# How Do I Get Over My Fear of Dogs? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [June 10, 2002, 4:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-get-over-my-fear-of-dogs/113271 "2002-06-10T16:45:54Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 4\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![handy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b5a626/32.png) [@handy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handy)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2002, 2:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-get-over-my-fear-of-dogs/113271/21 "2002-06-12T14:48:01Z")
I got bit by some crazy pooch a few years ago so I decided I would not lose my Fear of them because I need to keep it so that Im always cautious. It’s a worthy fear for me to have. After all, they do have rabies & what not. But I did learn a little bit about what NOT to do around them to keep them from getting riled up & also which ones to avoid. ---
**Author:** ![SpoilerVirgin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/4491bb/32.png) [@SpoilerVirgin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SpoilerVirgin)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2002, 9:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-get-over-my-fear-of-dogs/113271/22 "2002-06-12T21:31:45Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by annieclaus \* > \*\*I think being afraid of dogs is very healthy. > > I don’t get a handle on WHY you want to get over being afraid of dogs. Is it because your friends have dogs and you want to visit them comfortably? I think it’s easier to cultivate new friends! \*\* A fear that it makes it difficult for you to live your life isn’t healthy. I was afraid of dogs for years. Although my friends were (mostly) good about putting their own dogs away when I came over, that didn’t prevent all sorts of other unpleasant dog related situations from occuring. I frequently had trouble just _walking down the street_. There might occasionally be someone out with their unleashed dog, or even a stray wandering dog, and I would be completely paralyzed. Until that dog moved I was frozen to the spot. Taking out the garbage was a horrible, frightening ordeal, because I was terrified that one of the neighborhood dogs might have gotten into the backyard somehow. Just walking to the store or down to the swimming pool was fraught with peril. And never mind playing at the park – you never knew when someone would be there playing with a dog. Being cautious around strange dogs is a good idea. But being afraid is debilitating. I finally got over my fear of dogs when I got therapy for an entirely unrelated problem. I don’t know exactly what the mental process was that changed, but I do know that when I see dogs now, they seem like friendly, intelligent creatures, rather than the monsters that they once were. **ResIpsaLoquitor** , I wish you luck in overcoming your fears. ---
**Author:** ![ResIpsaLoquitor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b3f665/32.png) [@ResIpsaLoquitor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ResIpsaLoquitor)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2002, 2:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-get-over-my-fear-of-dogs/113271/23 "2002-06-13T02:17:33Z")
Thanks everyone. I’ll take everyone’s advice into consideration, although I doubt I’ll be getting a puppy anytime soon (I just don’t have TIME for the commitment). Maybe I’ll just rent Cujo and watch it until I’m completely desensitized. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Squish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/8797f3/32.png) [@Squish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squish)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2002, 7:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-get-over-my-fear-of-dogs/113271/24 "2002-06-13T07:54:02Z")
Too bad you don’t have a friend or relative with a very well-trained dog. I’ve never been afraid of dogs, just didn’t like them much–until I met my boyfriend’s parents and their big, incredibly goofy and lovable, and very well-trained pit bull/Lab mix. This dog is so gentle that he will take a half-strip of bacon out of your hand and hardly touch you. Generally, when meeting people’s dogs, I don’t make eye contact with them and I hold my hand out between us for them to sniff. The owner is there to warn me beforehand if the dog is likely to bite my hand off rather than sniff it. 🙂 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-get-over-my-fear-of-dogs/113271.md?page=1)