Cynophobia crisis

That's sad because dogs are such wonderful companions.

If the dog is friendly to the family (and I assume it is) I suggest you enlist a family members help. It's too bad they chose a large dog when they obviously know of your fear so they should be willing to help you get over it.

German Shepherds are wonderful family dogs and they don't have to be aggressive to frighten away a robber. Their size and deep bark can be enough to chase off a crook.

You probably need professional help but you can do this. Go into a room and sit in a comfortable chair. Put your hands in your lap and then have family members come into the room with the dog. Don't speak to the dog, don't look directly at the dog....just sit there.

The dog will approach you - he'll be curious. Allow him to sniff at you and he'll probably sniff a bit and walk away. Do not react - do not pull back or kick at him.

You can't spend the rest of your life in you room. It would be sad to spend your life afraid of dogs because you'd miss out on a great experience of having a dog as a friend.

If you think every dog you meet is "after you" - you're doing something physically that is making them react in a way that frightens you.

If you run - even a friendly dog will chase you. He thinks you are playing. If you throw your hands up in the air when a dog approaches he may jump on you as that's what he thinks you want. If you jump around and show fear - the dog will become active, too, and nervous as he doesn't know what's wrong but clearly something is.

Dogs do know when people are afraid - but a good dog will try to make friends with you. Once the dog knows you are part of the family if you ignore him he'll mostly ignore you and focus on the family members who are more friendly.

Right now - you don't have to conquer your fear of dogs. You only need to accept this one dog who lives with you now. He is not "dogs" - he's only one dog in a new place with new people and he's probably as scared as you are.

I'm going to agree with Kay. If dogs go after you, they smell something. If it's fear they smell, well they don't trust that. So you need to be able to get past the fear to really get close to this little guy. It might help to start calling him a kid instead of dog. Get your mentality wrapped around the idea, he really is just another kid in the family. He's just a kid that can save your life when you need him - and will if you need him to.

I would suggest you start out by just sitting and talking to him. If you need someone else to hold him for you while you talk to him, that's kewl - but talk to him. It's best to talk to him while you are sitting down, that way you are not intimidating to him either. Maybe throw a ball for him or put a treat on the floor for him (later you can hand it to him personally, but for now, just put it on the floor so he can see that you want to be friendly and not to take your reticence harshly.

Move slowly around the guy so you don't surprise him or excite him. Even if he just wants to play before you get to know him, it might be really crazy scary to you if you excite him and he jumps.

After a few days, weeks, maybe sit with a family member with the dog between you. That way you can feel the "humaness" of the little guy yet have someone to help out if you get too scared.

I think you will find that as you get used to him and get to know his personality, you'll find that you really love him more than you'd ever have expected to be able to.

Your best bet is to get out of your room and overcome that fear and make good friends with that dog. Buy a ball and play ball with it. Take it for walks. You don't really have another option, do you?

TAZ87,

I was bitten by a dog once. It was a planned surprise attack by the dog. It got a good hold on my leg. It probably didn't continue because it didn't like the taste of my pants. I was ANGRY! For the most part though, dogs have been nice and friendly and I like dogs. I wrote here before about how one dog saved me from having to sleep in my garage, or car.

Let the dog know you are there for it, and it may be there for you. You're best action would be to come out, and just try to make friends with it.

German shepards at least CAN be big, strong, smart dogs. I believe they are considered good family dogs also. So it should be easy to make friends with it.

If a stranger comes in and threatens the family or the home, the dog may try to scare them away and even attack.

And Kay is right. If you run, dogs will, in general, give chase. It is true of small AND big dogs, and they may want to simply engage in obviously friendly play if you stop. If you want to get away from dogs, the best way is to probably non nonchalantly walk away. Hopefully it is chained. Of course, you will likely be able to simply walk past a dog.

But HEY, the dog that saved me was barking and running toward me. He just wanted to play with someone new. I stood my ground, he jumped up, I pet him, and that was as far as the "chase" went.

Steve

Try hypnosis.

German Shephards are really smart and loyal dogs. This kind of dog is a best friend if you will let it. It needs to be accepted by you and you will eventually need to take your place in the pack above the dog. May be read up on some Ceasar Milan. I feel your pain, I was chased everyday as a child on my way to school by a dog.

Try seeing a shrink...they can help with such issues.
Best wishes and regards.

Invest in dog treats...preferably the kind the dog will be too preoccupied chewing to worry much about you. Every time he sees you, you give him one. Do this enough, and he will connect you with good things, and will leave you alone.

