Phobia/fear of dogs

[Joe.]

It's weird how I haven't posted about this yet, but large dogs over a certain size are terrifying for me. As long as I can remember I've been scared of them.
Went to a friends today and he had a new dog, I began to have a panic attack just because he was jumping at me and somehow looking 'threatening'. I don't really know why. Obviously I am not like that with all dogs, but most.
Any advise?

[Ryker]

Phobias, on their best day, are proper irrational fears. If you have a phobia of baked beans, or a phobia of clowns, or a phobia of curtains - that's a proper phobia. A phobia with balls.

A fear of large dogs, with sharp teeth and unknown or not-understood motivations, is a pussycat of phobias, a runt of a phobia because it's having to rely on your sense of rational fear to prop it up. It can't stand up on its own because it's a cowardly shamefully weak excuse for a phobia. And it probably wets the bed too.

What you need to do is stop off at a book store or library and pick up a good, modern book on dog brain and behaviour - something like "Think Dog!" by john Fisher. And start to learn how dogs think and how they behave, and how to read their body language. Then find some way of finding dogs to practice on. Arm yourself with some dog treats and teach some dogs some tricks. Start with a small dog and try and work up.

Once you fix that rational fear, the phobia part will go away of its own accord. You'll stop feeing anxious around dogs, the dogs will sense that and everything will calm down. Unfortunately the 'fight-or-flight' response of anxiety is easily spotted by the dogs. You're feeling like fleeing, but the dog is thinking you're likely to fight.

Or, just avoid dogs.