Derek Jeter Was Afraid Of Dogs ... Until He Met This Puppy

The sports world is abuzz with former Yankees star Derek Jeter's recent announcement that he and girlfriend Hannah Davis are engaged - but the real story here is how Jeter's puppy Kane, a gift from Davis, helped him overcome a lifelong fear of dogs.

"I've been scared of dogs almost my entire life," Jeter said in a post for his sports news site, The Players Tribune, in which he also announced his engagement. "I just wasn't comfortable around animals. My family didn't have pets when I was growing up and neither did my friends."

That all changed for Jeter last Christmas, when Davis brought Kane home. The tiny Italian mastiff puppy with gorgeous blue eyes was about to change Jeter's life for good - but the transition wasn't all smooth sailing.

"When I first got Kane, I panicked a little. I'm lying. Actually, I panicked a lot," Jeter said. "... 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 soon Jeter got the hang of being a dog dad, lost his fear - and realized how much he loved Kane. "There's a lot to learn as a new dog owner," Jeter said. "As I train him, I've also had to be trained."

And it's a good thing he's figured it out ... because Kane now weighs in at 100 pounds at only a year old. That doesn't stop him from trying to sit on dad's lap, though.