If you feel really gutsy, you can use the treats to teach him to sit on command, which will make life even more fun for you.

Hope this helps.

Part of getting over a phobia is gradual exposure to
what gives you fear. Gradual exposure so you know
they are not all like the ones that chased you as a kid.

Maybe photos, then all the YouTube videos - not the
dog fight ones, then visiting a small animal
shelter where you can walk around and know you're
safe because they are all in cages or crates...

And, yes learn dog behavior so you don't do something
that will cause them to chase or bite...

A counselor can easily help with these things.

Good example here:

WOW...soo many replies.
First of all thanks to each one of your replies with suggestions and resources that I surely will check out.

Some people suggested trying to play with it, fetch and so on. That is completely out of question, at least right now. Here is why.
I am a cat person, I love my cats and they appreciate me(I think lol). I know them, I understand them very well. More importantly I KNOW what to expect from them. Unlike a dog that I know nothing about so even if I can muster enough courage to come face to face with it, if it does anything abruptly like jump on me etc I sure as hell will run for it! It's not my instinct but more like a reflex..I won't think I will just do it. Then it will chase me and BAM I am screwd/dead, When I see the big creature all I can think about is its destructive capability and what damage it can do if it decided to pounce on me for whatever reason.

A few years ago I had a girlfriend that had a jack Russell. Many years ago before I knew her, I would pass that house on my way to school and that dog would every morning without fail scare the crap out of me and wake me up in the process. Anyway we dated she introduced me to her, she wasn't too bad she let me pet her and ignored my presence for the most part and vice versa. but one day Standing in the kitchen it sprung up aiming for my right hand.Boy can that thing jump! there was no warnings.nothing. Out of nowhere she attacked,luckily I have fast reflexes and was not hurt. Although I was never actually bitten in the past, this is one of the many situations I almost was.

My dad and younger brother are like..yea nothing to worry about I will hold her untill you get to know each other. But problem is, I do NOT trust that they can hold her down if the dog decided to attack me. My dad is an older man and my little brother simply doesn't have the physical strength to control her if things go south. So I am obviously anxious regarding that scenario.

My rational thinking/logic is telling me the dog is fine, it is doing great with everyone else and therefore she is no threat. But I am scared if anything goes wrong I know for a fact I will automatically go into fight or in this case..flight mode,flight to china running...
and as others mentioned dogs give chase which is exactly what will happen.
I hope I explained it in a way that you can understand where I am at psychologically.

update: Our neighbours gave us a phone number of a dog trainer. He didn't answer so I sent him an SMS. Also, I got downstairs very close to it separated by a mostly glass door and yes it went absolutely crazy. It is only one year old female but it is a BIG dog already.

It sounds to me like you are so wedded to your unreasonable fears and convictions that you are not going to put the best advice to use no matter what. That's certainly a choice that you can make.

I personally believe your parents have every right to bring a dog into their house. Since you can't/won't adapt, you should probably consider moving. If that dog doesn't get to know you, that's your fault. A dog normally wants to be a part of the family "pack" ... all of them, and will soon become a loyal, loving ally when that happens.

The trainer guy has been booked. Will see what happens.

TAZ I agree with Richard: There's probably a lot of pup in her yet. If she is being protective she needs to know you are part of her pack. Don't forget she is still adjusting, she doesnt know whats going to happen to her. She just got there. Where was she before? You do need some specialised help in learning how to interact with her because you cant live like this. I was so scared of my grandmothers german shephard because she was so big and excitable. She was boarded one time while my grandmother went away. She was so smart she let herself out of the kennel, and let every other dog out of theirs. True story. They called us and told us to come and get her. So we did. 3 kids in the back and a german shepard jumping all over the car so happy happy happy to see us. It was so so scary to me, but that dog - well I wish she were my dog today. You need to be part of the pack and she will protect you. Can your family try taking her to a dog safe area and let her run off a bit of steam. When she is tired and happy with her tongue hanging out and a big smile on her face you might feel its possible to let her smell the back of your hand and pat her. She needs daily exercise to wear her out and keep her happy. She too needs time to know where she is. They are family dogs. very loyal.

I had a red heeler cross that hated my male neighbour who would hang over the fence and taunt her. One day, she had an opportunity and she bit him. I was astonished. Just FYI other neighbours said "I know why she bit him" Anyway to avoid ramifications I hired a 'bark buster' - he said to me, if you aren't the leader, she will be the leader. She doesnt want to be, but she will take that position if you don't. So....even tho that d*ck leaned over the fence and taunted her I had to tell her not to bark at him. What can I say, some dogs are smarter than humans. "dogs are like children, they need a firm but loving hand". You do need to become the kind but firm leader. Good luck.

