Avoid going straight for the belly or over her head – that can be intimidating! Is there something I can wear so that I can't feel a dog touch me? No. This will keep it handy for sounding … "I used to be scared of dogs without leashes but my friend has a dog that I got used to. Analyze your beliefs and thoughts to determine if they include any of the following: Continue writing in your journal. Step 10 - look at a dog (who is on a leash) in the next room. What do I do if I go near a dog and it starts biting and licking me? "She'll go up to people walking their dogs and ask if she can pet them," says Laura Pittman, an Atlanta accountant and Carly's mom, "but as she puts her hand out, if the dog's muzzle gets anywhere near, she yanks it away and hides behind my leg." Five-year-old Carly is fascinated by dogs.She loves them. If that doesn't work, put the dogs outside or in another room when your friend is visiting. While this may sound easy, this is going to be the hardest step in your process to overcome your fear of dogs. Why do dogs go at a person when they know he is scared? Report a bug Human validation Thank you, your vote was recorded and will be displayed soon. Learn relaxation and meditation techniques to help keep your calm and help control your anxiety. At this point start recording the reasons. If this happens, try to distract yourself from the dog by looking at something else and not standing there staring at the dog. Then turn around and walk away without interacting with the dog. Remove your shoes. You may have had a bad personal experience with one or more dogs in the past. Thunderstorms and fireworks are two frequent causes of fright among dogs, but others include meeting strangers, separation from their owners and even confronting unfamiliar objects or animals. Write down specific past memories that you have about dogs, and how you felt during those experiences. Yes. All of us have things that scare us, but for our four-legged friends, loud noises, new situations, and changes in the weather can be daunting. Now I have to help my mom overcome her fear of dogs. Trimming your dog's nails! Feeling like what is happening is unreal. She received her Masters of Social Work (MSW) from the University of Missouri in 2014. Don’t feel you need to rush. We use cookies to make wikiHow great. It most likely will. To take care of a dog, make sure you're feeding it a high-quality dog food twice a day and giving it access to water at all times. In searching for the answer, you can look back at your childhood and see if you remember any case in which a dog maybe attacked you or did something traumatic to you. This means no staring, no looming over his head, and no making sudden moves towards his face. Push out as much air as you can using your abdominal muscles. Make sure you can feel the tension in your muscles before you move on. How To Scare A Sleeping Dog Watched 67 times. The best thing to do is approach slowly. There's no breed of dog that's guaranteed to never bite: a dog from any breed can be trained not to be aggressive. By using our site, you agree to our. Step 11 - look at a dog (who is on a leash) in the same room. All mammals have the ability to feel fear. Dogs may become scared for many reasons, some of which are rational and some not. We know ads can be annoying, but they’re what allow us to make all of wikiHow available for free. Allow all the tension to leave the muscles you’ve selected while exhaling. Most importantly overcoming fear, "I love the way they broke it down in simple steps helping us to understand how to pet a dog, from stage 1 to 13. What do I do if my best friend is afraid of dogs and I have two dogs? Being afraid of dogs is very common, and you can overcome your fear by learning relaxation techniques and undergoing exposure therapy. Animal phobias fall into a category known as specific phobias, as opposed to social phobias. Consider searching for a therapist in your area using the Anxiety and Depression Association of America's (ADAA) website at. If the teasing makes you unhappy, tell someone. RIPbailey Subscribe Unsubscribe 0. Forcing a scared dog to accept an unknown person can very easily lead to a situation where the animal becomes aggressive. Make a safe place for the dog, like a dog house or covered dog crate in a quiet, secluded area. Take one slow deep breath in through your nose while counting to four. For more help from our co-author, like how to relax your muscles when you’re afraid, read on. References Repeat these steps until you feel calmer and relaxed. Use your journal to write down each of your beliefs and the associated evidence you have as to why that belief is reasonable and rational. In this case, 85% of readers who voted found the article helpful, earning it our reader-approved status. Try to help them using the tips in this article. ", "I'm 14 and I'm deathly afraid of dogs this has helped me overcome that fear. Please help us continue to provide you with our trusted how-to guides and videos for free by whitelisting wikiHow on your ad blocker. Do you avoid speaking to certain people because they talk about their dogs? Once you’re better at deep breathing, develop an exposure plan that will slowly put you in contact with dogs. When someone visits the house, or … Where does it come from? 22 Jan 2007 2 401. Guided visualization recordings will provide the instructions on how to prepare yourself and what to do. Eventually, if you’re able to, have your friend teach you basic commands for the dog so you can control the dog yourself. They might think that dogs shouldn't be feared. Add to favourite. For example, you have the belief that all dogs are going to attack you no matter what. Use your journal to record each event you can remember, and anything you can remember happening leading up to that event. Then gently pet her under the chin, on the chest, or on the butt (pet). What can I do to help a friend who is teased for her fear of dogs? Your neighbour has a dog that they let into the backyard to play, so you never go in your own backyard in case your neighbour’s dog is outside. An animal in a high state of fear or anxiety is generally unable to learn new things. Tasha is affiliated with the Dwight D. Eisenhower VA Medical Center in Leavenworth, Kansas. Step 7 - look at dogs through an open window. Tasha Rube is a Licensed Social Worker based in Kansas City, Kansas. Last Updated: July 10, 2020 Why do you think this is true? He is trembling and giving you the “Please no!” eyes. Puppies are not well-trained and can be quite unpredictable. 9. If the dog is barking, don't move or walk away until it stops; otherwise it will learn that its barking made you go away and it will continue to do that. Exhale through your mouth while you count to eight. This way, we can better empathize and support a dog who experiences fear. Some may need to be in the presence of a dog to feel the fear, others simply need to be thinking of a dog. They simply think that you are being aggressive towards them. It’s time for that monthly drama that you both dread. Some common body languages for a scared dog are the following: Pay close attention to how these muscles feels when tense and when relaxed. This will help you in almost every stage of your dog’s life. {"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/b\/b3\/Overcome-a-Fear-of-Dogs-Step-1-Version-2.jpg\/v4-460px-Overcome-a-Fear-of-Dogs-Step-1-Version-2.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/b\/b3\/Overcome-a-Fear-of-Dogs-Step-1-Version-2.jpg\/aid168366-v4-728px-Overcome-a-Fear-of-Dogs-Step-1-Version-2.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":345,"bigWidth":728,"bigHeight":546,"licensing":"