A very special pooch is working with a psychologist to help North-East youngsters get over their irritational fear of dogs. Health Editor Barry Nelson finds out more.

IT CAN be hard for committed dog enthusiasts to understand but many people feel distinctly nervous around our canine companions. While most dog fans can hardly imagine being without their trusty companions, for some people, a fear of the animal blights their lives.

People like Simon, who lives near Sunderland.

Simon was ten when his parents noticed he was becoming more and more frightened around dogs. It started with panic attacks in the park if any dogs were off the leash, then progressed to a stage where Simon refused to go out of the house with his friends because of the possibility that he might encounter a dog.

His worried parents took him to see family friends who had a particularly friendly and unthreatening pet, but it was no use: Simon was convinced that each and every dog was a potential threat. He was obsessed with the idea that dogs would chase him, snap around his heels and bite him, no matter what his parents said.

Increasingly concerned at Simon's behaviour at home and at school, his parents took him to see their local GP to see if they could get some specialist help. Simon was referred to Dr Nigel Trevarrow, a clinical psychologist at Sunderland Royal Hospital who has developed a particular expertise in working with children with severe dog phobias.

Since taking up his post in the Child and Family department of Sunderland Royal Hospital in September 2004, Nigel has linked up with the nationally known PAT charity, otherwise known as Pets As Therapy.

Since it was founded more than 20 years ago, the charity has spread throughout the UK, sending specially trained people-friendly dogs (and some cats) into places like hospitals, care homes and hospices.

Most people react to such visits with pleasure and PAT dogs are a welcome and familiar sight throughout the North-East. What is unusual about the way Dr Trevarrow works is that he uses a specially selected PAT dog to work with severely phobic children.

"Animal phobias can be quite common and lots of people have dog phobias. After all, dogs can be quite unpredictable. Just walking up to any old dog and trying to stroke them is not a good idea," says Nigel.

It is when phobias become so severe that they have a debilitating effect on a child's life that Nigel - assisted by PAT trainer Ann Quarrie and her trusty accomplice Sweep - works his magic.

"We have some children where even the sound of a barking dog can trigger panic, an increased heartbeat and breathlessness," he says.

Dog phobias tend to become more of a problem around the time children are moving on to secondary school

"When children are striving to be more independent, a dog phobia can mean they will start to miss out on things. They can't go off to the park for a game of football with their friends because if they saw a dog off the lead they would be too frightened," the psychologist explains.

Once a referral is made, Dr Trevarrow arranges to meet the family, including any brothers or sisters. "Most people would expect that a single incident would trigger such a phobia but that is not necessarily the case. The most important aspect is trying to understand why the child remains phobic," he says.

Before any contact with a PAT dog, Dr Trevarrow uses an approach called cognitive behaviour therapy to try to help the child control their fearful impulses and to help them think in a more positive way about dogs. "There is often a chain of panicky thoughts triggered by the sight or sound of a dog which leads to panic, sweating and an increased heartbeat," he says.

As part of getting them to think positively, Nigel will ask the youngster to write down a list of scenarios involving dogs and place them in order of scariness. "The most important factor is facing up to your fears. What we do is to set up what is known as a systematic desensitisation programme," he says.

Part of this will be to teach children behavioural strategies so they are more confident being around dogs. "We can also teach them relaxation techniques and ways of turning panicky thoughts into more positive thoughts," says Dr Trevarrow.

The emphasis is going at the individual child's pace, which can take a series of sessions. Once Dr Trevarrow feels the child is ready, the next step is to bring in the PAT dog. Sweep is no ordinary dog. A curly-haired Border Collie with a sweet temperament, he was named dog of the year at the PAT Awards in London four years ago.

Sweep, whose owner Ann Quarrie lives in Blaydon, Tyne and Wear, was nominated by Phil Smith, a blind and severely disabled man who was visited by Ann and Sweep while he was recovering from a serious road accident. "When I was in rehab, Sweep would always brighten my day and give me something to look forward to," Phil told the judges.

Since then, Ann and Sweep have clocked up many hours visiting patients and schools in the region.

The therapy usually starts with Dr Trevarrow showing the child Sweep through a glass window. The child gradually builds up enough confidence to enter the room and, from a distance, can watch Ann put Sweep through his paces. Once the child is confident that Sweep is not a threat, Ann can talk about her dog's work with patients and with school children.

"You gradually have to try to desensitise their anxiety. When they are ready we might get the child to take Sweep's lead and jointly walk him around the room with Ann alongside," says Dr Trevarrow. "The ultimate goal is for the child to feel so comfortable that he or she can actually stroke Sweep."

The children and their parents are usually so grateful that the PAT charity often benefits from donations or fundraising efforts.

Ann, who has been working as a PAT volunteer for nine years, is proud of the part played by her pet and delighted that they can have such a positive impact on young people's lives. "Sweep passed the PAT assessment with flying colours. He is very placid, laid-back dog," she says.

In one case, a little girl was so terrified of Sweep that she took a lot of persuading to even enter the same room. By the time they had finished the last session, the girl was walking him around the room on a lead.

"It was lovely," says Ann. "At the end she put her arms around his neck, cuddled him and said 'Thank you, Sweep'."

Another triumph, then, for the dog doctors.

n For more information about Pets As Therapy visit www.petsastherapy.org or ring 01844-345445

Simon is not the child's real name.