If you watch the cynophobic person in the video I posted,
you can see how real her fear is to her.

I say you were eaten by a rabid wolf in a previous life....

Let us know how it goes with your training. Your dog is depending on you! and we are all in your corner TAZ.

I had a slender dog. Siberian Husky mix (as usual for me).
You can usually leave food out as they tend to eat only
what they need.

People who don't know dogs would tell me that I need to feed her more...
It was kind of a pain in the neck to explain how things really work and
some people were rather confrontive.

The fact of the matter is you've been traumatized. As a kid i was bitten by dogs yes I said dogs. I use too get jumpy sometimes but thing changed as i got older. It's all about how you threat and act around you animal. I have a 100 pound pitbull that protects me and the rest of the family with his life especially the kids never seen nothing like this... Interact with your dog what happens might surprise you

Oh, she's beautiful. Well done TAZ. She just wants to be part of the family! Whats her name? You will be so glad you did this! Its wonderful for her. I don't know her story, but whatever, she's 1 year old and had to leave her home. Now she has a home for life.

makes me smile....she's on the couch already

And she's already training/tricking her humans to feed her wet food.

The thin dog I posted about earlier was also named Sasha.
She would not eat dry food. Period. te he

Be sure to check out some of the monk's videos on Youtube:
monks of new skete - YouTube

IMO, the essention commands are:
No
Sit
Stay
Come
Lay Down
Heal
Drop it
Fetch

Fetch is underrated, but it's such a great way to exercise your dog. A dog will burn far more calories and exercise more muscles chasing a ball than they will just taking a walk. Walks are great for them to explore, but they also need some more intense exercise.

"Drop it" is another command that is underrated by many. But it's important for your dog's health (and obedience) that it will drop ANYTHING on command. To get a dog to open its mouth, place your forefinger and thumb behind the dog's canine teeth and gently but fimly apply pressure until the dog opens its mouth and drops what it has in its mouth.

Drop it is also part of fetch training. Once dogs understand by fetching and dropping the ball (or stick or frisbee) that they'll be rewarded by you throwing the ball again, they'll play fetch all day.

This is the kind my Husky liked: http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/511toGiifSL.jpg
Regular tennis balls he tore apart like prey. These lasted a pretty long
time because they squeak and he liked to carry them in his mouth on walks.
I found an even cheaper version at Wal Mart.

I am glad you are not cynophobic with this dog - hopefully all dogs.

I do suggest learning more and more about canines, especially when you
start letting her interact with other dogs. And, you have to learn the character
of your dog. My male Husky did not like to share tennis balls, so we had some
minor fight issues at the off leash dog parks we have here. (I would move him
away from the dogs playing fetch.)

Solo dogs also tend to be unable to share food, so that's something to consider
when you are around other dogs and there is food or treats.

My male Husky did not start fights, but he did not tolerate it when other dogs tried
to hump him or dominate him or threaten him (as in herding breed dogs nipping at
his back legs). His fuse became shorter as he got older. So, learning his behavior,
I moved away from these situations.

I also moved away from humans who did not handle their dogs considerately.
Or, who could not physically control their dog. At this dog park I used to frequent,
there was this older couple that had a young, female Great Dane. The woman
had some physical impairment and could not physically control her dog.

Almost all the experiences I have written about come from time at this local,
off-leash dog park. Fortunately, it was large, had two fenced areas, and had
outside trails I could take.

Another thing I learned to do at this park was to break up dog fights. My guy
I had a harness and I could control him. Sometimes though, other dogs would
go at it and some owners would freeze and do nothing, or like the lady with the
Great Dane - be unable to do anything. Most times all it took was my loudest
and deepest "Knock it off". Sometimes I would grab the back legs of a dog
and control him that way while the owner of the other dog(s) would get their
own dogs under control.

So get totally used to your dog and be aware of these other things as you interact
more with other dogs.

Yes, dry her off. As for a coat, I'd say watch her to see
if she is shivering. I would not automatically put a coat
on her because their fur is natural insulation and a coat
might actually make her too hot. Also, their physiology
is different - so just keep an eye on her for signs of panting
or shivering.

Be aware that, for example, she might be able to handle
45 degrees F when she is active, but not while resting
on concrete while you're in the pub playing pool and drinking
with Richard Van. (I actually almost got into a fight in a
scenario like this. The guy would not put his shivering short
haired hunting breed into his car, or go home.)

