to not understand people that are afraid of dogs

[Josico58]

Is it not an extremely debilitating and irrational fear? Based on how many dogs there are about in public, how do you go about daily life? And to think they’re all about to attack you for no reason?

I can understand people feeling nervous of a big dog hurtling towards them/their small children, but regular, well behaved dogs in public places. Really a problem?

Don’t mean to sound harsh but it just comes across as a bit pathetic to me.

A friend’s little girl is terrified of my dog. It’s a Cavalier puppy, hardly scary! I admit he can be excitable and full on, and we’re training him not to jump up or lick people. But the mum kind of enables it, picking DD up and saying “it’s OK, he’s not going to get you”. I’m left feeling a bit “Er, get a grip!!”

AIBU?

Sorry, as an animal lover I just can’t understand this seemingly common fear.

I suspect popular opinion will be that I am and I’m ready for the backlash!!

This is a tough one, my previous dog was attacked by another dog, was scared ever since. My new puppy loves people, he’s on a leash though and I don’t let him approach unless the person approves. He only wants to lick (a lot) but I wouldn’t let him near someone without their consent first.

I was bitten by a small dog (westie) as a child. We were visiting a well known family friend and they had 2 dogs. Both well loved and trained family pets.

I was 7. An only child and a very well behaved child, not one who jumped around or frightened animals. We had a dog of our own so I was used to them.

The owners said I could pet the dogs, stroked one, fine. Stroked the other and it turned round and but me, 1cm below my eye.

I had to go to hospital. Have stitches. Have a tetanus etc. I was off school for a month recovering. I still have s scar under my eye now as an adult.

I am not scarred of dogs, in fact I love them.

Well I have horses, always have and I'm not scared of them. I'll quite happily be the first one on a fresh and excitable horse that's likely to leap 6 feet in the air for no apparent reason and try and launch me into outer space because they have spring in their blood. Or I'll wade into a field full of horses all barging and kicking out at each other to catch my own, well aware that in both scenarios I could end up without a scratch, seriously injured or dead, because these animals weigh up to a ton and more, can move sideways at 56mph without warning and many have metal feet. They're also reactive fight or flight animals scared of bloody everything some days.
I don't understand why people won't do the same? I don't understand why some people are scared of that? I think it's pathetic really..... I mean fancy being scared of something that can kill you without even trying 🙄 why shouldn't I allow my half ton reactive animal just wander up to people and say hello when we're out riding? Start nudging their pockets for treats? Rubbing her head on them? Dribbling green slime all over them?
OR
I understand that not everyone has grown up with horses and knows how to read them and react, to keep themselves safe, and may want to keep their distance. Same with dogs, I have dogs too, and I'm not scared of them, despite a few bites over my time, but I understand that someone who isn't familiar with dogs, has no interest in them would just not want to be bothered by one. It's the owners responsibility to keep the animal under control, even while training, and yes, accidents happen, it's a fact of life, but more and more I'm noticing a trend that dog owners do seem to think that everyone needs to be tolerant of their dog, and those who aren't are pathetic.
It's an incredibly narrow minded view and it's one of the reasons there's so much hatred for dog owners.
I'm not a cat person, I have no interest in them, I don't expect an owner to foist one on me and expect me to be ok with it. They're just not my thing, not that I'd hurt one but I'll actively avoid them. not that the little fuckers take the hint

As a snake lover, I just cannot understand why so many people fear them! You mean there are people out there that have fears/likes/dislikes that differ from mine? It can't be!

Get a grip, OP.

I I think it should be the law that dogs have to be on a lead at all times. The amount of times I have been chased when out running is awful. I always turn around and run the other way if I see one.

"As an aside I've always been tremendously suspicious of people who claim they're "animal lovers" and adore their pets yet have real disdain for human beings."

I don't trust anyone who doesn't like animals 🤷‍♀️

There’s a bit of a weird psychological denial going on with people who “own” dogs. I don’t doubt that they love them and the majority of dog “owners” treat “their” dogs well, but the concept of domesticating and enslaving another species purely for amusement/comfort/company is troubling. And the pervasive anthropomorphism astounds me

I agree with you a bit, Heddagarbled, but my understanding is that dogs chose us, about 26k years ago. They have gained more from us than we humans from them: medical care, good food, warm safe accommodation, companionship, and safety from other predators. We have companionship and utility with working dogs, like sniffer dogs and blind dogs. Our pet dogs just give us companionship.
Dogs born in Far East have a different experience though.

Have a look at this:

Ha pathetic!'

My sister has spent the last 2 years having corrective surgery on her leg following a dog bounding at her colliding and snapping her knee joint. During that time she has had incredible pain, not been able to walk and had to leave her job.

Her children and mine are now petrified of dogs off leads that bound towards them with owners that frankly can't or won't control them. Is it pathetic to base a fear on an experience?

My sister is recovered now so you would see us without any context with our children desperately trying to hide behind us and I'm guessing from your attitude leaving your dog to run at us

Here’s one for you OP, hot off the press. And you wonder why parents might not want a dog in their child’s face.

www.9news.com.au/national/2019/02/02/13/23/melbourne-news-greyhound-attack-baby-cranbourne-west

I love dogs. I will never be without a dog. However, my dog goes outside when friends with young children come by because dogs and children are unpredictable and I’m not an arsehole. I’m 99% sure my dog would not bite. 99% is not good enough though.

Puppies should not be left alone around little children ! DC have a lot more sense than many adults when it comes to ddogs and dpups!

