Specific fears

[GreyStella]

Does anyone's dog have a specific fear? Stella is TERRIFIED of any ball bigger then a tennis ball It doesnt even have to be moving. If she sees it, she turns and will pull to go home and there is no talking her out of it. She is also afraid of the smell of smoke. When living in Alberta the summer wild fires would cause smoke smell for days and eventually she would get over it. She also doesn't like sounds that she can't identify where they came from. If she can see what made the sound, she is ok. Sometimes if she gets scared on a walk and wants to pull home I can cuddle her head and she will change her mind and be ok, but with the ball thing, no way, she has to go home immediately and we do it. Anyone else?

[HeyRunDog]

Grace is also scared of sounds she cannot see where they are coming from which is probably why she's frightened of fireworks. I was at a friends house with Grace and he put on a film which had a lot of loud bangs and crashes at the beginning. Grace stood up and started whining and getting agitated. Then she looked at the TV, worked out that was the source of the noise and laid back down.

She also doesn't like the sound of anyone playing football (soccer) and will strain on her lead to get away.

[macoduck]

Kids bouncing basketballs terrified Mazy.    My mutt Pudge was only afraid of manhole covers swallowing her up.

[Remolacha]

Val is afraid of babies and small children. If we meet people pushing babies or walking toddlers on our walk she will hide behind me. I know now to cross the street. I had a cat who was terrified of the smell of smoke. If we grilled outside, she would hide in the closet all evening. Even snuffing a candle would freak her out.

[palmettobug]

Johnny hated the noise of small engines--lawn equipment, tractors, my mom's generator. Shivering, quivering mess.

Working K9 Sasha hated bicycles, moving or still. One time I could NOT get her to search a car due to bike on the rear rack. Occasionally old people with walkers or wheelchairs.

[MerseyGrey]

Lamb - fresh joints of or cooking. I was cooking with lamb about two weeks after we got Buddy and he bolted for the garden and wouldn’t come back in. When I tried to comfort him, he ran away and then hid behind Dan and wouldn’t let me near him - he did his best to keep Dan between us. It was only the next time I cooked with lamb and this odd behaviour surfaced again that I made the connection. I read around it a bit and it seems that it’s not that uncommon. Unfortunately Buddy hasn’t worked out that those fluffy white things in the fields that he wants to get in his teeth soooooooo much are the source of that terrible smell. If he ever got hold of one he’d be in for a shock!

[palmettobug]

OMG, the first time I gave Gino some lamb & rice canned dog food, I thought he was going to flip out. Johnny snarfed it down, I had to coax G out of the bedroom--and he is not one to ever turn down food. CANNED LAMB, who'd've thunk it??

[MerseyGrey]

21 minutes ago, palmettobug said:

OMG, the first time I gave Gino some lamb & rice canned dog food, I thought he was going to flip out. Johnny snarfed it down, I had to coax G out of the bedroom--and he is not one to ever turn down food. CANNED LAMB, who'd've thunk it??

I know! The look from Buddy said: ‘how could you?’ I learnt my lesson and lamb is currently off the menu in our house 🐑

[Scoutsmom]

My Henry went thru a period when he was terrified of the stop sign at the corner.  We had to cross the street to avoid it.

[spottydog]

Garbage trucks, buses, snow plows, any large vehicle. Also in Alberta! She is on a small dose of antidepressant daily, and I no longer force her to do a morning walk. She is more relaxed in the evening.

[2greyhoundMINI]

Mine just seem to be afraid of nail clippers LOL

[keeperdean]

The ice maker. He will run into the bedroom anytime I get ice from the frigid. Go figure.

[Daks]

Dakar isn't noise sensitive at all, thunder/fireworks are all fine, except when it comes to drones. The sound of drones sends him into a panic and he'll try to escape them at any cost. 

[greytpups]

Simon is afraid of trailers, horses and motorcycles. Ben was terrified of hot air balloons. No idea how these fears manifested, but most are easy to alleviate if we see them first.

[palmettobug]

K9 Sasha used to bark-bark at motorcycles, she was so funny getting all riled up in the truck when one passed us on the highway.