# silly things that have scared your dog



## Steven Singh (Feb 22, 2011)

your strong nerve dog ever get a lil wierd or spooked by something it has never seen before, any funny storyies to tell say it here


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## Jeff Oehlsen (Apr 7, 2006)

No, a strong nerve dog doesn't get spooked, hence the term strong nerve.


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## Steven Singh (Feb 22, 2011)

sorry meant when they are under 2 years


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## Tanith Wheeler (Jun 5, 2009)

Mine was wary of a really tight metal spiral staircase.

I walked him up and down a few times on lead and then sent him up to bite a decoy.... no stair problems since. He was probably 8 months


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## Jeff Oehlsen (Apr 7, 2006)

Why would it change before two ? Just curious. If they are strong, then there is no spooking. If they spook, then maybe they get a different term for what they are.

I have no problem if the dog spooks at something and then gets over it. I have had plenty of dogs that never spooked at anything. Not all of them were good at the work, some would only bite if the helper was close. Go out 20 yards and they do not see the point.


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## Steven Singh (Feb 22, 2011)

I am not sure i guess i always thought that even the strong nerved dogs sometimes spook at silly things when they are puppys I mean i didnt think any dog was perfect since it was born but i could be wrong

Jeff would you consider all your dogs that have spooked at something but quickly got over it weak nerved? just curious


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## Jeff Oehlsen (Apr 7, 2006)

So, there are two versions of nerve, strong and weak and nothing in between.


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## Timothy Saunders (Mar 12, 2009)

I had a dog that was really tough. was spooked by the noise that the traffic light box made when the light changed.


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## Thomas Barriano (Mar 27, 2006)

Dubheasa my SchH III Dobermann got totally freaked out by a full size metal cut out of a child at the local park. Growled, snarled, haggles from neck to tail. Never got that kind of reaction from anything else?


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## Adam Rawlings (Feb 27, 2009)

Thomas Barriano said:


> Dubheasa my SchH III Dobermann got totally freaked out by a full size metal cut out of a child at the local park. Growled, snarled, haggles from neck to tail. Never got that kind of reaction from anything else?


I had a 5 month old pup that went nuts over a dinosaur shaped chair on a spring at the park today. She went roaring up to it like she was going to attack and when she realized it wasn't a living animal, she just jumped on it and sniffed it.

It's just stupid puppy crap they go through IMO. I've had other pups in the past light up on wet bolders in the dark, fire hydrants, garbage cans and a few other things. It doesn't bother me as long as they investigate and recover. If shit like that happens after 10 months old, I would be seriously evaluating the dogs nerves.


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## will fernandez (May 17, 2006)

trying to enter a yard....looking for someone...my dog got freaked by a lawn jockey. I had to kick it..make it come alive so that he could bite it. Destroyed the lawn jockey...then continued on with the search. Had to explain to home owner but they were thankful and didnt ask for replacement fee.


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## Anna Kasho (Jan 16, 2008)

Funny!

One of our neighbors once put a little buddha (garden statue) in their front yard. When my dogs saw it for the first time it was already dark, and they went ballistic. I calmed them down and went for a closer look. After inspecting thoroughly and deciding it didn't need to be killed, they still checked it each time walking past. The fat little guy was clearly up to no good, hiding in the bushes like that...:lol:


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## Thomas Barriano (Mar 27, 2006)

Adam Rawlings said:


> If shit like that happens after 10 months old, I would be seriously evaluating the dogs nerves.


REALLY? Dubheasa was almost 4 years old when that happened.
That was the first, last and only time she ever reacted like that to anything, so I just chalked it up to just some weird unexplainable dog thing. I don't feel the need to re evaluate dogs nerves based on isolated incidents


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## Jerry Cudahy (Feb 18, 2010)

Steven Singh said:


> your strong nerve dog ever get a lil wierd or spooked by something it has never seen before, any funny storyies to tell say it here


What freaks your dog out ?


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## Gerry Grimwood (Apr 2, 2007)

Hypothetical...

Nobody likes a scared dog, but a reactive dog might be considered nervy by some people.

It seems like most people don't like a high threshold dog, which can be just as bad because of lack of desire or intent.

Could one be worse than the other ? is there some overlap somewhere ? 

Is Maggie really a 24 yr old peeler working her way through college or is she just shittin me ??


