How to overcome the fear of dogs, in 4 steps

Fear of dogs is one of the most common forms of fear. Being very common domestic animals, there are those who have a really hard time simply coming across one going down the street or passing in front of a house where one is barking.

In this article we will see different keys on how to overcome the fear of dogs, and how to apply these tips on a day-to-day basis.

• Related article: "What is fear for?"

Why does this fear appear?

There is no single reason why a person might develop a fear of dogs. Different aspects that may be influencing this, such as the wild appearance of this mammal (which is, after all, of the same animal species as the wolf), its propensity to bark (a sound that sometimes scares and can express aggression), its relatively unpredictable character (if we compare it to that of a human being), etc.

In general, the fear of dogs is something acquired, learned in an involuntary way, although this learning brings more disadvantages than advantages. In fact, in the most extreme cases, one can even speak of a phobia of dogs

, or cynophobia, which is what happens when this anxiety and feeling of discomfort are so powerful that it significantly wears out the person's quality of life on a daily basis.

It should be noted, therefore, that if the fear of dogs is extremely intense, it will probably be most useful to go to a mental health professional. Resorting to psychotherapy is necessary for those people who experience a level of fear that prevents them from even exposing themselves as much as possible. dogs and who believe that this seriously harms them (it is possible to present that strong learned fear and yet live in a place free of dogs, with which, unless the fact of residing there is imposed by fear, it does not have to be a problem serious).

For the rest of people in whom the discomfort is not so intense and it is possible to take the first necessary steps to being around a dog while maintaining self control, which is what happens in most cases, the advice that follows can be useful.

• You may be interested in: "Phobia of dogs (cynophobia): causes, symptoms and treatment"

1. Evaluate the degree of fear you feel

First of all, it is important to make an estimate of the extent to which this fear of dogs is intense or not, which also helps to know in the first place if it could be a phobia or not.

For example, if you can stay in one place with a dog resting about three meters from you and you know for sure that, beyond feeling wrong, you are not going to lose control of the situation as long as the dog does not address you or make sudden movements, most likely it is a question of a normal fear of dogs, not a pathological one (In fact, even if you don't meet that condition, you may not have a phobia.)

Once this is established, draw a hierarchy of situations that scare you in relation to dogs, ordering them according to the discomfort they cause you. From there, assess what are the different stages you will have to go through, taking into account those aspects of interaction with dogs that scare you the most.

For example, it is possible that for some people the level of fear does not depend so much on the proximity of these animals, such as the probability that they will bark, or this fear may not exist if the dogs are small. Knowing this will help not lengthen the process of overcoming this fear.

2. Recognize the symptoms of fear

When you are experiencing first-hand the effects of fear of dogs, look at what are the concrete manifestations of this fear when it reaches its maximum or when it is close to reaching its maximum. Do you tend to run a few meters losing control? Do you feel that you remain in the place and prefer not to move? Knowing this will help you prepare the right steps for the next phase.

3. Expose yourself to fear in a planned way

The first thing you should do is try to go through the situations related to fear of dogs that you are less afraid of, to become resistant to them. When you have passed this phase and notice that you can no longer make significant progress in it, pass to expose yourself to another situation that normally tends to scare you more than the previous one, and thus successively.

Also, it's good that you have Strategies prepared to prevent the symptoms of fear from being a problem. Sometimes this can be simple, such as having a bottle of water nearby if you normally get dry the mouth, but in others you may need a person to help you, especially if you tend to run away. This helper may have the task, for example, of preventing you from running back, since running away feeds fear.

It is also important that you make sure that in this training phase to overcome the fear of dogs you do not use a dog characterized by being aggressive. Do not put yourself unnecessary obstacles.

4. Learn about dogs and their good-natured nature

In addition to intervening on the way in which you react to dogs in real time, it is good that you act on your beliefs. Part of the fear can start from the ignorance of these animals.

Dogs are precisely a lineage of canids artificially selected to make the kindest and most collaborative individuals have offspring. Everything that makes a dog a dog has to do with its clear tendency not to attack and its propensity to get involved in tasks of protection of human beings.