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!!

I'm afraid of a dog in a dress on two legs....but the four legged ones are fine..😂

@OutOntheTilez

That doesn’t make it a rational fear though, anymore than being scared of all people because some have killed people.

It would be hysterical to react to all dogs as if they were going to attack... because over the population of dogs it is actually quite rare.

I’m not agreeing with the OP that people who are scared of dogs are pathetic.

Nobody should be having a dog jump up or lick them that doesn’t want it to and especially if they’re scared of them, it’s up to dog owners to keep their dog under control.

But it is an irrational fear, because the vast majority of dogs are perfectly safe to be around. But a decent person respects that and keeps their dog out of their way, just the same as you’d not shove your pet tarantula at someone who is scared of spiders.

I was bitten on the face by an Alsatian as a child. I love animals. Will always be wary of big dogs. Don't think this is irrational. YABU

I wonder where the line is for some. I understand that people will avoid going I to a field of cows, or horses as they donknow how to read their behaviour, or just dont like, or want to be around, animals of any sort.

In the countryside, where there are animals, of all sorts, including ddogs, is that also outrageous I wonder? To go into the countryside away from heavily populated places to avoid the haters, and still get grief. Where is the line.

Yes, dddogs do have their scent of their very own, as do horses, pigs, sheep, guinea pigs, rabbits...you get he idea. Although, I haven't noticed dcat smell.

I walk a tightrope, I dont want people who don't like ddogs around mine, I can't think of anything worse. I keep mine out of people's way. They are welcomed into many public places, including cafes etc. Others son notice they are there, they settle down and sleep, ignoring those around them. Then, a family will spot them, whilst I am chattinaway with friends and start coming over poking, stroking, little DC getting them excited, and wanting to feed them cakes n shit, of other ddogs walkers thinknits a good idea to give others ddogs their food. You wouldn't feed others DC in the park like this! Then when ddogs are after food and trying gto get up and interact and I stop them I'm in the wrong again, oh your ddogs are gorgeous, so well behaved, so lovely, and so on, I tell you, you just can't win. I say to leave them alone, but still they come, and I explain they need to be left alone to settle and sleep, especially when one is in training and this kind of thing takes them offtrack. You literally can't win. People just ask if its ok, these ddogs sleepingn peacefulyly, could be startled by a poke or prod, I don't ever think they ever would bite, if I suspected such they wouldn't be out like that, or would be wearing a muzzle in risky situations. Ask before diving in with, oh its ok we love ddogs etc. No winning. Where exactly is the line?!

....but can't stand that stupid phrase 'oh they've never done that before' [after running full throttle to attack mine]. I have to say they don't do too well with mine, if they do; mostly they are the small ddogs that do this and don't get a welcome reception so they run back again

*others don't notice they are there

It’s really not difficult to understand. Some dogs get over excited and have a tendency to jump on people, what isn’t scary about that to someone who isn’t used to it? I used to be terrified of dogs as a young child, now I’m just not the biggest fan of them. They stink.

There’s not much to “get”.
Some people are scared of them, some people aren’t. Some people are wary around dogs they don’t know.
Lucky everyone’s not the same isn’t it?
(For the record, I once wrestled a seemingly huge dog off my brother for chips. My parents Staffie is so protective of my children he has actually curled up around my baby when there were repair men in to do the washing machine. So two opposite ends of the scale. I’d still be wary)

“Will always be wary of big dogs. Don't think this is irrational.”

It is though, because the chances of that happening again are practically non existent.

Emotionally I get that it wouldn’t feel like that to you though.

I’m not using rational and irrational to mean sensible and silly btw. I mean them properly, as in if you looked at it logically with no emotion involved, what are the the actual odds of it being a dangerous situation?

But... that’s not how fear works

and I’m not a dick, so if I met you and I had a large dog with me, I’d keep it away from you unless you wanted to meet it.

It is though, because the chances of that happening again are practically non existent.

This thread is full of people who have been bitten by dogs. I've been attacked and bitten by more than one dog. It's really not the super rare thing that some dog lovers are pretending. Your dog may not have bitten anyone - but for every decent owner there are plenty who can't be arsed with any sort of training, like the lovely gent when I was a school kid who was happy to let his small dog barrel about the park biting the ankles of every person it came across.

anymore than being scared of all people because some have killed people.

If I had random people come up to me and scratch and bite me, I'd avoid people too. It's never happened though.

@tabulahrasa

You say that the chances of it happening again are non-existent, but I was attacked by two separate dogs, entirely unprovoked and without warning, in the course of a year. Other posters have experienced multiple attacks. It is not a rare phenomenon.

You don’t need to understand why, and probably never will. You do need to respect that some people are genuinely afraid of dogs and act accordingly. I’m not afraid of spiders, the dark or flying and don’t understand people who are.

