Hey all
My BF is terrified of dogs. There was an attack incident when he was a child that he's never gotten over. He freezes immediately when he sees a dog and has to cross the street when he sees one coming his way, or has to at least walk a longgg way around the dog and owner. I, on the other hand, am a big fan of dogs and would love to have one in the (distant) future - my favorite breed being the German Shepherd, and I'd love to get an older one from a rescue when (if?) the time comes.
I'm a psych student so these sort of things interest me but I'm at a loss of how to help my BF. Has anyone ever had such a situation where a SO was terribly afraid of dogs but was able to get over it (with some sort of help)? What would you suggest? Some sort of therapy with a professional? Exposure to friendly dogs? I want to show him that not all dogs are bad and aggressive and can be such friendly, loyal and noble creatures. I also think that having a dog phobia can be pretty crippling considering how many dogs there are out there in the community, and I would like to be able to help him (instead of allow the phobia to get worse, etc)
Tips are appreciated!
(I would adopt this girl in a heartbeat if it was the right time....http://www.gsrne.org/danika.htm how precious is she)
My BF is terrified of dogs. There was an attack incident when he was a child that he's never gotten over. He freezes immediately when he sees a dog and has to cross the street when he sees one coming his way, or has to at least walk a longgg way around the dog and owner. I, on the other hand, am a big fan of dogs and would love to have one in the (distant) future - my favorite breed being the German Shepherd, and I'd love to get an older one from a rescue when (if?) the time comes.
I'm a psych student so these sort of things interest me but I'm at a loss of how to help my BF. Has anyone ever had such a situation where a SO was terribly afraid of dogs but was able to get over it (with some sort of help)? What would you suggest? Some sort of therapy with a professional? Exposure to friendly dogs? I want to show him that not all dogs are bad and aggressive and can be such friendly, loyal and noble creatures. I also think that having a dog phobia can be pretty crippling considering how many dogs there are out there in the community, and I would like to be able to help him (instead of allow the phobia to get worse, etc)
Tips are appreciated!
(I would adopt this girl in a heartbeat if it was the right time....http://www.gsrne.org/danika.htm how precious is she)
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