Dpups can easily get the better of a small DC, and they can get very frenzied they can be utter little bastards! Could easily take an eye out, tear hair out, bite deep holes into feet and fingers and refuse to be told no, rip a dcs toys away and destroy them.

I do think its a shame when I see so many DC literally terrified of even walking past a ddog in the street, but it is a natural instinct to fear unknown beasts when you're only little. Not me though, I chased an random Alsatian when I was little and hung onto its tail!! Stupido!

The mother is my friend and we were in my house. I did mention in my post that I could understand someone being scared of a large dog hurtling towards them in a park. That’s not what happened here.

Oh come on....

You are asserting that this other human being has no right to her feelings.

Al these posts telling you the unvarnished truth about yourself and your entitled attitude after your outrageous OP, and you still don't get it, do you?

YABVU. It’s not a irrational fear, dogs are animals and no dog, despite delusional owners claiming otherwise, is too friendly to not hurt a fly.

All dogs have the ability to be dangerous regardless of breed and it’s impossible to know which owners are the true responsible ones and which just pretend/think they are.

(And no, I’m not scared of dogs, nor do I hate them.)

They smell, they slobber, they sniff very indiscretely, have pretty intimidating gnashers, and strangers can't predict their behaviour, and just don't want to interact. Their right.

I've twice been attacked by random dogs. Think it'd be weird if I wasn't scared of them.

To give more detail.

On one occasion I was walking along the street and past an owner who had their dog (a border collie, I think) on a leash. As I walked past it, it turned round, lunged and bit my leg. It's owner had to drag it away whilst apologizing that it has never done anything like that before. There was no warning whatsoever.

On another occasion, I was walking down the street and someone was walking towards me with an off-leash staffie, which ran up to me and tried to bite my face. I ended up with bites on my arms and leg. The owner was, obviously, extremely apologetic and explained the dog had never done anything like that before.

On neither occasion did I sense any aggression before the attack happened, nor did I interact with the dog in anyway.

Dogs are unpredictable and can be very dangerous. They're probably no less predictable than other animals but are frequently encountered and have more capacity to injure than most animals in the UK.

I don’t trust people who don’t like dogs... but I trust my dog when it doesn’t like a person.

I bet you're one of those people who lets their dog lick them on the mouth after it has licked its own balls and calls it "kissing".

I love dogs but do understand why others are scared of them. I do have a problem with people going on about how disgusting and vicious dogs are though, as many in this thread have.
People who own dogs live longer and are healthier. Kids brought up with dogs are less likely to have allergies and asthma.
My mate's partner routinely refers to dogs as baby-killers (he knows I have a dog), which is also a bit rich given a baby is much more likely to be killed by a parent, and I don't refer to their little boy as a future-rapist just because it could happen.

I’m scared of dogs. Not a phobia, just plain frightened of their unpredictability. Now I’m not stupid enough to think all dogs are the same, but having watched my little sisters lower lip be ripped off by a ‘friendly’ family dog when I was 6, I have been terrified of them ever since.

So yes, YABVVVU to think that just because people don’t think the same as you, it makes them pathetic.

Wow you are incredible insensitive - does this extend to other parts of your life? Being afraid of dogs/dogs barking is specifically a trait for autistic children who have sensory issues and the sudden loud sounds startle them and make them feel afraid.
As an adult - imagine if you came across an animal with sharp teeth that was even only half your height and you had experience of these animals jumping on you with their teeth at your eye level. Horses are not comparable as they don't tend to jump on people or bark at them at close range. I am also a animal lover - I just let people decide for themselves what they are and are not afraid of without judgement.

I don't like dogs, having been attacked several times in childhood, but I don't fear them, because you can kill an attacking dog without too many consequences, or have it killed later. I find them irritating more than anything, although not as irritating as their owners.

I like people in general, but I fear them much more. They've hurt me much more than dogs.

I understand where you're coming from and in some situations I think you need to push kids to just get on with things and be brave.

However if it's an actual phobia then that's different. Everyone is afraid of something, it's human nature. And I absolutely adore dogs but they do have teeth and the potential to be dangerous, even though I know most aren't aggressive.

@mathanxiety not at all, I’m merely trying to explain that it wasn’t like I let my dog off the lead (never had, he’s too young) and let it go bounding over to a child I didn’t know in a park, barking and growling and jumping up. That’s not what happened at all.

A lot of posters saying “why wouldn’t a child be scared of a jumping, barking and growling dog” again, not sure where they read that because that’s not what happened.

My friend and I were in my living room with her DD and my puppy. At times she was playing with him, when he jumped up she lost her shit and the dog got a telling off. I have explained that jumping and licking are NOT behaviours I condone, and we’re working on training it out of him but he is a puppy and training takes a number of repetitions.

I’ll reiterate again. He is not aggressive and is not off lead in public places. He was not on a lead on this occasion as we were inside my home.

I dont hate dogs. But i do dislike dog owners who expect you to think their misbehaving dogs are endearing.

Firstly, when my DD was 3, a stray/escaped dog (collie), jumped up at her and pushed to the floor and started trying to lick/sniff her face. If you can't think why that would scary (think of the same happening to you scale-wise- 2m tall dog!), then I'm surprised. It took her AGES (and a very kind friend of mine with a gentle dog) to get over her fear.

Secondly, when I was a child, my Dad was bitten by a dog badly - needed stitches.

Thirdly, I don't want people's dogs running up to me at great speed, jumping up at me with their muddy paws, ripping my tights (only last week a dog jumped at me and snagged my tights when i was on my work lunch hour).

And don't even get me started on dog shit.,..