{"id":24620,"date":"2026-04-30T13:00:18","date_gmt":"2026-04-30T10:00:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/luckyhunt.org\/?p=24620"},"modified":"2026-05-11T11:47:23","modified_gmt":"2026-05-11T08:47:23","slug":"martin-is-not-afraid-of-dogs-anymore","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/luckyhunt.org\/en\/martin-is-not-afraid-of-dogs-anymore\/","title":{"rendered":"Another child overcame his fear of dogs \u2013 Martin's story"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Fear of dogs <\/strong>is not uncommon in children. It is not uncommon in adults either. Sometimes it appears suddenly, other times it builds up over years. But when this fear exists in a home where there is already a dog, the situation can become a real challenge for the whole family.<\/p>

This is Martin's story.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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When fear becomes part of everyday life<\/h2>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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Martin is 5 years old and grows up in a home with a dog<\/strong>. His four-legged friend Leo was adopted from a shelter four years before Martin was born. Everything seems natural and normal \u2013 until the moment when fear gradually begins to build.<\/p>

At first, Marty begins to avoid Leo, ignore him, and later \u2013 to be afraid of him, climb on furniture and scream that the dog will attack or hurt him, without the dog itself showing signs of aggression towards the child.<\/p>

Over the course of three years, this fear deepens.
It is difficult for parents to see their child afraid of something that has always been a natural part of life for them.<\/p>

The helplessness in such moments is real.
How do you help your child when you don\u2019t know where to start?<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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The first step towards change<\/h2>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Sometimes the solution<\/strong> comes unexpectedly.<\/p>

After coming across the story of another child<\/a><\/em> with a similar problem, Martin's mother - Polina contacts the Lucky Hunt team. Just a day later, there is already an answer and something new begins - a process that will change everything. First, we have a conversation with the parents, meet with the family and assess how to approach individually and in the most appropriate way for the specific child we will work with.<\/p>

This is how Martin's meetings with the therapy dog \u200b\u200bBuba began.<\/b><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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Trust does not come at once<\/h2>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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The first meeting is not \"magical\". There is no sudden change, no miracle.<\/p>\n

And this is completely normal. <\/span><\/p>\n

The process does not aim to \"remove\" fear abruptly, but to build trust<\/strong>. This is how we start and move at the child's pace.
With each meeting, Martin begins to relax. He begins to ask about Buba. To be interested.<\/p>\n

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With each meeting, we consolidate<\/b> what has been achieved, gradually build on<\/b> and always include a bit of something new.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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When the fear begins to subside<\/h2>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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After several successful encounters with Buba, the family includes their pet Leo in the sessions.<\/p>

The idea is not for Martin to get used to dogs \"in general\", but to restore the relationship<\/b> with his own dog, which has been a part of his life since birth.<\/p>

With the help of Tsarina Georgieva and a carefully selected approach, the family begins to rebuild trust<\/b> between the child and Leo. Without tension, without force, without expecting an instant result.<\/p>

That's when the real change begins to be seen<\/b>.<\/p>

Martin no longer avoids dogs. He begins to stand closer to them, observe them calmly, ask questions and show interest. And curiosity is one of the first and most important steps towards overcoming fear.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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Nacho - the dog that helps Martin\n<\/h2>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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Nacho is one of the dogs of Lucky Hunt, which is involved in working with children. He is significantly larger than Buba (she is a Pekingese breed). But at the same time, Nacho is very calm, patient and gentle, he gradually becomes Martin's greatest <\/span>ally<\/b><\/span> .<\/span><\/p>

Meetings with him now include:<\/p>