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Original poster

My glasses upset the dog

120 replies

Noglasses · 05/07/2021 18:45

For starters- I don't have a dog, don't know the first thing about them, don't love them, don't hate them, live and let live.

We've got new neighbours, they have a dog, smallish, lots of hair. The dog seems to mainly be outside all day with the neighbours around and in and out the house, it looks perfectly happy to be there, mainly lying in its basket by the doorstep or sniffing around.

Every single fucking time I step out of my front door it barks at me like a maniac, running up to the fence, throwing itself off the fence like a mad thing, barking it's head off like it wants to eat me. It's tiny, I know it won't eat me but it makes me jump every time and irritates the hell out of me. I'm just walking out my door and down my path in a perfectly normal way.

I finally said to my new neighbour "wow, your dog really doesn't like me, ha ha" and she said, very seriously "He doesn't like people wearing glasses. They really upset him. If you didn't have your glasses on he wouldn't bark at you. He doesn't do it to upset you, he's very stressed by glasses."

Luckily my bus was just coming down the road so I just sort of laughed and said Oh right, there's my bus".

Seriously? Is this a thing with dogs? Either I am not very knowledgeable about the ways of dogs or my new neighbour and her dog are a bit odd.

OP posts:
waterlego · 05/07/2021 19:39

@Noglasses

I am smiling at the dog who is scared of hoods. Do you just stay indoors when it's raining?
No, because he can usually be fairly easily moved past whatever it is that is vexing him when we’re out and about. I do avoid driving anywhere with him in the rain though because he just shouts for the whole journey 😂

Seriously though, if I was the neighbour, I would be taking the dog inside if it was doing that to you; it’s really not on to leave any sort of unpleasant or antisocial behaviours unchecked. It is their responsibility.

Having said that, I dare say if you Chuck a treat over every time, it will make an association between the two and feel more kindly towards you.

The neighbour should be doing something though.

Inthesameboat2 · 05/07/2021 19:39

He has mellowed over the years though, thank goodness, and doesn't do it as much at all anymore...has to be a big close up of a person's face now (usually male) and even then he doesn't always react any more, but he is old now, so maybe his eyesight isn't as good as it used to be.

StCharlotte · 05/07/2021 19:40

I think the hat thing - particularly men in hats - is pretty common and they can't all have been abused by men in hats.

My dog couldn't bear brass bands or traction engines.

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Dogs
Inthesameboat2 · 05/07/2021 19:41

My other dog doesn't recognise my dd if she has her hair up in a towel and will bark until she speaks...doesn't do it to me when I'm wearing a towel on my head though....dogs are very weird!

madefromgirderrs · 05/07/2021 19:46

My dog is afraid of my Husband cooking , if he picks up a frying pan she will be behind the sofa or T.V . Dogs are weird .

DinosApple · 05/07/2021 19:49

A customer where I used to work came in with her dog. The dog went nuts and she said it was because the dog couldn't see my legs (behind a counter) and thought I was just a torso and head. Completely freaked the dog out. High kicks to prove I had legs didn't help, so I went into the waiting area and it calmed down... But it still barked when I went back behind the counter.

Never having owned a dog, I always assumed they were quite intelligent, so it was a bit of a revelation Grin.

Polkadots2021 · 05/07/2021 20:24

@Noglasses

For starters- I don't have a dog, don't know the first thing about them, don't love them, don't hate them, live and let live.

We've got new neighbours, they have a dog, smallish, lots of hair. The dog seems to mainly be outside all day with the neighbours around and in and out the house, it looks perfectly happy to be there, mainly lying in its basket by the doorstep or sniffing around.

Every single fucking time I step out of my front door it barks at me like a maniac, running up to the fence, throwing itself off the fence like a mad thing, barking it's head off like it wants to eat me. It's tiny, I know it won't eat me but it makes me jump every time and irritates the hell out of me. I'm just walking out my door and down my path in a perfectly normal way.

I finally said to my new neighbour "wow, your dog really doesn't like me, ha ha" and she said, very seriously "He doesn't like people wearing glasses. They really upset him. If you didn't have your glasses on he wouldn't bark at you. He doesn't do it to upset you, he's very stressed by glasses."

Luckily my bus was just coming down the road so I just sort of laughed and said Oh right, there's my bus".

Seriously? Is this a thing with dogs? Either I am not very knowledgeable about the ways of dogs or my new neighbour and her dog are a bit odd.

