I Walked A Dog!
For those of you who know me, you know that me walking a dog is a big deal. I’ve been afraid of dogs since I was a little girl. I had a bad experience with a dog as a child and have feared them ever since.
Ironically, I like dogs and would love to have one in the future, but for the minor detail of my fear. I’m sure that doesn’t make sense, but I think dogs are so special; I’m just afraid of them.
Therefore, I asked a local dog trainer if he would be willing to train me to get over this fear. He agreed and said he’d bring a very well-trained German Sheppard to start the process.
When I opened the door and saw the German Sheppard, I wanted to quickly close it and request a rain check. Nonetheless, I decided to give it a try.
I started by petting him while he was on a leash. This wasn’t so bad. As we got halfway through the session, the trainer recommended that I walk the dog. I was thinking to myself, “Ummm, sir it’s day one… calm down…how about … no.”
My fear of dogs is strange, for as long as a dog is on a leash and controlled then I’m ok. It’s when the leash goes down that I worry. So, the trainer started by letting go of the leash and helping subside my fear. He said something that struck me. He said, “You see, you’re afraid because of your past, something that one dog did to you, but this dog has done nothing to you. He has given you no reason to fear him. Now, give him a chance and trust him unless he gives you a reason not to.’
I long blinked. He had blown my mind. I said, “Wow, this is like therapy.” I said it jokingly, but it was true. How many times do we fear something or someone because of what someone else has done to you? How often do we fear the future because of an incident from our past? To a certain extent, I understand that this is necessary, but sometimes our minds take it too far. For years I have feared all dogs for something that one dog has done to me. For the record, that dog never bit me. I was around 5 years old and was chased. I fell and hit the concrete corner right above my eye and have the scar to prove it. That 5-second incident has held me back from enjoying the companionship, loyalty, and love I could have gained from dogs ever since.
So I did my best and walked that sweet German Sheppard. Well, initially he walked me. Whenever the dog would come close to my thigh (which he is supposed to do) I’d extend the leash. The trainer's experience and training helped me loosen up. By the end of the session, I was walking the dog beside me without a leash. That’s a big deal! I took a small step and am a bit closer to getting over my fear of dogs.
What fear do you have? What small step can you take to get over that fear? Email me at info@marrongebremeskel.com and let’s get over our fears together.