Dogs Are Man’s Best Friend…Until They Get Scared. Then We’re On Our Own.

All dogs, like just about every person, are unique — uniquely scared of the most ridiculous things, we mean. Vacuum cleaners? Might as well be Dog Eating Machines given the reactions they garner. The mailman? You must mean Doggy Stalin. Zucchinis? Seriously, Fido, get a grip; it’s a damn vegetable!

Here we have painstakingly assembled a curated collection of canines with some of the most perplexing fears we have ever seen. Would you believe that a dog could be scared of lemons? Foam? The kitchen floor? Well, after looking at these photos, we’ve got news for you! These will surely give you that rush of serotonin you so desperately crave. And don’t worry — no dogs were harmed in the making of this article. Just scared.

Nope nope nope! Still raining outside

Look at this adorable pup right here. But what is it doing? Is it not on good terms with its owner? Well, it seems like that when you first look. But the real story is much more hilarious than that.

The actual influence behind this behavior is that this dog is afraid of the rain. Like, properly scared of all forms of precipitation. Even a tiny drizzle. Like, the environment has to be devoid of raindrops for it to be outside. Poor darling.

Roomba madness

Golden retrievers have this wholesome vibe to them. If you see one, you know for sure that your day will get much better. Who in their right mind won’t have happy thoughts when they see a dog like that?

But the situation here seems to be a bit tense. What is this cutie afraid of? What scared it so much so that it just wedged itself in a tight space? It’s the Roomba! A vacuum on wheels – no wonder it’s afraid.

Have mercy on me kittehs!

The rivalry between cats and dogs has been a source of entertainment to us humans for as long as we remember. Whether it’s Tom and Spike from Tom and Jerry or Claude and Marc Anthony from Looney Tunes, it never ceases to make us laugh.

But what seems to be the issue here? Surely this dog couldn’t be afraid of these adorable little kittens? They couldn’t harm a fly if they tried. The real cause must be that this dog has never seen a kitten in his life.

Secure me in your arms, hooman

Now, why would a graceful husky like this be cowering its owner’s arms like a little child? Is it seeking attention? Well, that’s something you can expect from social creatures like huskies. But, wait! There’s more to this than we saw at first.

This big doggo is afraid of a small terrier! How adorable can this get? Maybe, like the incident with the cats we previously covered, this ball of fluff may not have seen a smaller dog as it grew up. Or it got into it with a terrier one. Who knows?

Vet a terrible thing to do

If you say dogs are goofballs, you do have a point. If you say that dogs are nothing but goofballs, well, we have to make our point known. They know more than they let us on. Just look at this.

This cutie realized that it was actually at the vet, not at the park as it had hoped. So as any human would do when they are scared, it reached out to the nearest loved and trusted one, its beloved and trusted master.

The floor is lava

“The floor is lava” is one game we used to play with so much enthusiasm. Who could resist jumping from place to place when the floor is lava? A good jungle gym/hiking experience in the confines of your own home. How blissful.

But this doggo seems to be taking the game quite seriously. Look at how it stretched its front legs onto the floor and kept the hind legs in the carpet. We imagine it must also be because the carpet feels good.

How on earth?

If the occasion calls for it, dogs can find themselves in the most precarious positions when protecting their human. That’s what makes them such good companions. If the need arises, you can for sure count on them to be on your side.

But that is not the case here. Apparently, this doggo got spooked by a mouse. And it thought the best way of overcoming that fear was to climb the highest point available. Wouldn’t we all do the same thing, given the circumstance?

Make yourself comfortable

Dogs are afraid of vacuum cleaners. That has been persistent since their invention, close to a century ago. We admit we would, too, if we weren’t the ones in control of the vacuum. Most speculate it’s the continuous noise that spooks the pooches into hiding anywhere they can have access.

When we say anywhere they can access, we mean a broad spectrum of places. Because as we discussed earlier, there’s not a lot of places dogs can’t get to if they’re determined. So, if they choose to do like this pup, it kind of means that you’re the alpha!

