Cynophobia means fear of dogs. It can involve intense distress and restrictions around walks, visits or shared spaces. The word names the subject, while your experience supplies the detail.

Yes. Familiarity and what you expect from a particular dog can affect the response. Comfort with one animal does not make difficulty elsewhere inconsistent or imaginary.

Movement changes distance and the possibility of contact. The concern may be what happens next rather than simply seeing a dog. That distinction helps the work address the relevant cue.

An owner may be talking about temperament while you are worried about jumping, licking or your own reaction. Those are different concerns. The automatic response can also remain out of step with information you accept.

Yes. Anticipating an encounter can shape a route or visit in advance. The time spent planning around dogs is part of the impact, alongside direct sightings.

No. Distance can be an ordinary practical choice. Therapy addresses the phobic distress and restriction, rather than treating every boundary as something to remove.

Yes. Dog fear can affect different ages and influence family routines. Our programme described here is for adults; enquiries about a child need support appropriate to their age.

The sound can bring an expectation of approach or contact before there is a clear view. That makes the sound and its associations useful information for treatment, alongside the response to a visible dog.

No. Some people remember an event, while others describe a gradual response or influences from other people. The present pattern can still be addressed when the beginning is unclear.

Observed reactions and repeated messages can shape expectations. This is one possible influence, not a reason to blame someone or assume that the response cannot change.

Watching may feel like the way to prevent a surprise. It can also keep attention centred on possible movement and leave little room for the activity you came to enjoy.

No. We can begin with the situations that matter now and the change you want. A relevant memory can be included without making a hidden event a requirement for progress.

That experience can be part of the therapeutic work without being dismissed. The focus is how it affects encounters now. A recent bite is a separate medical matter; use NHS bite guidance or seek appropriate medical help.

Yes. We work towards freedom from the phobia: ordinary encounters, independent decisions and plans no longer organised around fear. The aim is to resolve the response, not simply endure it.

CBT examines expectations and the actions connected with them. It can explore the meaning of a dog approaching and the role of watching or leaving, using practical learning as well as discussion.

Exposure is intended to create opportunities to experience a situation differently, not to test how much distress you can endure. Positive encounters can be embraced as stepping stones to something better.

Our online programme does not involve direct exposure to dogs or require you to touch one. Treatment provides a structured approach to helping your mind develop a more appropriate response. Walking past a dog with greater composure or visiting someone whose dog is appropriately managed can feel rewarding as more of your attention returns to the walk, the visit and your own choices.

We use focused attention, suggestion and imagery to work towards a natural automatic response. The content relates to your dog fear and the places you want to enjoy freely.

It keeps attention on the life you want and the resources you bring to change. A meaningful outcome, such as an unrestricted visit, helps give the therapeutic work direction.

It can explore how a remembered encounter or future approach is represented in the mind. We work with the emotional associations, aiming for less dominance from the old picture and a calmer expectation.

No. Virtual approaches are discussed as part of the wider treatment guide. Our programme uses individual online therapeutic work, including imagery, rather than a supplied VR system.

The core programme has three individual online sessions, usually about a week apart. Each lasts 60 to 90 minutes. We discuss the fit and amount of support at the consultation.

Supporting material and audio accompany the programme. They support the personalised work between individual sessions, rather than replace the therapeutic conversation.

Yes. The sessions are delivered online while the goals concern your daily life. Preparation is shaped around the cues and situations you want to respond to naturally.

An earlier experience does not decide what is possible next. Tell us what you would like to achieve now, so we can focus the conversation on the freedom you want.

Our programme does not require touching a dog or having one present in online sessions. The goal is an ordinary response in the situations you want to use freely, not completing a handling task.

No. You can be free of the phobia and still prefer not to own or touch a dog. The aim is calm and ordinary choice, so dogs do not restrict the activities you want.

Yes. You can explain what would help the visit. An ordinary boundary and therapeutic work can coexist; the goal is choice rather than being required to accept contact.

No. It reflects your selected experiences and the outcomes you might value. It does not diagnose a condition or assess the behaviour of a dog.

Yes. Describe the wider picture at the consultation. This helps us consider the focus of the work and how the programme fits your needs.

Book a free 30-minute consultation if you would like to discuss the programme. Bring your questions and what you want back; a complete explanation of the fear is not required.