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Fear of Dogs
Hey everybody! I'm 14/f. Well, I have a fear of dogs. It's just that when they get close to me I'm so afraid and start to take off. Once when I was a young kid, my next-door neighbor's dog Kiki was chasing after me and I literally thought that it was going to kill me. I don't want to be afraid of dogs because I think they are the cutest things ever, especially puppies. Does anyone have any advice on how I can overcome my fear of dogs...I would really appreciate it! Thanks.
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I have gotten bitten by 2 dogs. My whole finger is scarred permanently. I love dogs even though they can be aggresive at times. I was also chased by a rotweiler when I was 4 or 5. I also thought I was going to die! But I know that dogs can be very loyal, loving, sweet, smart, well-manered, and cuddly. They will only bite, or attack when they feel threattened, or when they are cornered so basically they won't bite you because you probably wouldn't/won't corner/threaten a dog/puppy. Hope I helped.
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The same thing happened to me. My dad and I went to his friends house to visit, and the friend said he had a cute little puppy, and he brought him out to show us, and the dog was HUGE . He was maybe 4 feet tall, and i was only 6 years old! The dog jumped on me, pinned me to the floor, and scratched me. A way to get over your phobia is to...
1. go to a neighbors house every weekend who has a dog, and play with it for a half hour
2. Start a dog walking service!!
hope i helped=]=]=]
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I have a phobia so I understand your problem. I also love dogs so I would like to try to help you become unafraid of these wonderful animals.
You do need to start small, a pet shop with puppies, a breeder that is sympathetic with your problem, or someone you know with puppies. Make sure they are old enough to be handled and that the mother is in a different room, just in case she senses your fear, and misinterprets this into thinking her pups are in danger. It is more difficult to be scared of tiny pups. Just stay in the same room initially, watching them play. Then, if that's ok, try sitting down near them. The chances are that they will come over to you to see if you're a potential playmate. Let them sniff you, this is their version of shaking hands. After this, if you feel confident enough, throw a toy for them to chase. If possible, put some food down for them. You don't have to do all this in one visit if it's too much for you. Go at your own pace and whatever fits in with the owner of the pups. Eventually, you should feel ready to hold one. Try to do this after they have been fed and have played with, as playful pups tend to be a bit nippy. This it is not badly meant and rarely hurts, so it is better to do this when they are tired. Having a sleepy, cute puppy cuddled up to you is a very special feeling.
If all this works and you become confident with puppys, try to move on to small adult dogs. Try to avoid any of the terrier breeds to start with as they were bred to hunt and can be a bit nippier than 'lapdogs'.
Shih Tzu's are a good breed to try, they are so soft and gentle, but stubborn, they are ideal for people who are worried about dogs.
One final thing, dogs chase! They are hunters by nature, and instinct will make them chase anything that seems to be running away from them. That is why, however hard it sounds, it is better to stand your ground, wait for the dog to come close, and then say in a loud but commanding tone 'NO'. This should take them by surprise, and stop them in their tracks. Your neigbours dog, all those years ago, probably got the hunting instinct started by chasing you, you then running inflamed this. I know it is great to be wise after the fact, but it might help you in the future.
I do hope this works for you and I wish you the very best of luck.
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I could tell you two different things, but I'm gonna go with the one that might be better for you. Get a small dog. That way, it can't really hurt you and being around it might make you feel more confident. It's all in your mind.
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i think the only way to break the fear is to go around a dog.. especially one that is older and might know you so therefor it wont really be interested in you. you have to be careful though which dogs you go around because every dogs natural instinct is to run up and jump and sniff you because you are new to them and they want to "befriend" you. i would say start out with just a neighbors dog that you can see everyday and ask if you can walk the dog etc. and eventually youll gain the dogs trust just like they gain yours
also maybe get a puppy
at the age people get most puppys the sleep about 24/7 and as you love that dog you grow with it and wont fear it because you've loved it for so long. like when i got my puppy last may i would say she either slept or went to the bathroom.. she was even to lazy to get up and eat.. but now shes a nut who i would have never gotten if she was like that at first. but ive grown to love her and not fear her barking and aggresiveness she sometimes shows
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my mom use to have a huge fear of dogs. now we have four dogs. =) and she loves each and every one of them and plays with them all the time. she says she feels really silly that she was afraid of them. so, i guess the best thing to do is play with them. carry them. pet them. their harmless. the best way to overcome your fear is by being with the dogs
xoxo
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Really, with a fear of something such as an animal, the best way to overcome it is with exposure.
I have a phobia myself so you really have my sympathies but as a person whose life has been ruled by fear so far, you need to overcome it and give yourself a chance at having a better quality of life so here's what I suggest.
Don't go to a dog kennel for this unless you're certain you can cope with a lot of barking. They don't bark do be vicious at all, but to get your attention. If you can handle it then speak to the people who own the kennel, who I am certain will be more than happy to help. If you can't get to a kennel or can't handle that many at once, find a friend, relative or someone else who owns a dog. I would recommend you start off small and work your way up.
Keep dog treats with you and work on getting closer to the dog to begin with. Don't worry if it takes more than one attempt. Fear is a difficult thing to overcome. Just keep focusing, not on what you need to do but on the end result, which will help you. Keep seeing yourself happy with a puppy, stroking a puppy, playing with a puppy and so on. Keep this in your minds eye and get closer to the dog. When you get there, you may have to force yourself but pat it. You don't have to go into full on stroke yet but maybe toss a treat on the ground and then just pat its head lightly. Then, when you feel braver, strke its head.
If you keep persevering, you will get there. Just keep focusing on what you want to achieve, so that you are thinking positively. You'll be cradling that puppy before you know it!
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Do you now someone with a dog? If so have the bring the dog out ON A LEASH and slowly pet him/her. Let the dog lick your hand and make sure the owner is there the whole time. Dogs are really good animals.
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well take it this way the only time you should be afraid of dogs is when they get angry and start growling and coming closer to ya other than that you should pet them and calm down even if they were to bite you you still arent gonna die...but its totally normal to be afraid.
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i live with hundreds of dogs because i have a boarding kennel dogs can sense your fear and it can MAKE them aggresive start with dogs you know are friendly test YOUR limits and pet them hug them treat them like a child once you realize MOST dogs are friendly you will grow more confidence remember trust your instincts and do what you feel is right with them they are just like humans they have feelings too dont let them stomp all over you
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The only way to overcome your fear is to face it. Face the dogs and remember that not all dogs will hurt you. Hope i helped.
-Keosha
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Dear Fear Of Dogs,
My cousin is 8 and she is petrified of dogs. I keep telling her that they are trying to intentionally trying to hurt you they are just playing. What you need to do is instead of running away you need to try and pet it and talk to it, but of course start litte and work to big. Good Luck!!
Alli<3
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Well, I think that you should start out by getting to 'know' younger dogs before you start interacting with bigger ones. I'm not afraid of dogs, its just that I have a medium sized schnauzer, and I'm more used to her size compared to bigger dogs. Start out with smaller dogs, gently approach them and stroke the top of their heads. Let them sniff you and get to know you, to make sure that you're not trying to harm them. Don't start squealing and running up to dogs and be like 'OMG!! YOUR DOG IS SOOO CUTE!!' really loud. This can scare the dog.
If the dog doesn't like you or starts to turn away, don't keep trying to pet it. It might not want you to be around it at the moment. If you don't want the dog to jump on you, if it scares you, then gently nudge it away with your knee. Don't like, push the dog away. It might bite you, because, again, it might think that you want to harm it.
Good luck !!
Hope I helped!
♥ SiMA
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