What To Do When Fears Paralyze Us?

December 13, 2019

A friend of mine has a son who is petrified of puppies. He doesn’t like the way they jump and nip. I get it puppies are feisty, but really all they want to do is to play. His fear paralyzes him to the point where he won’t walk in the same room as his own dog unless someone picks him up and holds him.

I feel for the kid, but having this fear could escalate into other fears down the road. Sometimes I’ll watch him and take him to their house to let their puppy out and let her run. Watching him being so scared of his own dog hurts my heart. Everyone else in his family loves the dog and he loves her but from afar.

Yes, it might come down that they will have to give her away, but what happens when their daughter asks for another dog. They are fostering this puppy so technically she is not theirs yet. Then when he comes to our house, I have to keep our dog in the office with me until he leaves. All she really does is bark and that’s because I know she can tell he is nervous.

This fear of dogs makes me so sad for him, cause he is constantly on edge. Sure, puppies nips and jump, but that’s their way of showing affection. With a little bit of training and a whole lot of love, hopefully he will realize she can be his best friend.

How do you work through fears?