Sounds like you're doing very well, Taz. It's really hard to be around a dog all the time and not lose your heart to it. It's funny how we're able to make things seem scarier in our heads than they are.

I have one basic command for ya that Kurt forgot on his list. STOP. That one can save your dog's life. She's a working class dog and you can actually teach her anything you want her to know. Obedience training is an absolute necessity - but beyond that, just talk to her and she'll learn anything you put into context for her.

As far as cold - some dogs can take a lot of it. I had one Rottie that I had to buy a fur coat to walk because he wanted his walk even when it got 20 below 0. By the time I got on enough layers to take him, I could barely move to keep up with him. Ricky, on the other hand, got cold very easily until he got well again. 40 degrees and he'd shake like a leaf. After he got well he liked a little bit of cold, but never extreme cold. You'll be able to tell if she gets cold outside so will know what temps she can take and can adjust her routine and buy her dog clothes accordingly.

Anyway - I was really glad to come back and find that you are discovering how great having a dog can be.

Just curious, Kay, Sal, and anybody else who care to chime in.

I've heard that you should not shave a long hair dog in the summer
because their hair and fur also insulates them from the heat. Yet,
I've met several people - especially Samoyed owners - who swear
by shaving their dog to keep them cooler. What's your take?

How is it that SPAMbot Michaelferb has not been banned/deleted yet?

Grrrrrrrrr

please don't let her get another dog- she is completely irresponsible. This is a bad deal for your poor dog.

instead of selling her for profit why not try German Shepherd Rescue Vigil GSD Rescue or google one for your area.
Selling the dog doesn't guarantee a good home. Unless you interview people and find out if they have had dogs, what happened to their dogs, that kind of thing. I really feel bad for this dog. Any UK warriors out here that can take this poor baby?

I wish I could go face to face with her and tell her exactly what I think of her. She should be put in a cage if she thinks of owning another animal. Her problems shouldn't be an innocent animal's problems.

TAZ if you cant find anything that is 1000% suitable is it possible for you to take a trip with her to a German Shepherd Rescue or to take the steps that Richard mentioned. People will cross states to rescue a dog. If you can do some investigating you might find its possible to place her somewhere until she can be safely adopted.

Hope you are having some luck TAZ

Good for you TAZ. Sounds like your stepmother needs standing up to. I hope you can make her see reason and come around. Pretty impressive you have found someone of that caliber to help train her. Hmmm....if you cant keep her, that person might know someone being a shepherd trainer an all. One thing to consider - when and if you move - will you be able to take the dog with you?

what happened in the big incident? I'm glad you got someone who knows german shepherds well. they are really smart loyal dogs. really hate it that all this has happened Taz, with all the work you've done. people who just get rid of dogs and replace them with new cuter ones shouldnt be allowed to own animals.

Taz it sounds like you're making great progress already!

You will have to learn how to be the dog's boss instead of the other way around. I suspect that if dogs have attacked you, it's because they sense that they are stronger than you and they naturally want to make sure you understand your position in the pack. You'll be learning how to show them that YOU, not they, are in charge.

I love dogs, but when I was younger, I had my share of troubles with them.

First, a German Shepherd tried to attack me while I was riding my bicycle past its house. I kept kicking at it and it gave up without ever getting a good hold on me, thank heavens.

Then when I was a teen, a Doberman bit me when I visited my friend's house. No idea why!

But I got a big lesson when I was around 25 y.o. I was walking near some woods when three feral dogs appeared out of the trees and started acting like they were going to attack. I froze. Every time I tried to take a slowwww step away, they would charge forward a few steps. I finally realized that they were NOT going to just let me walk away, and I'd be in trouble if I turned my back on them. I was scared to death, but I had no choice but to find a way to make them leave me alone. I figured if they were going to maul me, I'd have to at least hurt one of them badly before the others would leave me alone. I picked the one that seemed like the lead dog, and charged him. I was screaming and waving my arms and just running toward him. I ran maybe 5-6 steps before they bolted away!

That was my biggest lesson in how to not be victimized by dogs.

Wish you all the best TAZ. I think you've done an awesome job for the situation you are in - and I see that you are doing all YOU can for the dog. She is lucky she has you at this point. I sincerely hope it all works out, as I know you do too.

Thanks TAZ87 I am so very very glad that you manged to find a good home for this dog. And I really respect all the efforts you made - especially since this whole situation was forced on you. You are a good guy TAZ87, Thank you for letting us know. The dog was lucky to have you on her side. All the best. Glenda