What are you scared of op so we can see if it is a worthy fear or not?
I think this is ther stupidest thread I have ever read

But it is an irrational fear, because the vast majority of dogs are perfectly safe to be around

NO dog is perfectly safe. ANY dog can turn if its provoked, or unwell, or hurt, and I don't in any way blame the dog for that, its a natural thing to protect yourself when annoyed/irritated/hurt and the dog isn't meaning to bite me, but it doesn't make it any less painful or traumatising when it happens.

I've been bitten twice, both times as a child,both times unprovoked in any conscious way. I'm still scarred from both experiences, one on the face, one on the leg, and i'm lucky that both were relatively minor injuries. but I'm now fearful of dogs that bark loudly, for whatever reason its the bark that makes me panic.

I saw a "he would never hurt a fly" family dog, bite someone's top lip completely roff once. That's why I'm afraid of dogs. I also saw a jack russell jump up a family member and bite his belly - no reason behind it, he was just standing there, this dog flew. Drew blood.

All dogs have a potential to turn.

I don't understand people who do not understand this.

“Other posters have experienced multiple attacks. It is not a rare phenomenon.”

I know people who have been mugged more than once... it doesn’t mean every person is a potential mugger.

Statistically it’s fairly uncommon given the number of dogs that exist, obviously the odds change if you’re somewhere where a dog likely to bite is...

But my point wasn’t really that dogs are on the whole pretty safe.

It’s that fear isn’t rational and logical, it’s an emotion and really it shouldn’t matter whether someone has a reason to have a fear at all, never mind if it’s justified... it doesn’t matter.

I mean some people have a fear of buttons, that doesn’t make any sense at all, but I’d still put away a loose button if it bothered them and I’d not be there complaining that it’s silly - because nobody chooses to be scared of something, they just are.

I also have a button phobia. haha. but i realise that IS utterly irrational in a way I don't think my dog wariness is.
I do however thank you for being kind and mindful of it, some people aren't so kind and find that taking the piss and waving them in my face is funny and its really not for me.

“I also have a button phobia. haha. but i realise that IS utterly irrational in a way I don't think my dog wariness is.”

Oh, lol, I only picked that one because it is on a different level from dogs, because people were getting a bit hung up on how safe or not dogs are. Which wasn’t really my issue.

It’s just that fear isn’t logical. Risk avoidance is, but not fear. I wear a seatbelt because it’s safer if something happens - but I’m not scared, it’s just avoiding a risk.

I’m scared of spiders because they move all wrong and it freaks me out... now I could try and say it’s because some spiders are venomous, but honestly, they just freak me out.

I could have lived somewhere where there are venomous spiders and had a bad experience that then created a fear.

And there are things that most people would agree it’s totally logical to be scared of because they’re really risky, like I don’t know, jumping out of planes.

But the actual fear is still an emotion response rather than the risk avoidance part.

So it doesn’t matter if someone’s fear makes sense to you or not.

I was bitten on the leg by one of those little yappy white terriers while on a walk. I was just walking past his house and he nipped out of the driveway and latched on. I had to shake my leg to get him loose. Now, the next week I saw a woman outside watering the garden and I told her that the dog - who was sitting right next to her - had bitten me. “Oh no,” said she, “That couldn’t have happened. He’s a beautiful dog. He doesn’t bite! He doesn’t even come around the front!” (Both of us looked at the dog, sitting around the front, who I swear was sneering at me.)

Fear and wariness of dogs isn’t irrational, OP. It’s good sense.

tabulahrasa

My overblown post of earlier was in response to an overblown post by Janedoe5000. Small children don’t run up to complete strangers and jump at them and lick them. They just don’t. And random strangers won’t come up and attack someone unless they want to be arrested.

I was afraid of dogs from the age of four when two black dogs chased my mother, my sister and me down the street. That scarred me for the next 15 years. I never, ever hated dogs, though, and I wouldn’t go into a full-blown panic – it was more me eyeing the dog warily and giving it a wide berth. Suddenly my fear disappeared when I was about 19. I’ve no problem with dogs now and were one to come up to me, I’d put my hand out, palm up and flat and let it sniff me before I pet it.

I still don’t want them jumping up on me and pawing at me, though. And I can understand other people’s fear, because that was me for years.

I have to agree with you that most dogs probably are pretty safe to be around. The breed that comes up the most when I hear of dog attacks is pit bulls. I don’t believe I’ve ever met one.

I’m scared of spiders because they move all wrong and it freaks me out...

Yes! Thank you. And I’ve tried to explain this to my husband. I’m afraid of spiders just because of the way they ARE. There are certainly no venomous spiders where we live, but they have eight legs and no faces and they crawl up walls and just . . . no.

@tabulahrasa yes i agree with you. as you say, it really doesn't matter if it makes sense to YOU, the kind thing is to show empathy for that other persons feelings.