""Cynophobia is the irrational fear of dogs. The difference between the normal fear of dogs that many ordinary people have and Cynophobia is that the person suffering from Cynophobia will do her best to avoid approaching or passing by a dog to the extent that she may stay at home to avoid her neighbour’s dog.Or any random stray dog""
The irony of my life is that i have cynophobia and my BFF is a dog lover. The words 'dog' and 'awwww' are synonymous to her. I have had to walk on the other side of the street when she used to walk her dog just so i can have a conversation with her without having my face mauled off by her dog.
Yes, i often have dreams of being gnawed to death by a bunch of scary flying dogs that soar through my window and murder me in my sleep.
I know this kind of fear isn't healthy and i should probably go pay a mental doctor to listen to my problems but there is a rational explanation for this irrational fear....
It all started in 2nd grade....
My best friend's parents were going out of town and she was to spend two nights at my house. Like any other 7 year old on a sugar rush i was jumping around all exited about my first ever sleepover. My mom told me she would have to lock me in a room if i jump around anymore so i told that i'll wait outside to see if she's coming. My best friend told me that she would come over at around 1pm.
The impatient child that i was, i began pacing up and down the veranda, peeping over the rails to see if she was coming.
1pm became 1.15pm and there was still no sign of her...
So i decided to walk all the way to the end of the street and wait there. Bangalore then, had a public dumpster at the end of every street and quite a few dogs marked them as their territory and sat there all day eating the stuff that we throw away and barking at rag-pickers as and when they come.
On our street, there was an old warehouse that had this huge ramp, and the dumpster was right next to it. So i ran to the end of the street and stood right opposite the dumpster because that's where we can see the road clearly.
I got tired of staring at the road so i began pacing up and down the ramp. that's when i saw this huge gang of dogs. It's leader was this big black dog that had yellow patches around its eyes and a huge black tail.
I froze. I knew that the dog was staring at me and i made the mistake of staring back at it.
In my mind i was trying to recall whatever i had learned at summer camp about what to do when being attacked by an animal. I remember my camp instructor telling us that, "....if you are ever chased by an animal, always run in a zig-zag pattern so that the animal gets confused..." (now that i think about it, its kind of stupid, but when you are a 7 year old...you tend to believe that stuff)
So i broke the eye-contact with the dog, and it immediately barked once at me.
I freaked out ran for my life, all the while thinking about what my camp instructor told me. so i decided to run in a zig-zag pattern. i ran up the ramp and down the ramp and up the ramp and down the ramp and that stupid dog actually chased me in that same pattern!
So while i was running for my life, i was simultaneously yelling, "MMMuuuummmmmmyyyy!!!!!!!!!!!!! Daaaaaaaaaaddddddddddyyyyyyyyyyyy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" but my parents didn't hear me....
But luckily this scary neighbor of mine ran out see what all this commotion was about and saw me running zig-zag like a mad person on the street, but the sweet soul that she is, threw something at the dog and chased it away.
So, though i was saved from the clutches (or paws) of that evil dog that day, the memory of it still remains with me forever, scarring me for life.
And every time i see a dog, i am reminded of that fateful day when i felt the first vestiges of fear towards the universally lovable four legged mammal.
And as for that friend whom i was waiting for??? Yes she turned up five minutes after that happened. The reason for her delay? : Her dog didn't want her to leave.
Pretty ironic isn't it??
The irony of my life is that i have cynophobia and my BFF is a dog lover. The words 'dog' and 'awwww' are synonymous to her. I have had to walk on the other side of the street when she used to walk her dog just so i can have a conversation with her without having my face mauled off by her dog.
Yes, i often have dreams of being gnawed to death by a bunch of scary flying dogs that soar through my window and murder me in my sleep.
I know this kind of fear isn't healthy and i should probably go pay a mental doctor to listen to my problems but there is a rational explanation for this irrational fear....
It all started in 2nd grade....
My best friend's parents were going out of town and she was to spend two nights at my house. Like any other 7 year old on a sugar rush i was jumping around all exited about my first ever sleepover. My mom told me she would have to lock me in a room if i jump around anymore so i told that i'll wait outside to see if she's coming. My best friend told me that she would come over at around 1pm.
The impatient child that i was, i began pacing up and down the veranda, peeping over the rails to see if she was coming.
1pm became 1.15pm and there was still no sign of her...
So i decided to walk all the way to the end of the street and wait there. Bangalore then, had a public dumpster at the end of every street and quite a few dogs marked them as their territory and sat there all day eating the stuff that we throw away and barking at rag-pickers as and when they come.
On our street, there was an old warehouse that had this huge ramp, and the dumpster was right next to it. So i ran to the end of the street and stood right opposite the dumpster because that's where we can see the road clearly.
I got tired of staring at the road so i began pacing up and down the ramp. that's when i saw this huge gang of dogs. It's leader was this big black dog that had yellow patches around its eyes and a huge black tail.
I froze. I knew that the dog was staring at me and i made the mistake of staring back at it.
In my mind i was trying to recall whatever i had learned at summer camp about what to do when being attacked by an animal. I remember my camp instructor telling us that, "....if you are ever chased by an animal, always run in a zig-zag pattern so that the animal gets confused..." (now that i think about it, its kind of stupid, but when you are a 7 year old...you tend to believe that stuff)
So i broke the eye-contact with the dog, and it immediately barked once at me.
I freaked out ran for my life, all the while thinking about what my camp instructor told me. so i decided to run in a zig-zag pattern. i ran up the ramp and down the ramp and up the ramp and down the ramp and that stupid dog actually chased me in that same pattern!
So while i was running for my life, i was simultaneously yelling, "MMMuuuummmmmmyyyy!!!!!!!!!!!!! Daaaaaaaaaaddddddddddyyyyyyyyyyyy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" but my parents didn't hear me....
But luckily this scary neighbor of mine ran out see what all this commotion was about and saw me running zig-zag like a mad person on the street, but the sweet soul that she is, threw something at the dog and chased it away.
So, though i was saved from the clutches (or paws) of that evil dog that day, the memory of it still remains with me forever, scarring me for life.
And every time i see a dog, i am reminded of that fateful day when i felt the first vestiges of fear towards the universally lovable four legged mammal.
And as for that friend whom i was waiting for??? Yes she turned up five minutes after that happened. The reason for her delay? : Her dog didn't want her to leave.
Pretty ironic isn't it??
1 comments:
Oh Varsha! That was hilarious. I too am a cynophobe, and my daughter keeps wanting a dog at home. You should conintue writing - why did you stop?
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