I’m scared of dogs but I want one?

If you OWN dog since it was a puppy, it will NEVER hurt you; in fact it will defend you even at the cost of its own life!

Cheers.

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I think you should rescue a dog. Doing so, you can find a forever companion but also save a life. I adopted 4 rescue dogs in my 18 years on this earth and it was the best decision I have ever made.

I suggest you don't get any kind of dog until you get psychological treatment to overcome your fear of animals.

However, if you are willing to FOSTER a puppy (check with small breed rescue groups) till its ready to find a home, then that may help you out. This way you can care for a puppy and find out if you are still afraid of them or are you able to raise a puppy permanently. If you cannot be committed to keeping the dog for 10-15 yrs or more, then please don't experiment with a live puppy to see if it can cure your "fears".

● "I’m scared of dogs but I want one"

After nearly 2½ years you should know that THAT field is to ask your MAIN question - but your 8 words don't ASK anything.

● "I’m scared of all animals. Something about a living thing that isn’t human touching me gives me a funny and terrifying feeling.... But, I have been considering getting a dog because of the incriedble amount of love and loyalty they give."

"love and loyalty" are NOT available except from pooches that:

(1) had quality parents who had quality parents & grand parents,

(2) then the litter was raised by knowledgeable breeders who organised suitable familiarisation experiences, plus checked the household & property of prospective buyers,

(3) then Pup was bought & raised by people who devoted a year or more to the care & development & experience-needs & training of their pet.

In January (our summer) 1984 a young lawyer contacted me because she wanted to get over her fear of dogs. A time & date when my litter was 6-7 weeks old was set. On that day I kept the litter busy racing around, then slightly overfed them. By the time Michelle was due to arrive they were all fast asleep in the cloak niche just inside the front door.

Michelle & her mother arrived & knocked, I opened the door, Michelle froze on the spot (expecting the pups to wake & savage her?). Her mother & I left her there, with the door open. In the lounge we chatted, looked at my GSD photo albums, chatted, drank 2 separate coffee sessions before Michelle raised enough nerve to walk into the hallway and sidle (her back against the door then wall) past the sleeping pups to join us in the lounge. After she had recovered from the stress of convincing herself that these pups weren't going to eat her, she asked for ONE pup to be brought into the lounge. which I did &d shut the door. Michelle slowly got used to the pup, touched it, and so on. She then decided that she wanted one.

The pup she chose was HUGELY loved by her father. Her father had cut a top-hung flap into the back door so L.Kunta Kunte could go out to the toilet whenever he wanted, and could get back into the house - but Kunta grew bigger than expected, and so a BIGGER flap had to be cut!

So at this stage consider:

💥1: Do you have a back door that opens straight into a securely fenced back yard?

💥2: Do you have the landlord's permission to keep a dog of whichever breed you are likely to get?

💥3: Assuming that your pup will have a lifespan of 10+ years, are YOU capable of devoting the time a dog NEEDS EACH DAY day during those years? You WON'T be able to if you intend to go to university or polytech, or do an apprenticeship, during those years - especially if you have to go flatting somewhere else

💥4: Once you have chosen a breed, a breeder, and a litter: Can you organise your life so that you can stay home 24/7 for at least the fortnight beginning on the day you bring a pup home? You will need at least that time to (a) help Pup like & trust you, and for you to (b) learn Pup's signal (usually an anxious nose-down circling for a spot to piddle-poo on) and Pup's "timings" (how long AFTER:- - waking? - eating or drinking? - playing or exercising?) for "Wanna go TOILET!" so that you are right there and can instantly pick Pup up, talk happily to him/her as you carry him/her to the designated toilet area, put Pup down then stand boringly still & silent until Pup remembers what he/she wanted to do so DOES it. Whereupon you INSTANTLY praise (e.g., "Good girl Lassie toilet - Lassie went TOILET!") and reward it (rubs on the croup or between the front legs. Other rewards require you to carry the pea-sized tidbit or ball or tug-toy with you, so are less convenient).

💥5: Do you have transport to take Pup to the vet for the check-ups & vaccinations, and to&from weekly training classes where YOU get observed then the instructor starts coaching you, one aspect at a time, to improve your awareness, skills, timing?

Any "No" in those answers means that THIS is not the right time to get a dog. So be patient and wait until you honestly have 5 "Yes"es.

● "Of course, I will find the most relaxed and chill breed of dog and I will get a puppy so that I can get used to them when they are in their most vulnerable state."

Vulnerable is bad - unless you intend to kill it before it can kill you!

It SHOULD be in it's most confident & curious stage, and you should be able to bring it home while it is 7 through 9 weeks old. (If your district states "8 weeks old minimum", the law is wrong, but you have to obey it.) THAT way you have time to do all the things that are necessary before Pup reaches 12 weeks old and enters a "Need security" stage for a month or so.

And although breeds ARE important, far too many dogs nowadays are so POORLY bred & raised that you cannot rely on them having their apparent breed's characteristics.

