Derek jeter was terrified of dogs until this 100+ pound pup stole his heart

It may sound crazy to us dog lovers, but some people are not naturally drawn to dogs. For some people, celebrities included, it may be an underlying fear that keeps them away. When they were children they may never have been around dogs much, or like my husband, they were viciously attacked by one at a young age. Either way, there is a place in their hearts they didn’t know existed until they met the right one.

Such is the case for Kane, Derek Jeter’s 100+ pound one-year-old Mastiff puppy, a gift from his fiancé last Christmas. In an excerpt from his latest blog on his sports site, The Player’s Tribune, Jeter introduces the world to the dog that he’d never thought he’d have, and the one that changed his life forever:

Remember that movie? The one about the killer dog? I watched it when I was young and, man, it terrified me. After that movie, I was not messing with dogs at all. Big dogs, medium dogs, little dogs — it didn’t matter. I saw them all as threats.

I just wasn’t comfortable around animals. My family didn’t have pets when I was growing up and neither did my friends.

So, when his now-fiancé surprised him last Christmas with a puppy, he was naturally terrified like any grown man would be of an adorable little ball of fur with big blue eyes. (hehe!)

When I first got Kane, I panicked a little. I’m lying. Actually, I panicked a lot. We had some epic standoffs at the beginning. He was energetic, thought he was king of the house, and I was a nervous owner. Kane would bite and nip and not pay attention to anything I said. My panicking was probably making him panic.

But as little Kane grew, so did Jeter’s love for him, this dog that loved him unconditionally and showed him that not all dogs are bad, not even a little bit. So now that Jeter’s retired from his legendary career as a Yankee, he’s got a new role to fill as a devoted dog dad.

There’s a lot to learn as a new dog owner. As I train him, I’ve also had to be trained. I’ve learned that dogs thrive on routine: regular walks, chasing a ball and lots of sleep. He probably loves to sleep more than anything, which is ironic because I’m getting less sleep than I ever did before.

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