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The doghouse

If you're worried about your pet's health, please speak to a vet or qualified professional.

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Original poster

Funny things that spook your dog...

77 replies

LonelyandTiredandLow · 12/12/2018 19:00

So, my 2yo greyhound has been a joy to see settle into our home. He's already coping with the x2 school runs, only 2 accidents in the house and has certainly monopolised the best position on the sofa

As I'm learning about him I am finding some quite funny 'fears' and thought it would be fun to share and find out what odd things spook/worry your dogs?

So, Tommy is apparently scared of scaffolding/builders on scaffolding (they shouldn't be that high!) and poodles - the smaller and fluffier the scarier!

OP posts:

Notthecarwashagain · 12/12/2018 19:04

Mine is very startled by 'for sale/let' signs if they have fallen over.
Scuttles sideways like a crab if she spots one.

DeadCertain · 12/12/2018 19:06

Mine has always been terrified of butchers' shops. He will tow me past in a real panic - yet eats a raw diet. Also fresh graves - same reaction.

PostmanBos · 12/12/2018 19:07

My old dog hated those big round silage bales.

pud1 · 12/12/2018 19:09

Mine is scared of anything that cleans floors. Brushes,hoovers and mops. We put the hoover in front of the Christmas tree when we go out to stop him stealing the baubles.

Bythebeach · 12/12/2018 19:10

Hmmm our 18 month lab is practically bomb proof - she loves all people including kids, people on mobility scooters, in hats and high vis jackets and 99.9% of dogs (I had to take her out of a cafe when she reacted oddly to a very nervous recently-rescued GSD whose owner said triggered that reaction in other dogs they’d met). She doesn’t turn a hair at fireworks or bin lorries or lawnmowers. She was initially mildly wary of one of the kids’ remote control cars but it doesn’t worry her now. In fact, I wish she had a bit more bloody common sense as she would approach everything and everyone with over enthusiasm if I let her!

Hoddykins · 12/12/2018 19:12

My youngest is frightened of Orang Peel of any kind

Clementine, tangerine, orange, satsuma - he jumps back if you hold it out to him and runs to hide.

So odd 😂

PuppyMonkey · 12/12/2018 19:12

Mine is only a puppy and is therefore a bit daft, but he woofs a lot at the smoke coming out of the chimney at the house at the end of our garden.

I have a friend who’s not allowed to walk a certain path near us because you can see a windmill in the distance and her dog goes mad at it.

Nesssie · 12/12/2018 19:13

My dog is pretty bombproof but hates being pointed at!

Soubriquet · 12/12/2018 19:14

My little shit is scared of anything that shouldn’t be there

So bin bags on the pavement, signs that blow in the wind etc

She starts to bark at them. A lot.

But since she’s tiny, I accept that these must be incredibly scary to her

RIPWalter · 12/12/2018 19:20

My dm's dog is scared of the moon!

He is basically scared of hot air balloons (and dm lives in an area with a lot of hot air balloons passing over), the dog has now managed to associate clear calm weather with hot air balloons, to the point of refusing walks. So far, all fairly normal, apparently it is a combination of the mostly silent approach, the size, and the high pitch "whistle" from the burner that commonly terrifies dogs.

Problem is when it is "hot air balloon" weather he scans the sky. In the winter when it is clear and calm and the moon is low he thinks the moon is a balloon and either hits the deck or freaks out and runs home, he ran home across 2 main roads once to get away from the moon!!

ladybee28 · 12/12/2018 19:25

There's a steakhouse restaurant on the road between our house and town. Outside there's a massive fake cow.

My pooch LOSES HER MIND over it.

She's wildly curious but utterly terrified at the same time - she'll sneak up to it with full shaking legs for a sniff, and then tuck her bum underneath her and dash wildly behind me. But she'll never just run past - we always have to investigate.

The people eating in the restaurant unfailingly stop eating to point and laugh.

missbattenburg · 12/12/2018 19:27

But since she’s tiny, I accept that these must be incredibly scary to her

Then I don't know what 23kg Battendog's excuse is. He hates bin day

Neededastealthname · 12/12/2018 19:27

Nothing! I swear he is too lazy to be scared! I was once mowing the lawn and almost mowed right into him when he decided he wanted to lay in the sunny patch I was millimetres away from! I tend to just push/slide him across the floor with my foot while he continues to snooze if I'm hoovering but have in the past just hoovered around him!

ikltownofboothlehem · 12/12/2018 19:29

My old girl used to get spooked by her own farts

DonaldDucksTowel · 12/12/2018 19:31

Mine is terrified of balloons, cries and shakes and runs like a bat out of hell every time, bumping into things and going half way up the walls trying to get away 🤷🏻‍♀️

Cuppateeee · 12/12/2018 19:34

My dog totally freaked out at the health lottery sign (the people with colourful Afro wigs) at the side of a narrow pavement.

Other dog, telling off a plug that was on the floor

CMOTDibbler · 12/12/2018 19:40

ddog1 is pretty good (frankly, I think he's too stupid to be scared of things), but ddog2 is scared of herons, hot air balloons and hedgehogs. The heron in particular is his mortal enemy.

Eatmycheese · 12/12/2018 19:41

Balloons
The hoover
The dishwasher
The kids
The hairdryer

Soft toys. She actually whimpers.

SlowNorris · 12/12/2018 19:44

Cut grass. Gave him trust issues with the ground in general.

Original poster

LonelyandTiredandLow · 12/12/2018 19:46

Bythebeach most of the time Tommy is like this - we went to an enclosed field for a run and they had a "guard llama" - so of course he went to the fence, tail wagging to become friends, llama looked confused and had to enforce his au-tho-ro-ta! with a stamp before Tommy looked suitably non-plussed and sniffed off.

It's funny how it's poodles though, even the cross breeds spook him! Maybe because he can't see their eyes...?

These are hilarious!

OP posts:

dudsville · 12/12/2018 19:50

I have a house full of dogs so won't sum up all their eccentricities here, but the funniest recently was when we moved earth from one point to another such that there was a sudden mound in one section of the garden. They all decided this was a danger and cautiously eyed it up or woofed at it from a smart distance, only the bravest got close enough to smell it but still set of the alarm as she thought it was a fright. They all charged to her defence. It was so funny to see them get to it and be like,"Ooh, so it's earth, yeah, ok" and saunter off!

Stickmanslittleleaf · 12/12/2018 19:54

My greyhound is terrified of little dogs, I think it's because she LOVES them really but knows her natural reaction to them is 'wrong' (she obviously isn't allowed to chase them) so she just avoids them completely as she doesn't know the 'right' thing to do. So a small poodle would be like a hare and the hare doesn't usually run up to them and act all dominant so they go 'wtf?'. Greyhounds are weird, mine went mad in the garden earlier and threw dd's bright pink croc into the middle of the grass. Then went out for a wee later and was terrified of it! 🙄

Weaverspin · 12/12/2018 20:01

The fridge. Our lurcher is terrified of the random noises the fridge makes. And he squares up, barking, to the hoover every time it’s switched on.
Funny soul.

MothershipG · 12/12/2018 20:03

My phone - I have to have it on silent as one of my Affenpinschers has to leave the room if it pings.

niceupthedance · 12/12/2018 20:08

Plastic bags in the wild. Terrifying

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