Afraid of big dogs? Can I still get hired at an animal shelter?
Updated On September 23rd, 2025
Pet's info: Small Animal | Rabbit | Female | spayed | 1.5 lbs
I love animals but I have a phobia of huge dog such Great Danes ect. So will that effect that me getting the role at a animal shelter?
2 Answers
Most Helpful Answer
Published on May 27th, 2018
While working at a shelter you will almost certainly be around larger dogs. As long as you are still able to perform the duties required of your job you should be fine. Take this as an opportunity to learn and grow and become more comfortable with larger dogs. It may be challenging at first but with you can learn to become comfortable with them. I hope this helps. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Best of luck.
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful
Related Answers from Veterinarians
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Published on November 10th, 2019
I would recommend spending the day volunteering at a shelter to see how you like it. The animals will be in cages so you can get closer without them jumping on you. I would also recommend maybe considering speaking with a local veterinarian and see if you can spend the day at the clinic around animals to get used to them. It may take time, but with more exposure, I would think you would become more comfortable.
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful
Training & Behavior
I really want to work in the animal field more specifically a vet, and I’m thinking of volunteering at an animal shelter but I have a small phobia of bigger dogs, biting me, jumping on me barking. How do I over come that fear?
I would recommend spending the day volunteering at a shelter to see how you like it. The animals will be in cages so you can get closer without them jumping on you. I would also recommend maybe considering speaking with a local veterinarian and see if you can spend the day at the clinic around animals to get used to them. It may take time, but with more exposure, I would think you would become more comfortable.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Health & Wellbeing
I'm starting volunteering at my county Humane Society tomorrow. Any tips, tricks, and general good ways to approach animals that might not take kindly to newcomers?
When you start volunteering at the shelter, ask to be given a tour of the shelter and ask many questions about the individual animals. Before you approach or handle any animal ask someone there (who knows the animal) whether you need to watch out for certain behaviors, what the animal likes, what not and how to approach it. With time you will get enough experience to be able to judge for your self. Always greet the animal verbally first and see whether it wants to approach you. Do not run after an animal and do not "just" touch it. Make a fist and let the animal smell it first. It is much harder to bite into and hurt a fist. Ask the animal to come to you.
I am sure, the shelter will not let you handle dangerous animals in the beginning. Ask many questions.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
New Pet
I’m considering adopting a dog that had been wondering the neighborhood for over a month. Thanks to animal control he was trapped and taken to the shelter. He was microchipped but the owners are going to surrender him. I have always had small pets
It will all depend on his temperament! Big dogs can get along with small dogs just fine but it does depend on their personalities. Make sure they meet in a neutral area (so not your yard that your small dog "owns." It wis probably a good idea to take the bigger dog on a hard walk to wear him out and also have a helper with you. If you are scared, have them meet with a fence between them first. You can absolutely train him to a kennel still.
Lastly, make sure your fence is high enough and in good condition. It's pretty tough to train a dog not to jump a fence. One option is to get an underground fence and run the wire along the fence line. Most dogs will respect this system and won't try to jump the fence.
I also recommend to do some reading about Labs in general. They are typically very good dogs but they do require some exercise. I hope this is helpful and please feel free to post any additional questions.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Health & Wellbeing
I've lost 6 dogs in the last 9 months. One had to be euthanized because he attacked me viciously and his sister died of a heart attack today 3 were very old jrt's one was killed by the neighbors dog. One was hit by a car one had a stroke. I have 1 jr
I am so sorry to hear about your losses. I would definitely consider a mixed breed dog from a shelter or rescue group. A medium to large sized dog, such as a retriever or pit bull mix might be a good size if you are looking for a dog to be a "protector". You will want to be sure to talk to the rescue group or shelter about what you are looking for in a dog and what your lifestyle is like (active vs. mostly sedentary, living in an apartment vs large fenced yard, other pets in the house) so they can fit you with the right personality for your dog. You can also look at http://www.akc.org/find-a-match/#slide1 to help get an idea of some breeds you may be interested in (however a mixed breed is always a great choice).
