To get a dog to help get over my dog phobia

[Downboygoodboy]

I’ve had a dog phobia forever (no trigger, I’ve just always been afraid of them).

Lately I’ve been getting slightly less nervous around friends’ dogs.

I’m now thinking about getting my own dog but I’m not sure if this is insane? My biggest worry is taking the dog for a walk and then being subject to other dogs barking, jumping up etc. I don’t want to be terrified of taking it for a walk!

The parks near to us don’t allow dogs off the lead so this reassures me somewhat but I’m not sure it solves the issue.

What else am I not considering?

Don’t do this. It’s an exceptionally stupid idea - dogs aren’t toys, you can’t give them back if it doesn’t work !

I was always phobic of dogs, but slowly got over my phobia by spending time with friends dogs walking them etc. The biggest problem wasn’t the friend’s dogs but other dogs because guess what digs attract dogs! Do not get a dog!

My daughter was terrified of dogs, we joined borrowmydoggy.com and it cured her of her phobia. Now we are able to have a dog of our own and she is brilliant with him and so confident at handling him. But I would never had got a dog ourselves to get over the phobia.

This is awful! You're not considering the dog - a wee, loving creature that deserves to be fully loved back, not living with someone with a phobia of it. You're talking about using a living, breathing creature to get over a phobia? I know you don't mean to be awful,but that just makes me feel sick. Animals don't exist to be used,or they shouldn't anyway