Ah the old Phobia surfaces...((epic))

[Red_Dazes]

I am not truly a-feared of many things... Heights sure a little... but who isn't? Spiders/bugs... they creep me out but I wouldn't classify them as "Terrifying". I am mildly claustrophobic... but not enough to where it interferes with my life. The Dark... when I was little yes. Now? only cause I don't want to trip over shit. All in all I have been proud of myself for over coming most things I am afraid of. But all my life I have struggled with...what I consider... a really really STUPID phobia.

I am bat shit scared of Little dogs. Throw a snarling mastiff or pit bull at me... No problem... but god help me if a little Pom pom runs up to me growling... I will lose it. I blame my family and my baby sitters.... >< When I was little these really wonderful couple who would watch me had a little Chihuahua... and that thing was evil... I mean I was only 4 and this dog would attack me... viciously...the second they left the room. I was terrified of it. And my music teacher had a little Pom Chi who would always stalk me and any chance she got would bite me. ... I don't know... like I said.. I really find it embarrassing and kind of stupid. But It's just THERE. Irrational as it may be.

And I have worked hard over the last several years to get over it. I MAKE myself play with the sweet little dogs... I've even gotten to the point where I find some of them cute. But I still really have to work at it. "Aww look at the cute Pom Chi! Com'mere! **Please god don't bite me**" kind of stuff. The Beau made fun of me for a while about it... cause he's seen me put a pissed Boston Healer in her place and not flinch when the Aussie sheep dog snapped at my arm. But he quit real quickly when he saw me almost break down when his moms toy-poodle tried to nip my leg. By the time we left his moms place after a week I actually had warmed up to the little brat... still filched whenever she barked at me... but I wasn't running scared to the hills.


....This all being said... I try and leave anything that would interfere with work at home. Anger, depression, phobias...... So I have had to suck it up many times when people with little dogs come through the store. I normally don't have to be around them... so I don't mind much. But about a week ago I was on register and a lady with a min-pin came through my line... and I almost lost it. This little dog was growling at me and of course the lady was all "Oh don't worry Mr. Cutie McStikey Evil Butt is the nicest doggie in the WORLD" ((or something along those lines)) I was like $3 under for my till that day ((which is unheard of for me)) and I am pretty sure it all went to that lady because I was panicking so much just to get her little wretched dog away from me that I wasn't paying attention.
I was almost in tears by the time I was done and practically hyperventilating. One from the stress and then also for feeling like a complete idiot for being afraid of something I could chuck across the room with one well completed throw. ... but I guess looking back on something isn't the same as BEING there... may seem stupid afterwords but I was scared when it was happening.

So I have decided, and warned my manager about it... I will not serve someone with a dog in their cart. Not ONLY are we supposed to enforce the "No PETS", policy. But I just don't want to be that stressed out again. And I figure if Psycho Bitch can hid in her office when "midgets" come in the store ((she has a phobia of midgets... Like HORRIBLY so.)) then I should be able to say "NO" when asked to serve someone with a Small dog in their cart.

I shouldn't be expected to do something that really scares me... am I right?


*sighs* just reading this makes me feel ridiculous... how can something the size of a foot ball scare the crap out of me? ha. Guess everyone has something about them they find completely stupid.

[nhollywood]

I understand why you would be afraid of small dogs. It is nothing to be ashamed of. You have a right to feel the way you feel and no one has a right to say otherwise.

In my opinion, if the store has a "No Pets" policy then there should be no problem in enforcing said policy (I know that it's not a perfect world therefore enforcement may be a problem.). I hope management agrees.

[sylvier]

We can thank celebutantes for bringing their animals into stores - they're accessories! I work in the food biz and customers have tried bringing in their little treasures, tucked into their purses or their vests. Sorry, if this is not a "working" dog, it's not allowed in the store. No exceptions.

[bean]

I've been attacked by a Chow before. Spent about 12 hours in surgery getting my face put back together afterwards.

To this day, I love large dogs, but small ones at best annoy the hell out of me most of the time, at worst piss me off. Small dogs, at least in my experience delivering pizza, are usually nippy, bark non stop, and think they're a lot bigger than they are (i.e. your 10 pound cutsey poo .... thing resembling a rat... is snarling at me and trying to bite me, a 170 pound grown man that could step on it).

I did have to chuckle a little when a neighbor brought her 10 pound ... dog of some kind... over. I think it was a pomeranian. Yippy as hell, hyper as hell, but dumb as a bag of rocks and would try to lick anything with a pulse to death. My cat promptly chased him under the bed (also my cat is very aggressive toward anything under about 50 pounds).

I'm a little wary around a pit that a friend has, mainly because her dog is SUPER protective. If she's out of the room, and the dog is in her kennel, she's a snarling wreck. As soon as she's out of the kennel she becomes a 90 pound lap dog though.

I got over my fear of Chows too.. friend used to have a chow that was so gentle you could hold a dog treat between your lips and she'd get it without even touching you. But holy shit she would go NUTS if strangers came in unaccompanied.

[Pairou]

It's nothing to be ashamed of- I am terrified of the number six. If things come in most multiples of six or are arranged in sixes or anything, I get a little nauseous and everything. Last night I realized 'Pairou' is six letters long and freaked out for a while. But I tend to rationalize it, add things, and generally force myself to see it differently.

Just like you force yourself to be around the little dogs. If anything, it's awesome that you're not letting it totally rule you. c:

[Red_Dazes]

Wow. Thank you guys so much. Makes me feel so much better knowing I'm not the only one feeling silly about myself ^_^ *hugs to all*

[wagegoth]

Remember, they're called drop kick dogs for a reason.

Don't feel bad about how you feel. I find most little dogs to be a waste of DNA.

[Draginhikari]

Gotta love interference fears. I have a deep fear of particular insects of the wasp and bee family. Which ends up being kinda funny. Consider I have no problem dealing with other pests. Which was kind of funny because once where I was known for being the one to go to, for spiders, mice and other such pests. I was asking to dealing with something in a trash can and when I saw it was a bumblebee I nearly jumped out of my skin. My co-workers never let that one go.