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4 Friday, September 14, 2018brooklintowncrier.com While your lovable canine friend may be the friendliest mutt around, not everyone feels that way. Some people are afraid of dogs. They may not have had a lot of positive experiences with them, perhaps including an incident that made them fearful. My daughter had one of those when she was about two years old. A German Shepherd took her ice cream, along with her entire arm into his mouth, as he helped himself to her treat. While she wasn't physically hurt, the trauma haunts her years later. Being anxious around dogs is also quite normal for children who don't have much dog experience. It can also interfere with their lives. My daughter gets nervous about going to friends' houses if she knows a dog lives there. She's terrified when one approaches on the street, even if it's on a leash. Helping children overcome their fears about dogs can be challenging. You'll need to have some pa- tience as your child learns to understand dogs and feel comfortable with a dog or puppy. Here are some tips to help overcome a fear or anxiety of dogs. Accept the fear You may see a dog is clearly friendly or cuddly puppy and is waiting to be played with. Our life experience tells us we don't need to be afraid so we may say things that inadvertently upset our child, like "don't be silly, it's just a dog". Yet it's more helpful to first acknowledge their fear. When you see your child acting fearful, tearful or anxious about a dog it's really best to be a supportive presence and avoid putting pressure on your child. Ask what it is that they fear, opening the door for discussing feelings. Explain the dog's behaviour Dogs like to sniff and lick and some are more excitable than others. If your child is comfortable enough to be near the dog, let them first watch you interact in a gentle and respectful way. Some children may want to be in one room while watching you in another, perhaps separated by a gate. Keep in mind, too, that the more well trained the dog is, the smoother the experience will be for your child. Treats & Toys A great way for children to be around dogs is by having a chance to offer a friendly and familiar dog a treat or a toy. Try it while the dog is on a leash and the child has an "es- cape route" should there be a need to leave. Set a positive example When meeting a new dog, instead of asking if the dog bites if it's safe to pet it, use more neutral questions like, "Can we meet your dog?". Then demonstrate how to pet a dog. Showing your child how to greet a pet for the first time is really important. Don't rush it There's no need to rush into petting, cuddling and getting doggy kisses. As much as these are wonderful experiences, let children take that step when they're ready. After many years, our daughter recently petted a friendly, performing rescue dog after an animal show at a theme park. As the dog licked her hand, she exclaimed, "I got some puppy kisses!" So, we're getting there. Doggy dread? Our Brooklin Kids By Leanne Brown Community Calendar Sat., Sept. 15: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.: 19th Annual Brooklin Harvest Festival Grass Park and Downtown Brooklin Sat., Sept. 15: 9 a.m. - 3:30 p.m: Birds, Beavers & Butterflies Nature Festival Thickson's Woods Nature Festival is fun for the whole family! Guided nature walks, bugs and botany ID, beekeeping demo, live wild animals and birds to meet, arts and crafts, silent auction, bake sale, refreshments, and more! Tickets at the gate: $5 adults, $2 children, $10 family (cash only). Thickson's Woods is at the foot of Thickson Road, south off Hwy.401 in Whitby. For more information visit www.thicksonswoods.com Fri., Sept 28: 4:00 - 5:00 pm (4th Friday of each month) Teen Leadership Council at Brooklin Library Whitby Library's Brooklin Branch seeks Teen Leadership Council members to share ideas & assist with special events and programs. Grade 9-12 students earn community service hours. Snacks provided. No registration required. For information, email teenservices@whitbylibrary.ca. Sat., Sept. 29: 10 am - 2 pm: Open Streets Whitby Brock Street South in Downtown Whitby, from Mary Street to Burns Street A free, family-friendly event that will close a 1.2 kilometre stretch of Brock Street South to cars and open them to people. For activities schedule, visit whitby.ca/openstreets. Sat., Sept. 29: 11 am - Bid Euchre Fest Odd Fellows Hall, 42 Bagot St., Brooklin Progressive euchre. No partner required. $10 includes lunch and excellent prizes. Advance tickets only. Proceeds to Camp Trillium: camps for kids with cancer and their families. 905-655-4652 Sun., Sept. 30: 7:00 pm - Suburbanaires Men's Barbershop Chorus performance At Mt. Zion United Church. A fun and entertaining evening with these wonderful singers! Refreshments will be served. Free will offering. Mt. Zion is at 3000 Concession 8, just east of Salem Rd. Wed., Oct. 3: Brooklin United Church 41st Community Roast Beef Dinner Sittings at 5:15 & 7:00 p.m. Adults: $20 - Children under 12: $5 Preschoolers FREE (but must have a ticket) A portion of each ticket sold will support St. Vincent Pallotti's Kitchen New Building Fund For Tickets, call the church office (905) 655-4141 French Family Storytime: Children and their caregivers can join Madame Sue for weekly French Family Storytime! A half hour of French stories and songs, with a dash of English! Drop in at Central Library's Children's Program Room Tuesdays: 7:25 pm: Brooklin Toastmasters Club Practice public speaking at Brooklin Community Centre & Library. Contact John Johnstone at jajhj@sympatico.ca or phone 905-683-4439 or Patricia Romano at promano257@outlook.com or phone 905-626-7055. 1st & 3rd Tuesdays Community Care Durham (CCD) Basic Foot Care at St. Thomas' Anglican Church. 905-668-6779 Mon.-Fri. CCD delivers hot or frozen meals. To order: Karen Andrews 905-668-6779 If you have a community not-for-profit event you would like included in the calendar, please email it to editorofBTC@gmail.com with the subject line "calendar." Priority will be given to Brooklin events. Some editing may occur. Well, actually many new voices. Durham's newest contemporary/ classical choir is beginning this fall. Under the direction of Michael Morgan, RESOUND sing- ers, both young (16+) and older adults will unite from throughout Durham region. Excellence in performance and meaningful community outreach are the choir's mandates. Concerts will premiere four-part arrangements of youth com- positions proudly showcasing student-written songs from this choir's youth outreach. Large choral works together with orchestra and soloists will be featured in a March concert. In June, RESOUND will partner with several community organizations to educate and increase awareness and support for their community partners. For more information about RESOUND, auditions or how to become a community partner, contact Kim Alexander, Business Manager at: RESOUNDbizManager@gmail.com. Coming Soon: A New Voice In Town