Dog FREAKS OUT at sneezes!

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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Permalink Reply by Ollie and Dinah on August 31, 2009 at 8:43am

Great suggestions, Sam - thanks. I think Ollie is exposed to quite the wide range of noises. Living in an apartment, there could be a really loud car, a weed-wacker at the front door, or noise from the neighbors (left, right, and above)...but it seems that it's the short, startling sounds that he has a problem with. Apart from sneezes, he doesn't like the buzzing sound from the dryer when a load is dry, and he gets pretty excited when people knock on the door.

But here's the kicker, Sam: I can do an excellent fake sneeze. When I fake sneeze while I am holding on to a treat, guess what? No bark. He just sits there quietly.

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Permalink Reply by Mary M on August 31, 2009 at 9:37pm

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?