Dog Phobia Treatment: How To Overcome Your Cynophobia

Being afraid of dogs is not something to be taken lightly. Although dogs are supposed to be man’s best friend, and although they have been the longest domesticated animal, that doesn’t stop you from freezing dry when faced with a dog. Either a seemingly friendly dog ​​wagging its tail or a threatening one showing its teeth. So what can you do to overcome your cynophobia?

There are several commonly used treatments for this phobia. It may instinctively know which one is best for you, or it may be a trial and error process to see which one produces the best results for you. We are all different, in the same way that there are many breeds of dogs, each with their own temperament and personality, which means that there is no one-size-fits-all treatment.

Exposure treatment has one of the highest success rates, but it is one of the scariest treatments, at least initially. As the name suggests, it involves exposing it to dogs. Which means it is best carried out in a controlled environment, ideally with some friendly dogs! Depending on the therapist, it could take place in one long session (perhaps half a day or more), with the support of counseling, or in several sessions, spread over time.

Either way, you will get closer to your new canine friend and learn that they are not as threatening as you think they currently are. With most dogs, the worst you’ll experience is a cold nose rubbing against your face, an enthusiastic tongue licking, or muddy paw prints when the dog jumps up to greet you.

Actually, this last option is one of the most common fears about dogs. They may be overzealous in their greeting. Jumping fast towards you and then jumping up to reinforce his enthusiasm. Maybe even knock you down when they haven’t gotten down enough on those last few steps. This can be a daunting experience even for those who aren’t actually afraid of dogs in general.

If exposure treatment sounds a bit over the top, there are other methods available.

Another common way to deal with dog phobia is through hypnosis. This can be a face-to-face session with a local hypnotist, or it can be as simple as playing a prerecorded MP3 player.

Whichever method you choose, the general process is the same.

The hypnosis session will relax you, probably closing your eyes in the process. He will then proceed to help you examine how you handle the idea of ​​dogs in general and turn these ideas around so that you begin to realize that most dogs are genuinely interested in being friends with you and making sure that you are. happy, relaxed and also protected by your new canine friend. They can turn on their threatening side if they wish, but once a dog is on your side, you will only see that side of their nature if someone else doesn’t have your best interests at heart.