Helping kids overcome their fear of dogs

A gentle, structured programme to help your child feel calmer and more confident around dogs

Does your child feel scared or panicked around dogs?

For some children, just seeing a dog across the road can cause fear, panic, or even lead them to run into danger to get away. Whether it’s from a past experience, a learned fear from a family member, or simply an unexplained phobia, this can have a huge impact on everyday life - for the whole family.

KAD rainbow logo

That’s where the KAD (Kids Around Dogs®)
Fear of Dogs Protocol can help.

This proven approach, founded by Debby Lucken, helps children from around four years and up to gradually understand dogs, learn simple canine body language, and start to feel more confident and safe.

Woman and kid paying with dog outside

Knowledge is power (and it soothes fear)

The unknown is scary - which is why this programme focuses on teaching your child to understand dog behaviour and body language.

For example, what a dog’s tail or ears can tell us about how they’re feeling.

This is an incredibly effective way to help your child feel more confident around dogs, because they gain the kind of x-ray vision into a dog’s behaviour that most adults don’t even have!

They’re more able to predict when a dog is feeling calm versus excitable and are empowered with strategies to keep them safe and at ease.

As an added benefit, this programme will also give you more confidence in understanding dogs as you learn alongside your kid.

Rewards that keep fighting the fear worth doing!

With dogs, we positively reinforce behaviour we like - and this is exactly how we motivate children to keep learning too.

After each weekly session, your child gets a simple task to do during the following week.

We celebrate your child’s progress with a small reward system that you and your child create together.

Rewards can be anything meaningful to them (and they don’t have to cost a penny) - a trip to the park, a friend over for a sleepover, a favourite treat, or extra screen time.

The goal is to keep it fun and encouraging.

Woman with 2 children and their dog.

Programme cost: £300

Includes all nine sessions (seven Zoom, two in-person)
Personalised reward system
Optional parent resources
Payment required upfront via invoice to confirm booking

Book a call

What the programme looks like

Certificate of achievement mock up
  • This nine session programme combines child-led, confidence-building tasks with consistent support and positive reinforcement.
  • Seven online Zoom sessions (approx. 15 minutes each).
  • Two in-person sessions (approx. 15 minutes add each).
  • Parent involvement is essential - you're there every step of the way.
  • A certificate is awarded at the end.

Before the first session, we:

Arrange a call to discuss your child’s specific worries, without them being present.

Ask you to complete a short questionnaire to understand more about their experience and concerns.

Share an optional video resource, The Language of Dogs, to help you feel more confident too.

Each Zoom session focuses on one area of dog behaviour or body language - for example, what a dog’s tail or ears can tell us about how they’re feeling. At the end of each session, your child gets a simple task to do during the following week.

We celebrate their progress with a small reward system that you and your child create together. Rewards can be anything meaningful to them - a trip to the park, a favourite treat, or extra screen time. The goal is to keep it fun and encouraging.

Sessions are scheduled weekly, ideally on the same day and time each week - these can be before or after school.

Reduce anxiety and give confidence, with proven CBT methods

This approach is designed to:

Help your child feel more in control when they see dogs.

Reduce anxiety and panic behaviours in public spaces.

Build knowledge and confidence in a gentle, structured way.

I use child-friendly cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) principles and a play-based structure that grows with your child, step-by-step. Some parents say their child went from screaming at the sight of a dog to calmly walking past one in just a few weeks.

You're never on your own - I'm there to support you both throughout the journey.

Ready to help your child feel more confident around dogs?

Book a free call

Frequently asked questions

“Our son had a fear of dogs ever since he was a baby. We worked with Niki who took him through the Kids Around Dogs® programme, and we’re so glad we did it. While it doesn’t ‘cure’ such an ingrained fear, it really helped our son to observe and understand dogs. Niki was fantastic with him - he really looked forward to his sessions and was very proud of himself for overcoming his fear and enjoying Ruby’s company.”

Sam, Wimbledon

Programme cost: £300

Includes all nine sessions (seven Zoom, two in-person)
Personalised reward system
Optional parent resources
Payment required upfront via invoice to confirm booking

Book a call

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