Dog FREAKS OUT at sneezes!

by Ollie and Dinah

Jul 21, 2009

If Ollie hears a sneeze, then he immediately starts barking REALLY loud, and bolts as fast as he can toward the perpatrator - getting RIGHT UP against their face and continuing to bark, and sometimes nip. Needless to say, it's not an enjoyable experience.

He totally freaks out. Even if you gasp - like your ABOUT to sneeze, he'll freak out. At first we thought it was kinda funny - we even fake sneeze sometimes when he won't come when we call him. If we have guests however, this is unacceptable.

I thought maybe I could reward him when he doesn't freak out, and maybe that would help him learn. There simply isn't a time that he doesn't go completely ape-$#@! when someone sneezes. So, i'm at a loss for how to correct this issue. I was trying to train him yesterday, and a fake sneeze of mine was answered with a headbutt resulting in a fat lip. Any tips?
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    Ginny

    OMG. I am so glad to hear that other corgis do this. Elwyn acts the exact same way with sneezes as Ollie. He has stopped doing it as bad when I sneeze, but he still does the complete freak out when my husband sneezes... I dont know if its the deeper sound or what, but it is CRAZY!
    1

    Jul 30, 2009

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      Sam

      This can be one of those noises that he has become "reactive" to. I suspect there are other noises in his life that he reacts to as well. This is a behavior that can be well worked with especially if you have done some obedience training with your dog. I would put him on lead and make him sit. Practice sneezing. If he reacts put him back in the sit positon. When he finally doesnt react give him a treat. This is something you will have to practice quite regularly to delete this behavior. As with many I am sure it was most amusing when it began. Sadly most of these behaviors must become quite obnoxious before people realize it is best not to let it continue. May I also suggest that you increase his activity level and and expose him to many different envirnments. This will help him become more comfortable with different noises. The FAQ page has an article on noise reactive dogs. May be a good read for you.
      1

      Aug 30, 2009

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        Mary M

        My Radar does the same thing. If I sneeze it is almost like he panics...like he is afraid something is really wrong with me.
        The fake sneeze he does not fall for and my husband can sneeze his head off and Radar could care less. I don't know why
        he freaks out...maybe he is afraid if something happening to his "Mom." Any pet physicology folks out there that could answer this?
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        Aug 31, 2009