Grin

This is totally a thing. We had a dog once who would lie down crying and refuse to move for 5 mins or so everytime he saw a wheel. As you can imagine, walks took a long time, as all cars, bikes & bicycles have wheels. Thankfully he grew out of it.

romdowa · 05/07/2021 20:38

Yeah dogs are 100% demented. My dog is afraid of people wearing hats , hoods, umbrella's, joggers and people on skateboards. It's up to the owners though to control him when he goes crazy. We always make an attempt at least to calm our dog when they start.

Original poster
Noglasses · 05/07/2021 20:43

We had a dog once who would lie down crying and refuse to move for 5 mins or so everytime he saw a wheel

I am crying with laughter at this one.

I feel a bit more sorry for the dog now but I do think the neighbour should do something about it.
I'm not frightened but it makes me jump every single time even though I'm expecting it. And it's just annoying.
It was raining today so the dog was inside when I went out this morning but it was back out barking it's wee head off as usual when I got home.

OP posts:
Teaandbicciesplease · 05/07/2021 20:47

Mines afraid of balloons and bubbles. He broke a tooth attacking bubbles that dared to come up from the shower drain.

CiaoForNiao · 05/07/2021 20:49

Nothing to do with dogs but...

My now ex MIL was convinced DS1 didn't like her holding him as a baby because she wore glasses. The fact he was just in that clingy "only mummy can touch me" phase, or that both her son (as in baby's Father) and I wore glasses was irrelevant.

Caramelsmadfuzzytail · 05/07/2021 20:51

My mums dog used to hate watering cans. Anytime our neighbour came to water his beens, the dog would go mental. He was a greyhound and the most laid back dog any other time.

TaraR2020 · 05/07/2021 20:51

@RandomMess that is adorable!

Op I hope the neighbours take steps to try and ease their dogs anxiety,or at least call him in when you're outside!

LoveFall · 05/07/2021 20:58

My little dog was attacked by another dog who absolutely hates white dogs. Go figure. No real harm done, just a lot of crying and needing cuddles.

Leftphalange · 05/07/2021 21:00

I agree that dogs can be strange animals- one of mine is scared of doors, the ironing board, and cats!

Paq · 05/07/2021 21:05

The list of things my dog is scared of is very, very long:

Fishing rods
Purple
Balloons
Horses
Hay bales
The merest ripple on water. Actual waves are terrifying
Hi vis
Bicycles, even when stationary
Car park barriers
The word vet but not the actual vet
Greyhounds but no other dogs
Snow
People blowing on him
Hosepipes, even when not in use.

iklboo · 05/07/2021 21:06

My whippet / greyhound cross was scared of rabbits. I don't think she got the memo.

Graphista · 05/07/2021 21:08

Yes. Our second family dog was a rescue and didn't like anyone wearing hats. We guessed it was possible they'd been abused by a hat wearer. She was quite nervous when we first got her generally

thisplaceisweird · 05/07/2021 21:09

OP you've got 3 options:

  • work with neighbors so the dog gets used to you
  • ask your neighbors to train the dog not to bark at you
  • ignore and things will stay the same
17CherryTreeLane · 05/07/2021 21:11

My dog is afraid of kittens. Big cats are fine.

afaloren · 05/07/2021 21:12

My dog is afraid of hats unless worn by DH. They’re peculiar creatures.

Newfluff · 05/07/2021 21:12

I had the sad experience of seeing a fear develop. After a horrendously traumatic incident which meant the police and ambulance arrived at my house with Blue lights and sirens, my previous bomb proof dog developed a severe aversion to emergency vehicles, he would, if he thought I was at risk, chase and snarl at them, or if he thought we were all safe (ie in the house) he would disappear under something crying and shaking. I always knew they were more complex than I gave them credit for, tbh it humbled me.

afaloren · 05/07/2021 21:13

He is also afraid of people sitting down far away. Nutcase.

MumofSpud · 05/07/2021 21:22

My dog is scared of brooms, the hoover but not the lawnmower Hmm
When I am hoovering I think does he think I am 'with the enemy' so I don't hoover much

BlackAmericanoNoSugar · 05/07/2021 21:23

My dog barely twitches an ear at fireworks going off nearby, but will jump out of a deep sleep into defensive mode if a man sneezes (not if I sneeze for some reason). He used to defend me from bicycles when we were out walking, but he grew out of that. He will still attack the hoover if it come near me.

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