I don't particularly like dogs. I'm not afraid of them and would never do one any harm but I would never have one. It doesn't make me a worse person. I don't know if Steve is actually afraid of dogs but I, for one, would never laugh at anyones phobias regardless of what they are. I know someone who is terrified of moths. She is neither childish nor a killjoy. To mock someone else's fears shows a distinct lack of sensibility.