Why are some people genuinely frightened of dogs?

[WanderingStar26]

Not a TAAT but kind of inspired by one.

I adore dogs, I have my own dogs, I work with dogs, and my hobby revolves around dogs. I had dogs growing up and with the very odd exception, I’ve never felt any fear towards any dog.

But I understand that some people are terrified of them, and I’m really interested to understand why? Is it an instinctive fear, which now I think about it would make sense as dogs are descended from wolves, or is it based on a past negative experience? It seems to be more children that have an obvious fear, so do people grow out of feeling scared, or just learn to conceal their fear as they get older?

I’m not talking about just not liking them, I realise dogs aren’t for everyone, but an actual fear. My dogs are tiny and not at all aggressive but I still don’t let them approach people unless the person wants them to. I’m honestly not trying to mock or judge, just genuinely intrigued to know more about this fear and whether it’s rational or irrational, and whether it’s something people can overcome. It must be hard to live with either way as dogs are everywhere!

I like dogs but I have a fear of them. It has got better over time, but I was bitten as a child so presumably it comes from that. If I know the owner of a dog and I know the dog, I am usually fine and can sit with them and stroke them, but it is very different with strange dogs. Two main reasons are: dogs can and do bite; some owners are ignorant and do not control or train their dog.

3kg fluffy poodle crosses are often those not under control. Really irresponsible and inconsiderate dog ownership is commonplace now, as dog ownership has exploded.

There is no enforcement of dogs needing to be under effective control. For the vast majority that means being on a lead, as most dogs I see out on my dog walks do not have reliable recall. A lead is also a useful visual sign for other people that your dog is under control.

Now you can't even go into John Lewis without encountering ear splitting barking. It is not an appropriate place for dogs. I have a recurring nightmare about my dog getting into the supermarket 😅(she is food obsessed). That's what i feel when I go into JL, it's like a fever dream.

I never used to understand it either but I grew up somewhere where everyone had reasonable, well-trained and carefully-bred dogs living on large properties where they got plenty of exercise.

Where I live now, every second dog is an unrestrained XL bully running off leash next to a scowling owner... I am "that person" who crosses with the pram to the other side of the road!

They have lots of sharp teeth
They can be very strong
Unpredictable

lots of reasons fear of being bitten not all owners are good, cultural reasons some see them as dirty or in my case childhood experience.

my grandma did not do a good job with her wirehair dauchund .I was a toddler in a playpen stuck my hand out and it ripped up my hand

Which meant when i first met my other halfs parents i was a very nervous as they had the same breed of dog. Took me a long time to realise its the owner if they are good so is the dog

Its a shame as i can see trained well they can be lovely but not all are like me .Some will always be terrified

I’ve got a 15cm scar from a dog bite.

HTH explain why I don’t like them.

You are far more likely to be killed by a dog in the uk than a snake or a spider yet people seem to think it is acceptable to be scared of them.

I would have through most people fear would be liked in to being biten or attacked by dogs as a child.

My daughter was terrified of dogs as a child because when she was about 3 a cocker spaniel ran up to her, jumped up and put its paws on her shoulders and its face right in her face. Clearly terrifying when the animal is pretty much the same size as you are. And what did the fuckwit owner say? "Oh, he's only being friendly!!"

I dislike dogs, I am not frightened of 99% of them, just indifferent to them. I have had a couple of scary experiences with large, out of control dogs which make me wary.

Dogs are dangerous. It's not really a mystery. Dogs literally kill people. It's probably more natural to be scared of Dogs than not.

They jump up at you, they bite, they smell, they dribble, they bark, their shit is literally toxic.

There were lots of guard dog and poorly trained wandering dogs who would chase me and bark in my childhood. So I was afraid. I'd managed to get that down to a dislike, but then MiL dog kept launching herself at toddler DS and now we are both afraid. MiL dog is tall and has huge teeth, a perfectly nice animal really, but very scary when it's taller than you and coming at you fast.
I have met a few people terrified of cats, wouldn't go into a house with a cat and will cross the road to avoid. That I find very odd.

My six year old is scared of dogs because of irresponsible dog owners letting their pets off lead. In particular, one guy who used to come to the local park with his HUGE Bernese mountain dog puppy, and let it canter around freely while he basked in the admiration from other dog owners. The dog was friendly, but used to charge at the toddlers and other kids to play.

Imagine seeing a carnivorous animal taller than you pelting toward you at full speed. Scared?

I spoke to the guy several times by the way to try and get him to keep the dog on lead. Like most post pandemic dog owners he simply didn't care - Fido is God to these people, and still is, ruining cafes, parks, pubs...

PS I like dogs. But selfish dog owners have ruined them for me.

EDIT: Oh, I forgot to mention that while I don't have a fear of dogs, per se, I will cross the road these days if I see any kind of Mastiff or XL bully being dragged around by the insane pensioners we have. No chance the stuff is under control, and they are lethal weapons (the owners are just weapons)

Well they're dangerous. Many of them ARE aggressive. They bark at people who come to the door because they protect their territory. Some of them bark at me as I pass by! Even if they don't actually bite, you never know.
I can't believe you don't already know this.

Am not frightened of dogs per se, but will put my hands in my pockets if passing one, unless its a very small or soppy looking dog. It's just common sense.

I was walking in the countryside recently as was scared out of my life by a sudden load of barking. The owner successfully called them to heel, but wtf are dogs like that doing off the lead?

