Cynophobia is the clinical term for an irrational fear of dogs and it is not a pleasant feeling to experience. Imagine being a mother of a two-year old child and you are walking in the park, pushing your baby along in his stroller, when suddenly you see a dog ahead. His tail is up and wagging, his tongue is lolling to the side as he pants gently, his eyes seem to twinkle and his ears are alert as he looks about for the tennis ball he is supposed to bring back to his human friend.
You panic. Your eyes begin to water, your chest seizes, lungs unable to hold air with breath coming in short, tight bursts. Every muscle in your body tenses with your fight or flight response kicking in and you run! Not far from your car, you lock yourself in safely, tears streaming down your cheeks, stomach in knots, breathing is painful and you look outside