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## Adam Rawlings (Feb 27, 2009)

Thomas Barriano said:


> REALLY? Dubheasa was almost 4 years old when that happened.
> That was the first, last and only time she ever reacted like that to anything, so I just chalked it up to just some weird unexplainable dog thing. I don't feel the need to re evaluate dogs nerves based on isolated incidents


I would just let it slide this one time, but if it happens again you have to shoot her.:-D


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## Adam Rawlings (Feb 27, 2009)

Gerry Grimwood;254960)
Is Maggie really a 24 yr old peeler working her way through college or is she just shittin me ??[/QUOTE said:


> Are you actually listening to her talk while she's on sitting your lap?[-X


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## will fernandez (May 17, 2006)

sharpened prongs and a friction dance dont mix


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## Nicole Stark (Jul 22, 2009)

will fernandez said:


> sharpened prongs and a friction dance dont mix


Try it once, you might just like it :twisted:


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## Mike Scheiber (Feb 17, 2008)

My dog dont see any thing strange or out of the ordinary things seldom change hes a Schutzhund dog.
Seriously the only stupid thing I can think of is when he was a youngster he came out of the lake and got scared by his wet tail and thought it was chasing him and he took off running a bit.
I know there's been a few other things but nothing that caused me any concern. If a dog dont have some sort of suspension your ****ed. I watch how a dog recovers and deals with odd stuff.


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## Joby Becker (Dec 13, 2009)

giant inflatable christmas decoration at night. first time seeing it..
investigated, "killed it" and recovered..did not have problems with them at all since...


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## Bob Scott (Mar 30, 2006)

My older dog Thunder has never shone any aversion to anything. By 3 months old he had spent a lot of time in a fire house with sirens, horns, alarms etc. Also gun shot, boats and loaded into a running helicopter at 12 wks. No reactions other then cocking his head with the fire sirens. He howls with them now! 
This past 4th of July he was pacing when the fireworks were going off right over the house (we're blocks from where the city has it's big festival). That was the first time ever that I've seen any reaction from him and it wasn't terrible, just different.


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## Jeff Oehlsen (Apr 7, 2006)

Bob, I have had, and heard of a lot of dogs that get weird about stuff like fireworks when they get older, that never even noticed them before. 

Quote: If a dog dont have some sort of suspension your ****ed.

What kind of suspension does your dog have ? Do you go with off road stuff, or indy car style ??


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## Bob Scott (Mar 30, 2006)

My GSDs are off road! ;-)


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## mel boschwitz (Apr 23, 2010)

Steven Singh said:


> your strong nerve dog ever get a lil wierd or spooked by something it has never seen before, any funny storyies to tell say it
> here


When my Bloodhound pup was about 6 or 7 months we were working our first "aged" trail (about 24hrs).. The trail went down a fenceline and tied into a fenceline was a large rock (to this day I don't know why it was there). The pup was running real strong and suddenly saw the rock and got real spooked. I couldn't figure out why (and to this day I still have no idea). She was pretty bothered by it until I went up near it, then I guess she realized it wasn't a threat and went back to work and that was it. Weird. She's occasionally a little nervy but has so much drive that her drive takes her past the scary stuff, but that time it didn't.


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## Mike Scheiber (Feb 17, 2008)

Jeff Oehlsen said:


> Bob, I have had, and heard of a lot of dogs that get weird about stuff like fireworks when they get older, that never even noticed them before.
> 
> Quote: If a dog dont have some sort of suspension your ****ed.
> 
> What kind of suspension does your dog have ? Do you go with off road stuff, or indy car style ??


Ha looks like I should check my spell check offerings a little closer


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## Maria Jeffrey (Dec 11, 2010)

My older female mal was wary of a small watermain one time while walking in town. I don't mean a fire hydrant but one of those small mains that is on a lawn that looks like a big golf tee. She noticed it from about 30 feet away and was eyeballing it and walking sideways around it as if it was going to jump and attack her. She did go sniff it after I touched it ...weird tho..this dog is soft tempermented but is not generally bothered by environment. Will sit under rides at local fairs etc and not be bothered but watch out for the nasty water main!
Maria


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## Joby Becker (Dec 13, 2009)

Mike,

You did NOT mean suspension? 

Made sense to me, LOL... ability to absorb shock without damage and recover...

did you mean suspicion...??


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## Jackie Lockard (Oct 20, 2009)

I put on a paintball mask on in front of one of my Mali's, that sure threw the bugger for a loop. Knew it was me but couldn't figure out where I went. Wasn't the brightest crayon in the box.


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## Jerry Cudahy (Feb 18, 2010)

Mr. Singh, what is wrong with your under two yr old dog ?


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## Matt Grosch (Jul 4, 2009)

"Fear will cause you to hesitate, and hesitation will cause all of your worst fears to come true"
-Swayze/PointBreak


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## Marta Wajngarten (Jul 30, 2006)

Joby Becker said:


> giant inflatable christmas decoration at night. first time seeing it..
> investigated, "killed it" and recovered..did not have problems with them at all since...


LOL same here

We came home one night and my neighbours had set up those stupid things in their front yard. Haus saw them from the truck and hated them as much as I did. Unfortunately I couldn't let him kill them, wish I could. Frosty the snow man would have been first on his list too. We had a quick conversation about this and he's ignored them since.


