| Summary: | Children has many fears, for instance fear of dogs. When this fear becomes maladaptive and causes distress, it develops into dog phobia. Individuals with dog phobia usually have an onset in their childhood, and this disorder causes impairment to their lives. Dogs can be found almost everywhere in our lives, and have become the pets of many people. However, why do people still develop a phobia of dogs? It is commonly believed that bad experiences with dogs influence the development of dog phobias. However, the etiology of dog phobia is a complex process. Therefore, this paper seeks to explore the explanations for the onset of dog phobia by using the Tinbergen’s four questions model. Furthermore, this paper also focuses on dogs, in particular, the physical appearance of dogs, the behaviors of dogs, and their interactions with humans, so as to determine whether the understanding of dogs helps in the explanations for the development and maintenance of dog phobias. With a better and deeper understanding in the etiology of dog phobia, a more precise and complete course of treatments can be introduced to help the affected individuals.
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