This is the reason babies aren't afraid of dogs, says study

Ever see babies pulling at dogs fur with their pudgy little hands?

They seem so fearless as they play rough and tumble with their furry pets and show no fear, only curiosity. 

So why is that?

Research into how our brains develop fear shows that babies might be immune to phobias because are more interested in being curious and finding things out.

Researchers from the Association of Psychological Sciences (APS) wrote that a significant part of fear development is the cue that they are given by their parents.

Basically, if they feel that their parents are scared of the dog, they will feel that they should be too.

What was also found was how the dog is acting indicates if they should feel scared.

So if the dog is a growling, your child will be more likely to develop a fear of them more quickly, because, as the APS says, ''Humans detect and learn about danger through direct interaction with their physical and social environment and through observations of the emotional reactions of other individuals."

The researchers at the Journal of Experimental Child Psychology found that babies have that ''childlike curiosity'' and that unless there is a reason for them to fear something, they will probably be more interested in it. 

However, researchers found that babies do have a sense of fear but that it's more to do with things that they are beginning to understand e.g. if Mum goes away, will she come back again? 

Whereas a big fluffy dog who is playing isn't scary, it's interesting…until it growls or barks or bites.