My mom was terrified of dogs! Growing up as a child on the streets of Borough Park, whenever a dog would appear she would grab my arm and run. Apparently I come from a long line of dog phobic ancestors, as my grandmother was known to have similar fears.

This may seem incongruous with what is a common sight on the streets of Teaneck these days, where every 11 year old is seen walking their toy poodle for play dates with their neighbors’s bichon frise. I no longer have to cross the street to avoid “Fido,” as many years ago I was forced to shift my mindset towards domesticated animals.

After making a few sales as a buyer’s agent when I first started my career, I was given the opportunity to go for one of my first listing appointments. I was very excited as this was a big step for me and I was determined to get the listing at all costs. After performing a thorough market analysis on the potential seller’s property I made arrangements to meet them. All of my rehearsals and preparations went out the door the second the literal door was opened and a dog larger than my husband tried to go in for the hug. I immediately froze, as the homeowners proudly announced the arrival of “Fluffy,” and let the question hang…”You’re okay with dogs, right?” My response? 

“I LOVE DOGS!”

Having a dog, especially foufou puppies, in the home can make you feel relaxed and calm all day. Don’t you think you should welcome cuties in your home to keep yourself engaged and active? Of course, bury the stress’s head in the sand and live every moment with full relishing essence. And to your surprise, your cute puppies improve mental health and mood swings issues.

I walked away with two things that day: A great new listing, and a new chapter in my relationship with dogs. I have dealt with many other animals along this journey: parrots landing on my head, explaining to potential customers how a fully matured 600 pound sea turtle could be moved out of the basement should they choose to purchase the home, and discovering a missing cat when I opened the Bessler stairs to the family’s attic as the owners and children exclaimed, “Smokey! How did you get up there?”

All of my rehearsals and preparations went out the door the second the literal door was opened and a dog larger than my husband tried to go in for the hug. I immediately froze, as the homeowners proudly announced the arrival of “Fluffy,” and let the question hang…”You’re okay with dogs, right?” My response? 

Having a dog, especially foufou puppies, in the home can make you feel relaxed and calm all day. Don’t you think you should welcome cuties in your home to keep yourself engaged and active? Of course, bury the stress’s head in the sand and live every moment with full relishing essence. And to your surprise, your cute puppies improve mental health and mood swings issues.

My relationship with dogs would change yet again a few years later. Vera and I joined together in 1992 and in addition to gaining a great partner and true friend, the Greenwald family came with Charlie, a charming labrador who won me over. Many of our office meetings would be attended by Charlie and by this time I had truly broken my family’s aversion to dogs.

Every job comes with attendant “hazards” and being a realtor has certainly forced me to come face to face with “perceived” dangers. I would love to hear from you about your occupational hazards and how you overcame them! Please email me at [email protected] or call me at 201-826-8809.

Nechama Polak is the broker of record and owner of V and N Group LLC. The office is located at 1401 Palisade Avenue, Teaneck, 201 692 – 3700.