Blowing Wind on a Dog's Face, Dog Bites and Phobias

There are many habits that I have that just never goes away. Even after a bad experience, the particular habit still stays within me. It is like an Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD). Blowing air on a dog's face is one of them. I recall the first time I did this when I was about 6 years old. This dog was enjoying the cool air, and began licking it. From then on, I would do this to any friendly dog I came across.

One day during this innocent and mischievous childhood period, my father brought along to his friend's house. I remember there was this black dog which was staying indoor. It was resting on its belly under a chair. As my father and his friend were chatting, I squatted and poked my face near the dog's face. I blew my first few air, but it did not respond enthusiastically to them. It just looked at me, and must have made comments of how silly I was. I recall it did not show any signs of annoyance and imminent attack ie growling and baring of teeth. It literally did not flinch. So I continued blowing, and hoped that it would appreciate this cool air I was supplying to it. Suddenly the dog moved its head forward, and then back. It was like a knee-kerk reaction. I practically did not see that coming. I only moved when I felt a pain on my face. I can't remember which part of the face got bitten. "Bitten" is not the word to use. "Grazed" is an appropriate word, as it only took off the top part of the skin. Thus there was just a smudge of blood.

Before I could register any emotional response, my father and a few household members attended to me. I told them I blew onto the dog's face. Recalling their non-urgency to my "injury", I guessed they were said "serves you right for provoking it". But I knew it was because the injury was insignificant. Anyhow, my father cut short his meeting and rushed me to the doctor to have me jabbed.  I remember that I lied down with my butt facing up, and I kept looking back at the needle until I could not see it anymore before it came down into my skin.

The only other time I got bitten by a dog when I was 13 years old. That was more severe. I was hand feeding an Alsatian-mix in the dark through the gates. I remember during other times I threw over food for him, but cannot remember if I had fed it directly from my hand. While taking the food, it grazed my finger. This time there were blood coming out. I didn't blame it because it was dark, and it was so hungry that he hurriedly ate it.

I did not go to the doctor for a jab after the second incident. That was because I had developed a fear of needles. Till now, this phobia still exists. I would have expected for me to develop a fear of dogs too, but it never happened. While only psychologists will know the reasons, but from my point of view, could it be that the fondness of a particular thing - whether it is animated or not - overwhelms the fear of an unpleasant situation related to, or as a result of indulging into that thing? Furthermore, I was at an age when I was psychologically very vulnerable to extreme events - be it unpleasant or pleasant.