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## Doug Zaga (Mar 28, 2010)

Gerry Grimwood said:


> Is Maggie really a 24 yr old peeler working her way through college or is she just shittin me ??


 
Gerry she is... but ain't tell you which one!


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## Maren Bell Jones (Jun 7, 2006)

There's these big dog topiary things outside the entrance to the new indoor facility at Purina Farms in Gray Summit, Missouri. Me and my dog were walking inside for our turn in protection at a seminar and his tail went up and he stared at the big lab shaped topiary. No growling or hackling or anything, just didn't know if the bull sized green Labrador was trying to start something...


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## maggie fraser (May 30, 2008)

Gerry Grimwood said:


> Hypothetical...
> 
> 
> Is Maggie really a 24 yr old peeler working her way through college or is she just shittin me ??


Gerry, what's a year here or there? 

My dog must be tuff.....or dead, I don't recall him taking fright at much at all other than the lack of clatter of feed bowls at feeding time.


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## David Frost (Mar 29, 2006)

The last working dog I handled was Jack. Jack was a cadaver dog and in my not so humble of an opinion, a darn good one. Jack was dog neutral, never met a person he didn't like. I never saw any aggression out of Jack in the 13 years he lived EXCEPT. On afternoon, I was sitting in my Explorer, with Jack in the back. I just had a carpeted plywood platform him after removing the seats. I had screens on the windows, but other than that, jack had the run of the truck. I was sitting in the parking lot waiting to go training, when all of a sudden Jack growled and then just exploded with barking growling and actually hitting the window screen. Scared the bejezzus out of me. When I finally calmed down, I notice one of our snipers. He had been trying a new "Gilly" (I'm sure that's not spelled correctly) suit and was sneaking up on the truck. It was the only time I had ever seen any aggression out of Jack. I think he actually would have bitten someone. 

DFrost


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## Jerry Cudahy (Feb 18, 2010)

*Stupid things that have scared your dog*

Owners/Handler


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## David Frost (Mar 29, 2006)

*Re: Stupid things that have scared your dog*



Jerry Cudahy said:


> Owners/Handler


?? Things that have scared owners/handlers? If that's the question, there have been a couple I don't even like to talk about because they still scare me. 

DFrost


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## Christopher Jones (Feb 17, 2009)

For me its not so much a scared reaction but a weird one. Took Boy for a walk in a strange park. They had these bronze life like size figures of early setters including a bronze dog. The statue of the dog sparked his curiosity and he went up to it and sniffed its butt, then proceded to try and hump it. 
Weirdo....


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## Jerry Cudahy (Feb 18, 2010)

*Re: Stupid things that have scared your dog*



David Frost said:


> ?? Things that have scared owners/handlers? If that's the question, there have been a couple I don't even like to talk about because they still scare me.
> 
> DFrost


No, not a question, rather that most problems that trully impose fhobia. Human induced

The whole thread boils down to STUPID PEOPLE who think they are experts after witnessing a natural reaction with the belief they induced behaviour.

I am still waiting to hear what Mr. Singh has to say on this topic he started. ( what is wrong with his dog)

I am not taking a shot at all the members who posted and bared their souls.

Anyone with true experience with dogs in general have all witnessed pods of insecurity. It is natural.

Often it is olfactory based. Why dogs react in the ways they do. Any dog that reverts to stimulous kicks it's nose into high gear and immeadiatly log an opinion via the olfactory system.

Newbies just do not get it.


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## Bob Scott (Mar 30, 2006)

Jeff Oehlsen said:


> Bob, I have had, and heard of a lot of dogs that get weird about stuff like fireworks when they get older, that never even noticed them before.
> 
> Quote: If a dog dont have some sort of suspension your ****ed.
> 
> What kind of suspension does your dog have ? Do you go with off road stuff, or indy car style ??



I've heard that also but it was a suprise to see "MY" Thunder showing stress over anything. :lol: 
The good thing was that I went out and did a bit of OB for a tug with him while it was going on and after that he settled back in. 
I've shot trap with him quite a bit since and no reaction from that. He just snoozes under the truck (20 ft away).
Next 4th of July will be interesting.


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## Laura Bollschweiler (Apr 25, 2008)

I seem to remember one theory of older dogs becoming sound sensitive is that it's possibly linked to thyroid levels.

Laura


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## Bob Scott (Mar 30, 2006)

Laura Bollschweiler said:


> I seem to remember one theory of older dogs becoming sound sensitive is that it's possibly linked to thyroid levels.
> 
> Laura


He's only showed those signs once with serious fireworks but it's worth looking into.


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## Adam Swilling (Feb 12, 2009)

The only dog I've got that I would say was freaked out by anything is our little mini dachsund. My oldest son farted on him one time and the poor thing hauled balls to his crate and didn't come out for an hour. Those rotten kids of mine were laughing like idiots for 10 minutes after. I have to admit, I thought it was pretty funny myself.