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Training & Behavior
My dog is 7 months old I got him 2 months ago and i need to take him to get his shots but he is super attached to us and only us he will growl and bark at everyone. How do I take him in to be seen
Thanks for using Boop by Petco! This is a lot more common than you think. The majority of hospitals have experience in these types of scenarios and are more than capable of dealing with this. They would restrain him well and be able to proceed with the vaccinations and whatever else was needed. Sometimes sedation is needed depending on the patient though this is rarely needed just for vaccinations. Good luck and have a great day!
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Training & Behavior
How to help my dog interact with other dogs? I have a dog park nearby my house, but most of the times it has big labs and golden retrievers in there. My dog's scared of the big dogs and once had run away too. Besides running away, once he got so scar
Thanks for using Boop by Petco! The first thing would be to start by having Cashew interact with dogs of his size first. When he gets completely comfortable in this scenario and the interaction goes well, then I would recommend perhaps starting to have him interact with larger dogs. The fact that he was bitten last time does not mean that every interaction he has with another large breed dog will be like this. I would highly recommend that there is always someone present when these interactions occur. This should help getting him socialized in general. Good luck and have a great day!
Updated on September 24th, 2025
New Pet
My dog Xena seems scared of stuffed animals. She turned two years old today, and we’ve had her since she was 8 weeks old (adopted from local shelter). She’s well trained and gets along well with dogs and cats, but she is terrified of stuffed animals.
Thanks for using Boop by Petco! She probably had a bad experience with a stuffed animal. You would be surprised to know that I have actually seen this before and in that case it improved with time. I do think that this will eventually get better. I would just have her exposed to stuffed animals every once in a while but without pushing her too much. Eventually she will likely get more and more comfortable around them. Good luck and have a great day!
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Health & Wellbeing
Can you please tell me about adopting shelter dogs and how to take care of them and how to introduce the dog to my household? Just in case I decided to adopt a German Shepherd or Husky or Lab. Thank you!
Adopting a new dog is so much fun! Whenever bringing a new dog into the home, it should be done slowly with the existing animals already there to make the transition smoothly. The new dog should be kept separated from the other animals when home alone to avoid any problems, and their interactions should be monitored when you are home so you can separate them at any problem. I'm not sure if you have any additional animals in the home, but if you have cats for example, it's normal they will hiss at the dog. Do not allow them to swipe at the dog, separating them right away if you notice the cat getting upset. Also do not allow the dog to chase the cats. If you don't have any other animals in your home, then just be patient with the dog as it acclimates to his new house. Moving into a new home can be stressful, and some dogs may not eat or drink at first. This will pass in time. Shelter dogs should be taken care of just like any other dog: Fed twice a day, make sure they are up t
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Health & Wellbeing
Recently adopted a female Australian cattledog and American pitbull mix. She was okay initially but her behavior seems different every day. She starts getting anxious or hiding around night time from me. She was okay with my husband initially but now
Thanks for using Boop by Petco! These types of behavior can improve though this does require in person training with the help of a qualified dog trainer. I would encourage you to contact a dog trainer that can work with you and her in person to really take care of this behavior. The sooner these behaviors are dealt with, the more likely it is that you can improve and resolve them. Good luck and have a good night!
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Health & Wellbeing
I have no experience with dogs, i m even afraid of them but I want to keep one. I want a small cute furry puppy who's not so active, friendly and who doesn't bark or bite. Basically a couch potato who's smart. Which dog breed is best for me?
I am not sure that it is a good idea for you to have a dog if you are afraid of them. Remember that cute, furry puppies grow up to be adult dogs. You must be willing to train a dog, and cannot back away in fear if he jumps on you or does something else (within the realm of normal dog behavior) to frighten you. I would strongly suggest a cat or other small, less-active animal for a pet. The worst thing for you and the dog would be for you to have to surrender it to a shelter or give it away. Best of luck with this!
Updated on September 24th, 2025
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