I'm afraid of dogs

But I like them, dont' worry

I know, it's weird, but I'm really afraid of dogs. Since I can remember I have always been scared of them, I guess when you are a child you're scared of stupid things like darkness, clowns, ghosts, and that kind of crap, but you grow older, you overcome them and that's it. Unless you have a cousin that makes you fear them more (no hard feelings), then they get stuck in your brain and they become part of your life. I can remember when it escalated. My cousin and my uncle used to be hunters, so they had a few hunting dogs at their house, thankfully they were in an enclosure with a metal fence. I remember seeing them there barking and thinking: "If that gate somehow gets opened they're going to eat me alive". I know, a little bit dramatic, but I was like 7 or 8 years old. They were Real Madrid supporters (football club) and saw their chance, they would ask me: "What club do you support, if you don't say Real Madrid, we will throw you in that cage". You can guess what my answer was, Real Madrid of course, forever and ever. I used to see them every Sunday, so every Sunday I was asked the same question. Analyzing it, it's just a matter of trust, I anticipate the result. If they bark, run towards me, stare at me, my mind automatically thinks: it's going to bite me. I guess that's how all fears work, you play the worst possible scenario in your head. Also your energy changes, they can feel that. Eventually, I discovered Dog Whisperer, the TV Show by César Millán. I think everyone should watch that show, from dog owners to dog lovers, to people afraid of dogs. It just helps understand how dogs act, why, and how to change it (spoiler: it's always the owner's fault). The sentence we hate the most: "Don't worry, he doesn't bite". I don't know that, he doesn't bite YOU because he knows you, but how the hell do you know he won't bite me, how can you be so sure? Whenever I have to interact with an unknown dog for the first time, I apply the following rule: no talk, no touch, no eye contact. That way he doesn't get nervous and neither do I. I would like to overcome this fear someday, I don't know how yet but I'll find the answer. Oh, by the way, I don't care about football nowadays, but of course, I'm a Real Madrid supporter.