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## Ashley Campbell (Jun 21, 2009)

LMAO, that's horrible ^.

I haven't seen any fear reactions out of my pup. I accidentally sucked his tail up in the vacuum last night and all he did was get up and walk off like "f-you" until I turned it off. I'm still waiting for something to catch him off-guard.


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## Thomas Jones (Feb 4, 2011)

A bird got in my house one time and my dog freaked out but not in a scared way. Got on top of the freezer thats about 6ft while tearing things up along the way he was about 8 months at that time. Here recently he took off after something outside and jumped through a screened window. He jumped about 10-12 feet from the window I was worried he might have hurt himself but he seems fine. In the movie I Love You Man when jason segel goes off on lou ferrigno shep runs to the door and barks everytime.


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## Joby Becker (Dec 13, 2009)

I had 3 dogs loose one time in a small house.. 

came home from work and could not find any of the dogs...
A rottie, an APBT, and a Presa....

I found them hiding in various locations in the house. one in a closet, one downstairs in the basement and another in a corner behind a bed..

I call the dog out of the closet and it reluctantly came out....as soon as I got to the living room the dog took off again, back in the closet...

I was thinking, "what the fu-- happened in here", and walked passed the couch to the other bedroom, to try to coax out the Presa, when I felt a sharp sting on my leg....

I looked down and saw a very scared/angry 5-6 ft iguana that had escaped its cage in my roomates room, laying on the couch in the living room, whipping its tail all over the freaking place...

And I always told the roomie don't let that fu--er get out, the dogs will kill it...

WRONG AGAIN!!!


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## Matt Covey (Feb 27, 2011)

4 year old American Bulldog that would fight a pack of wolves to defend her master. She was nose to nose with a horse checking him out and seeing what he was all about. The other three horses started walking over and she rose up and lifted her tail in a perfect show stance. Only problem was the tip of her tail touched the electric fence and she bolted full speed all the way back to me and peeked out from behind my legs. Took her about an hour to trust the horses again since she associated the pain from the fence with them.


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## Steven Singh (Feb 22, 2011)

Jerry Cudahy said:


> Mr. Singh, what is wrong with your under two yr old dog ?



nothing yet with the new dog but in the past i had a dog that was scared to go down some stairs that were narrow we had to carry him down and he was like 90 lbs lol he was a rescue.


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## Steven Singh (Feb 22, 2011)

Other than some stairs he was always great loud noises everything etc.. Some stairs he was really good with just the odd stair he would get terrified of like there was a ghost on it.


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## Laney Rein (Feb 9, 2011)

Adam Swilling said:


> The only dog I've got that I would say was freaked out by anything is our little mini dachsund. My oldest son farted on him one time and the poor thing hauled balls to his crate and didn't come out for an hour. Those rotten kids of mine were laughing like idiots for 10 minutes after. I have to admit, I thought it was pretty funny myself.


 
Give this man the trophy! This is one of the funniest things to read, can't even imagine witnessing it!


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## Nicole Stark (Jul 22, 2009)

A small dead bird. 

I found her response to the bird interesting because she doesn't rattle easily. She's been run over by a 16' boat that rubbed bottom and dumped her off the front as it continued to plow over her, she's been flown in loud bush planes, had brown bear encounters, went after the 5' lawn blade on the tractor, deals with gun shot and fireworks well, and yet some how a dead bird in the grass freaked her out. I still don't know what that was about. It's not like she hasn't encountered dead things before.


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## Thomas Barriano (Mar 27, 2006)

Nicole Stark said:


> A small dead bird. .


Did you see the trailer for the new cartoon "Paul" about an alien?
He had this ET moment where he picks up this dead bird and then brings it back to life......................................only to BITE IT'S HEAD OFF" saying " you didn't expect me to eat a dead bird did you?


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## Nicole Stark (Jul 22, 2009)

Thomas Barriano said:


> Did you see the trailer for the new cartoon "Paul" about an alien?
> He had this ET moment where he picks up this dead bird and then brings it back to life......................................only to BITE IT'S HEAD OFF" saying " you didn't expect me to eat a dead bird did you?


ha ha, no. But maybe there was a little Plankton hidden inside that little sucker. :-o


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## Steven Singh (Feb 22, 2011)

oh i forgot to add the time my cat killed a huge rat the dog saw it first and ran away from it

samething happend another time when the same cat brought home a snake


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## Nancy Jocoy (Apr 19, 2006)

I had a showlines x working lines cross dog that took 30 minutes to "get over" a white styrofoam planting flat. That was the day I washed him for SAR. 

The only thing I have experienced that even caused my current dog to raise his hackles was, I think, a bear....hackles up, ears back, and he walked real slow and deliberate between me and "it".....recovered nicely once we got past it.

He howls with sirens too though.


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