When dogs pout

What seems to be happening here? Why is this puppy facing the wall? Well, the most plausible thing we can infer, given the nose-in-the-corner stance, is that the dog misbehaved, and the owner told it to go to a corner.

But there’s also a cat present! The reality is pretty funny, though. The dog is afraid of the cat, and it just got on the couch and faced the wall, just like it was told to put on a dunce cap.

Corgis against courgettes

To be honest, this does look like a renaissance painting. Just look at the emotions exhibited by these two adorable, fluffy corgis. The expressions on their faces are almost human! One is really worried, and the other is just… taken aback.

All over a zucchini? Well, what we guess here is that these two cutie pies are just afraid of the size of the zucchini. It does look quite imposing, don’t you think? Take it away before they start to cry!

Pugception

A pug can be called a compact canine. Since this breed is known to have a good sense of humor and enjoy showing off, these tough, petite pups are considered the jesters of the doggy community. Pugs were originally bred to be lap dogs.

They delight in human companionship. They’re pretty delicate, and they can make fantastic household dogs. But even this pug is contemplating why it chose to live in this home with these people. Pugs can be very expressive when they want to be.

Anti-Giraffe

Remember that SpongeBob SquarePants episode where SpongeBob gets a magic pencil? He draws himself, and it comes to life and tries to erase SpongeBob? Well, we kind of gets that vibe from this particular giraffe. Just look at its eyes!

It is the opposite of cute. It kind of looks like something you would expect to see in the world of Coraline. You know, the masterpiece of a children’s novel by Neil Gaiman? No wonder the cute pug is scared.

Vacuum the Villain

Now, this looks pretty heartbreaking. The doggo seems distressed about the vacuum in such close vicinity. It is literally clinging to the cushions as though it is a life raft. That is how scared it is. We wonder why dogs don’t get used to the vacuum.

We won’t say that this was intentional, but it looks like it. The owner could have moved the vacuum as soon as they saw it because of the state the dog is in. It is all fun and games till you hurt your dog’s feelings.

Saved by the guitar

Now, what could be the context behind this series of pictures? We have one really adorable-looking dog who has a smug look plastered on his face. We have a black guitar. And we have a plate of plain rice with sausages.

So the story behind this photo is as follows. The dog is afraid of the guitar. So, the owner had this patent-level brain wave to eat his meals on the top of the guitar so the doggo would not come to beg.

Cuddles

Aww! Isn’t this cute? It looks like the dog wanted to give the master a good old hug to make his day. We know it would make our day if any pupper decided to provide us with a hug.

But the story behind this is even cuter. The dog wanted a ride on the tractor. But the sound of the tractor engine scared him so much so that he decided to hug the human. The owner didn’t mind, because as we said, who doesn’t like a dog hug?

He’d do better if he switched to baby shark

Man, Shark Week is just awesome. A whole week of shark-related content is just what wildlife fanatics like us ordered. If you happen to be on vacation that week and have the house all to yourself, what better way to spend it?

But we don’t recommend watching it with your dog. They have no idea what a shark is because the ocean is not their habitat. But they do have an idea that this creature looks like a predator, which is why we have this photo.

Birthday blues

Ah! After Christmas, the best thing about a year is one’s birthday. It’s quite a special feeling unlike any other. You wake up in the morning knowing that you will be showered with love and admiration for a whole day.

Your friends and family will come to celebrate your life. Sounds like a good time, doesn’t it? But it doesn’t seem to be the case with this guy. He seems mortified that it is his birthday. Age comes to us all, dear chap.

We feel you buddy, we feel you

Nearly every one of us had a phobia when it came to long hallways, which are dimly lit almost all the time. All those movies didn’t help the vibe also. We used to run fast to our rooms through the hallway.

So we totally get what this cutie pie is feeling when it comes to that long hallway. Just look at it. Patiently sitting until Mom or Dad escorts him to his comfortable, safe room. Just fills our hearts with warmth!

Puppies!

Puppies can liven up anyone’s day. When we say anyone, we mean it. Who doesn’t love to be serenaded by an army of tiny fluffs? Can you even imagine the cute factor in that? It’s over 9,000, as Vegeta would say.