So you have to start with the RIGHT pup from the RIGHT litter & breeder.

● "Also, they will know me as mom and never hurt me."

Totally wrong.

😡1: You are NOT the pup's mother. Pup needs you to be its LEADER and PROTECTOR, not its Mom.

😡2: Pups often hurt their human - not usually to be nasty, but simply because they weren't raised by a competent breeder, and haven't learned how to fit in with a human's life - a problem that will be worse in your case because (a) you haven't mixed with dogs belonging to your friends and (b) you have an instinctive fear/horror of animals & being touched by them. To make it worse, dogs have sensitive noses that DETECT the hormones that fear pumps into your bloodstream and leaks out through your pores. To make it worse, the "baby teeth" are like needles, so pulling your ankle or hand away from a pup that is playfully trying to grab you results in 1 or more needles slashing a deep scratch across your skin.

Nor do I agree with the advisers who say to volunteer at a rescue group.

The dogs there usually have bad backgrounds so are insecure, and therefore VERY likely to react to the "fear" scent you release by themselves being afraid - and a scared dog has only 2 options : "Fight or flight". While attached to a leash attached to you it cannot flee/fly!

😇If you are near a hospital or old folks home, ring to see whether there is a "Therapy Dogs" organiser in your district. Those dogs are well-trained and almost "bomb-proof", so you are unlikely to EVER provoke one to be scared. You can, therefore, RELAX and get used to being sniffed, touched, licked, leaned against, having its fore-paws placed on your lap.

Most humans enjoy stroking the hair at the base of dogs' ears - and dogs enjoy have their chest scratched between their front legs. If the dog is small, use a couple of fingers. If the dog is big I use the toe of my shoe to do the rubbing/scratching.

● "Do you think this is a good plan that will allow me to enjoy the company of a dog while also terminating my fear of them?"

Not entirely.

Your beliefs are not yet realistic - just as your initial fear is rarely realistic.

Although the larger, more powerful dogs can do the most damage to you, it tends to be the tiny dogs that lack any sense of their insignificance so bite out of bossiness. It could be a hang-over from the days when "Lap-dogs" and "Sleeve-dogs" were supposed to snap at the fingers of anyone who attempted to grope m'Lady's "interesting" bits while m'Lord was away, after which they were to yap yap yap until the manservants arrived to escort the noble(?) man from m'Lord's property and report him when m'Lord arrived back from the Crusades or gambling den.

Study dogs from a distance, Read about breeds you like the look of - but keep in mind that the article was written by someone who is propaganda artist for that breed.

Once you think you have identified a breed you THINK you'd like, ring a training club and ask which breeder or breeders they consider to have well-trained, obedient, calm dogs. You can then make an appointment the way Michelle did with me.

But be warned - the breeders of "little" dogs almost never have any interest in training - so the training clubs don't SEE them in order to get an opinion.

You are better to think about the breeds developed to herd or point or retrieve or track - apart from the Cocker Spaniels, they are medium to medium sized.

AVOID the Cavalier King Charles Spaniels - unfortunately they have been ruined by a fashionable exaggeration that is shrinking their skull so that their brain doesn't fit inside it. The brachycephalic breeds (like Bulldogs and Pugs) have had their heads & shoulders widened and their pelvises narrowed so that they can rarely give birth naturally - most have also had their muzzle shortened so that they cannot breath normally.

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😛 To discuss GSDs, join some groups such as

https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/GSD_Friendly/i...

by sending an e-mail about yourself to the Subscribe address on that page.

The people in them KNOW about GSDs. Plus you can include several actual photos in your posts.

To find other groups or breeds, type the breed-name into the top field of

https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/dir

then choose a couple of groups to Join - use the group's

Message History

on its /info page to make sure that it still has members who are ACTIVE.

King Les The Lofty - first pup in 1950; GSD breeder & trainer as of 1968

I think it is a terrible 'plan', volunteer at a shelter and learn about dogs/cats/other animals......... your ;dfear ' is irrasional and should not be 'got over' by purchasing a dog when you have fear and no clue about ownership, training and behaviour

I used to be afraid of dogs too. My boyfriend was bugging me for 3 years to adopt one (we live together) I kept saying no. I am afraid of them and I wasn't a dog person at all. Eventually I gave in and we looked at few small/medium sized dogs. We decided upon a miniature american eskimo/border collie cross. He grew up to be about 25lbs. Now i love dogs and i am no longer afraid of them. Maybe still scared the big, mouthy dogs, but I'm not terrified of them anymore. I hope this helps.

A cavalier King Charles spaniel is a great option you would be hard pressed to find a sweeter dog.

I would suggest a Shih Tzu. Very cute,, quiet and gentle natured. small but not fragile. Really nice balanced dog. check the breeder with their vet.

A Labrador would be a good one fore you. They come in Golden,Black,and Chocolate. They are very calm,loyal,and affectionate.

How about you find somebody with a little to medium sized dog and get to know that one first.

Large dogs are super friendly but their size and strength could overpower you and scare you off at first.