - just terror:(.  It is such an alien concept to me, having always adored animals, and I wishe we could do something.

doglurver - have you ever seen someone so terrified of something that they are not thinking, only reacting, and desperate to flee?  to suggest ther is "someting not right" with a child who is phobic about an animal is the kind of attitude that causes problems between dog lovers and the general public.  Are you terrified of anything?  I know I could not go near, touch, even look at, snakes.  they scare me to death.  I can only presume this is the sort of fear Pru is experiencing.  I am 100% certain that to introduce a snake into my home would NOT cure my fear.  Luckily, I am not very likely to meet a snake in my everyday life, Pru could meet a dog on any street or park.  And I certianly would not sell a puppy to a family which had a dog terrified child - what sort of life for the pup?
bye
Gwen

Hi Gwen

I have a suggestion for your sister, on Pru's behalf.  When she is ready, you could always contact Pets as Therapy and see if they could help.  I have found that when my Isla (lab) is wearing her 'PAT' gear, people who are scared of dogs seem to relax more. Some of the children at my son's school are terrified of dogs (so sad), but when they meet her and I explain that she wears a special yellow coat to show that she's extra extra friendly, they calm down.  I know that PAT admin are collating a list of volunteers whose dogs might be especially able to help with dog-phobias, so it might be worth a try.
Hope it helps,
Ali :)

Hi Ali,

thanks for the info. anything is worth a go!
bye
Gwen