Why Are People Afraid Of Dogs: Dogs are often called man’s best friend, but despite this, many people get scared the moment they see them. Some change their path, some stop there and some people try to run away due to fear. Interestingly, cats are also among the most popular pets in the world, but the number of people who are afraid of them is much less than that of dogs.
According to Dr. Vinod Sharma, Director and Head Veterinarian, the biggest reason for this is not the animals but the thinking, experience and perception of the people. He says that dogs are generally larger in size, stronger and more visible in public places. In such a situation, people feel that if a dog attacks, the injury can be more serious. This is the reason why people have more fear about dogs.
What is the reason behind this?
Dr. Sharma explains that many times this fear is not innate, but develops over time. Any bad experience with a dog in childhood, things heard from family members or news related to dog attacks create fear in the minds of people. Therefore, in most cases this fear is more related to people’s thinking and experience than to the nature of dogs. He also clarified that being afraid of dogs does not at all mean that a person hates animals. Many times people wrongly call such people ‘animal haters’, whereas this is not necessary. According to him, in many people this fear can also take the form of phobia.
Read this also-Normal Fever vs Dengue: Not every fever is dengue… This is how to identify which fever is normal and which is not during monsoon season?
What are its signs?
Dr. Sharma explains that phobia is not just about feeling uncomfortable. In this, the person may have physical reactions like intense nervousness, increased heartbeat, sweating, trembling or crying. Not only this, due to this fear many people also avoid going to those places where there is a possibility of finding dogs. At the same time, those who do not like dogs, they want to maintain distance from them, but they do not have to face nervousness or panic-like situation.
Even the behavior of dogs is misunderstood
According to Dr. Sharma, people often misunderstand the behavior of dogs. The most common misconception is about wagging the tail. Wagging the tail every time does not mean that the dog is happy. If his tail is stiff upward and wagging rapidly, it may also be a sign of stress or excitement. Similarly, many people consider a dog’s repeated lip licking, yawning or averting its eyes as normal behavior, whereas these can be signs of its stress or feeling uncomfortable.
How can fear be reduced?
Experts believe that understanding the behavior of dogs properly can reduce people’s fear to a great extent. Additionally, one should approach an unknown dog only if its owner gives permission. Respecting a dog’s personal space and understanding its behavior is the best way to stay safe.
Read this also-Normal Fever vs Dengue: Not every fever is dengue… This is how to identify which fever is normal and which is not during monsoon season?
