From Dog Phobia To Dog Lover
Something that I don’t think I’ve ever spoken about online whether it be this blog or our Instagram account is the fear that I had of dogs growing up and how much my relationship with animals has changed over the years. If you’ve ever met me in person or know me somewhat well then you will probably know I’m a big dog lover, they’re undeniably one of my favourite things in the world and I think as long as my life allows I will always have a dog in my life and this is what it's been like being afraid of dogs and learning to love them.
why I was afraid
When I was young and on my way to nursery with my mum, a German Shepherd ran out from where it lived, jumped up and nipped me pretty hard. Not so badly that I was left with any scars or seriously broken skin but enough that it scared me for all of my childhood. Throughout my really early childhood, I had very little to do with dogs, we had pets like rabbits and hamsters but that was about it. Until I was a little bit older when my family tried to adopt a collie called Jess but after only having her two days we realised my mum had an awful allergy so we had to take her back to the rescue centre and it was devastating. I truly hope that Jess found an awesome home as she was a really sweet dog who deserved a wonderful family who could give her everything she needed.
It wasn’t until I was 16 did I properly interact with a dog and because I hadn’t grown up around them I really didn’t understand how to read dogs at all. I was so scared which I know now is something that dogs can pick up on but just being in the presence of a dog did make me pretty skittish. When someone close to our family got a dog and I spent a lot of time with her my fear started to melt away and I realised just how awesome dogs can be and 13 years later I absolutely love dogs, it took a long time but I’m so glad I have worked through my fear. With really large breeds I can still feel a little afraid but they’re often the softest dogs you can interact with which is what I have to remind myself of.
how i feel about dogs now
As I said, one of the biggest things for me was that I didn’t understand dogs. I didn’t know what their body language was telling me and not growing up with one meant I didn’t have the knowledge of how to interact with them which has been a big learning curve for me in adult life. I so wish I could go back and tell my younger self everything that I know now as it would have changed my childhood. If I ever were to have a child something that I would really want for them is to have a relationship with a dog from a young age as not only do I believe that’s something that’s incredibly special to give a child but learning to respect animals from a young age is important.
As I own two dogs you can probably imagine I’m quite the dog lover and obviously, it’s not just sighthounds, I cannot resist giving any dog a fuss as long as they’re ok with it. My favourite game to play when we’re in the car is spot the dog, I’m that type of person. Sighthounds really do have my heart and since welcoming Josie and Edie into my life I’ve changed so much and so much for the better too. They’ve made me not only a happier person but they’ve helped me become a much more patient and understanding human too which are two traits that are pretty invaluable if you ask me. Of course, there are stressful elements to dog ownership but for me, the positive outweighs the negative by a landslide and I’m so glad that I get to spend my day with dogs which as a child I never thought I’d be able to say.
