I used to be afraid of dogs. And by “afraid,” I mean that if I saw one on the street and even if it was far away, I’d cross the street. If one was closer, my heart would pound in my chest and my legs would shake.
My fear of dogs started when I was around 6 years old. One of our guard dogs at home lunged and barked at me when I tried to pet it. The incident made me very uneasy around dogs.
Apart from this there has been scores of incidents when I was chased by dogs while riding my bike or when going out for walks. With each incident, my fear towards dogs grew.
What is Cynophobia?
You may have heard the word “Cynophobia” used to describe a person’s fear of dogs, but what does it mean? The term comes from the Greek word kynos, meaning “dog,” and phobos meaning “fear.”
Few easy steps to get over your fear of dogs
If you are reading this post, then you have made up your mind to get over the fear. This is the most important step. If you’re afraid of dogs, chances are good that your fear is rooted in a lack of understanding. This can be the case even if you have had bad experiences with dogs in the past—just because one dog was aggressive doesn’t mean they all are. Getting better understanding about dogs, is the best way to get over your fear.
Play with puppies. This might seem like a silly thing to do but playtime is a great way for kids and grownups alike to get comfortable around dogs. Pups are naturally cuddly and curious, so they’re great for getting over your fear of dogs because they don’t have much experience with people yet. They’ll also be less likely to bite or scratch than an adult dog would be. I would not suggest getting a puppy to just get over the fear of dogs. You can consider volunteering at an animal shelter or rescue group so that you can interact with the animals there.
Get a Dog-Friend: If you’ve got friends who own dogs, ask them if they’d mind if you hung out at their house while they’re home alone with their pup(s). Not only will this give you practice interacting with pooches in safe environments, but it’ll also give you some new friends!
Online resources: You can also search online for videos of people playing with their pets; this will help you realize how much fun they can be!
Read blogs or books about other people’s experiences with dogs and watch YouTube videos showing positive interactions between humans and friendly dogs (e.g., “How To Train Your Dog” by Cesar Millan). Seeing others overcome their fears may inspire confidence in yourself when facing similar challenges in your life.
Find an awesome trainer who specializes in helping people overcome their fears of animals. They can help guide you through some exercises designed specifically to help conquer those fears.
Conclusion
These are some of the steps I took to get over my fear of dogs. I will say that it was not easy and also that I am still not over it. It is a work in progress. I still get a little scared when I am around bigger dogs like Rottweilers or even German Shepherds. But I understand them better. Hope you found these simple tips useful.
