Anxiety around animals

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I'm scared of dogs (but not foxes), a bit scared of horses and scared of bulls. I'm ok around other animals and have no fear of insects, arachnids or bats. I like cats and pigs and some rodents.

I think I would be scared around lions and bears, but they are non native, so meh.

Dog lovers always feel sorry for you when you say your aren't as fond of dogs as they are. Sometimes they're actually annoyed that you don't like dogs. I find that odd. I don't want to have that ancient human bond with what is essentially a tame wolf. I like the fact that cats aren't overly concerned with my affairs. I like the fact that cats haven't changed much since we domesticated them, and that they are essentially solitary animals. Dogs are pack animals and see you as part of their pack - which throws up a slightly disturbing blurring of species to me. Cats know you're not a cat. They might be so stupid in other ways, but that essential intelligence reassures me.

Guys, my neighbour's dogs barks constantly in the summer. He is a small dog and is way to noisy for me. You can hear him no matter where you are in the house, even if you are wearing earplugs. My cat teases him.

Haha, as a kid I was right in the middle. I was so torn because I loved animals, but I was really scared of them, especially dogs barking and jumping. Almost no Autism quality exist in everyone with Autism. It's just the norm.

Nope, I've never had anxiety around animals. I never feared them.

I love animals more than people generally. They are honest and accept you the way you are. I like cats and kittens especially.

I have horses and i LOVE them yet I am s**t scared 99% of the time I never used to be so much but I sold my old pony as I outgrew him and I brought a bigger one yet I couldnt ride him this fear so strong stopped me I could not get on i avoided going to the yard and in the end I sold him I have allways had it it and this fearstops me from somthing I love so much its horrable and now I have a new pony Toby and I hav only had him 2 weeks but things ar better yes i AM really really scared but I have to stop it and not get off , I have to carry on if its something you love you have to find it because somewere you will have it inside of you,,:)

I get nervous around dogs. I'm afraid that they might attack and bite me. Whenever I come to my friends house, his two dogs would see me and start barking. He tells me that they are cowards and they are harmless, so I felt relieved. Thank goodness I was never attacked yet.

Really? I have found the opposite. Animals, other than cats, seem to detest me for some reason. The people near who lived by the bus stop that I sometimes used. (They moved recently) had a dog that would bark at me even when I moved to the other side of the street. He made me very nervous. Of course, no cars ever stopped for me while trying to cross the crosswalk to get back to other side.

I have I had better experiences with people than most other users here. Maybe I have just been lucky. Well, I haven't been very lucky with most animals.

Also, I am sure that a guard dog would run after me even if I was just walking by.

I don't think there is anything wrong with not liking animals. I'm pretty sure I've read somewhere that people with Asperger's either tend to like animals because they are (relatively) non-judgemental and easier to 'read' than people or dislike them for sensory reasons, but everyone is different.

Personally, I love animals. I grew up with them and understand them much better than I do people, though I think understanding them comes only after you have spent some time around them: I was in my early teens before I spent any time around horses and had a very hard time reading them for the first year or two. In general, though, as long as animals don't feel threatened by you they will be indifferent to you, and if you provide them food they will love you. Under no circumstances will they ridicule your clothing choices.