But the situation here is a bit different. The dad, which is the dog on the left, is visibly shaken by the sight of his newborn child. Maybe he’s a first-time father. We sympathize with him if that’s the case, as parenting is not easy.

Ferret Fear

Ferrets are adorable, but they are pretty mischievous if they want to be because they are inherently curious. They are also fast, like they have a connection with the speed force. Having one of your own means you have your hands full.

But when it comes to the reaction of this hilarious doggo, one thing is evident. He has not seen anything resembling a ferret in his entire life. So it’s quite natural to freak out like this and go on the defensive.

You shall not pass!

It’s really cool to work in a place where you can bring your pets to work, provided that they behave well. Then it would be like having a piece of heaven at work. Whenever you need a rest, you can cuddle up to your coworker’s dog!

But what’s happening here? This dog seems to be viewing the CPUs as a barrier. Or as an enemy? Whatever the situation may be, it seems to be working quite well. If this person can’t find a doggy door, use a discarded but safe electronic item.

The vacuum can’t see me when I do this

Dogs can detect sound waves at a frequency three times higher than the human ear, in addition to having a greater sense of detecting odors. Most canines’ phobia of vacuums derives from the machine’s intense, high-frequency sounds, similar to their dread of thunder.

This is why, if you have dogs at your home, try to get a vacuum where the noise output is low. You love them as much as your own family, so a small change like this wouldn’t be a biggie!

Know your place!

Guess we know who’s calling the shots inside this household. It’s the cat. Look at it. Giving salty looks to the obviously embarrassed dog. The pupper is like giving half glances behind the safety of the door, just in case.

It kind of looks like a poster for an action movie with a bit of thriller element. The cat is the primary antagonist, and the dog is the protagonist who must deal with his inner conflict. After that, he can bring the cat to justice.

Bossy Birb

This dog knows when it is beaten. One look at this strange creature he’s like, “Nope. Heck nope!” The dog also knows that size is not a factor. Its parents taught him that it’s the size of the fight inside a dog that matters.

Plus, this thing can talk like a hooman. It can fly like some ungodly thing. This thing mocks me. Also, it has a sharp beak and sharp nails. Who designed this? Maybe the best cause of action would be to befriend it.

Somebody call K911

In a sense, dogs and piles of leaves have a perfect bond. They usually go crazy (in a good way) when they see one. And they just want to have a really good time playing in it, just like us humans.

But that does not seem to be the case here. This poor pug is scared to the point that its neck isn’t even visible. It looks like a loaf of bread. Kind of funny when you look at it that way.

Marvelous picture

This is indeed a marvelous picture. Just look at how this dog and mouse are interacting with each other. It kind of looks like the dog is pouncing on the mouse. But, let’s be frank here. The pupper is visibly shaken by the mouse.

The mouse must have been out and about, foraging for the day. When out of the blue comes a very energetic dog. Then it looks like they did some kind of interpretive dance to communicate fear. And so, hilarity ensued.

I haz laid claim to the bed now

Before we get into character analysis, we have to address the names given to these two. The cat is named Tonks, after Nymphadora Tonks. And the dog is named Bellatrix, after Bellatrix Lestrange. Those are cute names, we have to admit.

Tonks has kidnapped Bellatrix’s bed. In a funny twist, Bellatrix is too afraid to do anything to get her bed back. She has the opposite personality of her namesake. And Tonks is also acting out of character. Quite contrasting when it comes to the original Potterverse characters.

DIY Storm Shelter

Thunderstorms can be a bit of a frightening experience for your dogs. So it’s completely natural for them to hide somewhere until the sounds of the thunder have passed away. Some of us even get agitated by a good thunderstorm.

Dogs get agitated three times more because their hearing is sensitive to small sounds. That’s why they should be comforted if something like this occurs. This is also why there should be a limit to firecrackers where dogs are present.

Is this fur-real?

Fur-real pets: a line of toys developed by the toy giant Hasbro. So, the gist is that they look pretty real. Some even have the ability to do voice commands, blink, and many other things. They’re cute, but a bit unsettling sometimes as well.

So it’s not rocket science to see why they agitate even us. