A dog holding a carrot

What does ARFID and fear of dogs have in common?

When we say someone has a FEAR of dogs, we’re not talking about someone who just doesn’t LIKE dogs. A FEAR (or phobia) of dogs means the person will cross to the opposite side of the road rather than be close to a dog; they won’t visit their friends if they know there is a dog in the house; their body goes into a state of anxiety and panic if a dog gets close to them (even if it’s on a lead, a happy dog or just trying to play and lick them); the thought of touching or patting a dog turns their stomach and makes them extremely uncomfortable.

Logically they may look at a dog and see that it is non threatening, but there is an inner part of them that dislikes dogs so intensely, that they can’t bring themselves to touch the dog even if they wanted ……