Because not one of you owners can guarantee that your dog will come
back when called, won’t start yapping and generally being aggressive. You can’t guarantee it.
And to make it worse many owners insist on bringing their dogs into shops and busy places which just stresses them more. Also I don’t want to be sniffed or licked by your dog.
it’s the lack of control
which puts me on high alert

Cos they’re irritating and unpredictable.

I can understand it with bigger dogs. FIL has a red lab and it isn’t a very clever dog, it’s a bit dim. It looks scary in the face, its jaw is massive and I was thinking god that dog could do some damage if it wanted. I wouldn’t feel intimidated by a small breed like a dachshund or pug. It is simply because they are capable of inflicting significant damage and even killing people if they so wished. Cats can’t do this, the worst they can do is scratch.

My DD’s were terrified of all dogs when they were younger. Not sure why, no bad experience. They would scream and cling to me when one so much as walked past. One day a giddy pug ran towards us and they leaped on top of a table screaming. Everyone stared at us like they were crazy because it was such a tiny dog but in their minds, this dog was utterly terrifying. They’ve since overcome it though I wouldn’t say they’re dog lovers, they just tolerate them more.

I was bitten by a small dog as a baby. I was sitting in a highchair and it jumped up and took a chunk out of my ear. I am OK around most dogs now but as a child I was petrified.

I’m not keen on anything that touches me uninvited as I have a small personal space. I’m actually very sociable but not to physical touch. Dogs are prone to this, coming up and sniffing. So even if your dog wouldn’t bite and wouldn’t hurt a fly I am not keen on it sniffing about.

My dislike of them has increased since this humanising of them and they are everywhere now.

I love dogs and am sad we can’t have one (work, and have a cat) but my friend is genuinely terrified of them and will cross the street to avoid a dog on a lead, never mind a loose dog. She can’t rationalise it, much in the same way I am frightened of - don’t laugh - moths and butterflies which I can’t believe I am writing publicly.

I don’t love dogs in restaurants and shops though unless they are working/service dogs.

OP said, “I’ve always felt more connected to dogs than people”, and unfortunately, I come across dog owners like that quite often. It’s nice that they love their dogs, but their lack of connection with people is what causes the problem. They just can’t understand why I don’t want their dog all over me, for example, when I have got out of the sea and I’m vulnerable in my swimsuit. Unfortunately, I come across dog owners like that quite often. It’s nice that they love their dogs, but their lack of connection with people is what causes the problem. They just can’t understand why I don’t want their dog anll over me, for example, when I have got out of the sea and I’m vulnerable in my swimsuit. I don’t want their dog jumping up on me, scratching me, making me bleed. When I’m sitting on the sand, trying to dry off or chill out, a huge dog running towards me whose big biting head is right next to my head is really upsetting for me. Most dog owners like this seem to have no control over the dogs and they’re not able to call them off. It happens all the time. It happened just yesterday, when I was getting changed and a woman‘s dog would not leave me alone and kept trying to get up on my lap. She kept ineffectively saying, “she’s good,“ but I wasn’t to know that she wasn’t going to bite me and she wasn’t really good if her owner was unable to recall her. She insisted she had great control of her dog, but the dog didn’t follow one of her many instructions. I suspected that she was one of those people who feels more connected with dogs than people and that’s why she has a dog. It’s a pretty big subset of dog owners who are like that, and that is why I am nervous of dogs.

I don’t hang out with people on the whole, and those that I do hang out with are very much also dog people.

@WanderingStar26 I think that pretty much explains your disingenuous question.

You understand dogs more than people.

I like dogs. I don't love them. They are OK. I am not scared of dogs even though I was attacked by two out of control Alsations when I was 7 (they were called Alsations back then, not German Shepherds).

I think the main issue for most people is the selfish "love me love my dog" dog owners and the fact that dogs are everywhere, often with owners who shouldn't own dogs. These people give good dog owners a bad name, and therefore, many people are justifiably apprehensive about dogs not on leads.

A dog owner knows that their dog is friendly, but a stranger doesn't. Good dog owners know this and will call their dog back or put it on a lead when approaching someone when out walking. I agree that just a "he is only being friendly" is annoying for those who dislike or are afraid of dogs. All it does is show that the dog owner is being dismissive and not very socially aware, or just being selfish.

I'm a massive dog lover. My parents had dogs before I was born so I was around them from birth.

The only dogs I'm wary of are XL bullies, which I think is understandable given the reported attacks. There are a couple near me, but whenever I've seen them they do have muzzles on as required by law, which is good.

My sister has a small scar on her face from being scratched/bitten by a dog (not one of ours) when she was about four, but she wasn't left with any fear of dogs at all.

I find it extremely strange that you even feel the need to ask the question. Surely you must have enough imagination and k owledge to understand why.

Personally we never owned a dog when I was a child. My exoerience of dogs was generally not positive. We lived on a council estate where peoole used to put their dogs out first thing in the morning and let then back into the house at night. And during the day they ran around in a pack, which was very frightening, particularly for us children and particularly when they were chasing a bitch on heat.

However my best friend at school had a beautiful beagle which I knew from when she was a tiny pup. I loved her and was not frightened of her in the least. So I am quite comfortable with some well trained dogs but I am not at all comfortable with dogs in general.

I am frightened of dogs, always have been. Never grew up around them. As long as they are on leads I’m ok but often this is not the case. I am put off going for walks on the beach where I live as they often bound around and come up to you.
I was bitten quite savagely in the street by a German Shepherd when I was 18 so that hasn’t helped. I also hate hearing incessant barking from all directions when I’m trying to relax in my garden. Friends have dogs and I have to brace myself if visiting them. I cannot stand dogs jumping up on me which has happened on many occasions as ‘they are excited to see me’