Redditor Gets Insulted For Backing Away From A Dog That Was Trying To Sniff Her

"I don't care how cute your dogs are, how nice they are act"

Maryjane

• Published in Animal Stories
• March 16, 2023

Anxiety illnesses called phobias make people fearful of things or situations that are typically harmless. They include undue worry about an occurrence or circumstance that, in reality, is unlikely to be harmful.

And they frequently react in an unexpected way to situations that other people would not find frightening or concerning. Extreme dog phobia is known as cynophobia.

Both kids and adults with this condition make a special effort to avoid dogs. When they hear a dog bark, see a movie about a dog, or visit a location where a dog might be, they may experience extreme anxiety or a full-blown panic attack.

In extreme cases, those who suffer from this disorder avoid friends or choose to remain home out of fear of running into a dog. The OP in today's story is one of these people.

However, she won't go out on a limb and insult dogs, as the world does not revolve around her fears. Generally, the OP is okay around dogs and won't scream and cry as long as they stay away from her.

On one occasion, the OP encountered two people walking their dogs, barely holding the leash. One of the dogs had started to come closer to the OP to try and sniff her.

The OP kept moving away and continued to walk home, but the dog still tried to sniff her. What happens next?

Find out as you read the full story below.  

The OP Begins...

The OP is someone who is terrified of dogs

The OP started to form tears in her eyes

The OP's friend said the dog owners were right

Here are what other Redditors thought about the story

It's ridiculous that they made you feel like you were the AH

Everyone must not love your dog

This Redditor wants nothing more than to say hi to all dogs

You handled a scary situation the best way you could

What dog owners would normally say before any dog attack

This dog owner knows his responsibilities very well

You did the right thing to try and remove yourself

Some dog can be perfectly cute and sweet but...

This happens to this Redditor all the time

Your fear is an issue only for you in this instance

Who goes around making people cry? That is bad

You did nothing wrong so no one should criticize you

It's not an unreasonable request to not want to be approached by a dog

Your friend is not much of a friend for dismissing your fears

They shouldn't assume everyone wants to interact with their dog

You can impose your pets on strangers

No one is obligated to let someone's dog sniff them

As pointed out earlier, this is a specific phobia condition called cynophobia. People who suffer from specific phobia disorders respond violently to a particular situation or object.

They take every precaution to stay away from the source of their discomfort, worry, or fear—in this instance, dogs. In the end, the OP was declared "not the AH."

Maryjane