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Fear of dogs

Tom said:
It may also be possible (this is speculation) that a person on the spectrum can develop an unusually good understanding and communication ability with animals. If you have heard of Horse or dog whisperers, I can easily imagine an autistic person becoming one. I only actually met one Whisperer (Horse) and they were definitely on the spectrum.
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People have called me an animal whisperer, because of how most animals behave around me. Two of the most heartwarming memories that I have: I was walking on a nature trail in Florida, with my husband. There were some semi wild horses there, and at the time I was terrified of horses. For some reason two horses started following us down the trail. There were other people there, offering bits of food to them, but they ignored those people and followed me. Apparently there was something about me that drew them, even though I felt uneasy.

The other happened at a zoo in Philadelphia. We were at an indoor exhibit, where the animals were behind a glass wall and most of them were hidden. Other people were standing around, wondering where the animals were. They finally got bored and left. When I passed by the cages, they started coming out and staring at me. I wouldn't say I was communicating with them, but I did feel a strong feeling of affection for them. I am sure many Aspies here can relate to dogs leaving their owners and running up to us! This always happens with both me and my husband (who is also on the spectrum.) The owners are always puzzled why the dogs are greeting us like long lost friends, lol. I used to be very afraid of dogs too, but learned to read their body language and it helped a lot. Like, if the tail is slowly wagging, they are feeling friendly. If it is wagging fast, not so sure. When they look like they are "bowing" to you, they want to play.

To the OP, doing some reading about how to interpret the dog's body language can at least help allay your apprehension that they are about to harm you! I still feel nervous around dogs but my husband has taught me how to interpret their intentions.
 
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Aspergers_Aspie said:
Why won't dog owners keep their dogs on leads near peacocks or sheep!!
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I often see an owner carrying a leash in their hand, but the dog is off-leash. It could be that simply dogs like running more than being on the leash. But, having a dog is a bit like having a little child. You need to set the limits sometimes.
 
Dadamen said:
I often see an owner carrying a leash in their hand, but the dog is off-leash. It could be that simply dogs like running more than being on the leash. But, having a dog is a bit like having a little child. You need to set the limits sometimes.
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Dogs are weird creatures. We had a great pyranees who was a 150 lbs love bug. He loved everyone and every creature, except when he was on a leash. Somehow, it seemed, if he was on a leash it was his cue to protect.
 
Dogs are absolutely incredible beings. I could thrill you for hours with how my many dogs have cared for me. They have been humanity's co-pilot for at least 35,000 years but they have little space in the modern world.

Dogs understand us very intimately yet have their own language. They all do best with clear leadership. People who do not assimilate their dog's language and do not respect them as intelligent beings are not great leaders. Same with horses.

The people you describe are putting their dogs in harm's way. If the dog makes a mistake, it is a capital offense.
 
Dadamen said:
I often see an owner carrying a leash in their hand, but the dog is off-leash. It could be that simply dogs like running more than being on the leash. But, having a dog is a bit like having a little child. You need to set the limits sometimes.
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Think it would be good if dog owners research the places were they are exercising their dogs
 
I have dogs that most people are afraid of. But as others here have said, a lot of it is the owner/training, not the breed. My dogs are extremely obedient, and affectionate towards all people.
I have been mildly bitten by some dogs, but there was one incident in particular (a very bad attack) that got me hospitalized, so I've had a lot of anxiety around strangers' dogs since then. In my neighborhood most of the dogs are great and get along perfectly with my dogs (and my neighbors refer to one of my dogs as the "mayor" of our community!). But there are a few that are really, really bad and I've learned to read dogs' body language really well, so I know when to stay away. Some dogs where I live are totally fine with people but awful with other dogs. So I keep my dogs away from them and on a leash. I keep my dogs on leash almost all the time anyway- even tho my dogs are friendly and well-behaved, not everyone will assume that they are, and as an owner of this breed I've sadly come to realize that that's more often the case than not. One of my dogs came from the breeder with cropped ears (I can't stand how it looks but I didn't have a say in it) so she looks ferocious, but she couldn't be more the opposite! My other two of the same breed have natural ears, thank goodness.
Well anyway, I don't think a fear of dogs is unreasonable at all, but there are ways to read dogs (some of which have already been mentioned) and it's best to keep a distance if you feel at all uncomfortable because dogs can pick up on that. They won't always react with aggression but they may appear fearful or confused. Occasionally you come across a really good dog who will just want to comfort you if you're anxious around them (my dogs are like that).

I don't have a "job job" right now but I do offer a dog walking/training/grooming service in my community and this is the chart I use to "train" my clients on body language:
doggie-language-with-boogie.jpg
 
Awesome chart, crewlucaa! This is very helpful; some of those positions used to confuse me, and I would mistake it for hostility or a threat.
 
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