Most animals know when a child isn’t normal. I’ve seen the worst acting animals become tame when a special needs child entered the room. Not all mind you, but most. The animals sense that the child isn’t all there and allow much more manhandling than they would with a normal child.
JMHO.
It’s not my child so...
I just know that for my kids I have general rules with animals because not all animals will behave like our own.
My Aunt had an especially mean little dog that bit the snot out of my sons thumb— that dog wasn’t like his Springer Spaniel we had at home. He could swing on the swingset and do just about anything with her.
We both learned from that bite and I cringe when I see people letting little toddlers crawl and horse around with dogs that are eating. It’s just my rule, it protects the kid and protects somebody’s pet that may be a nippy little chit.
The animals probably see the kid’s three guardian angels. :-)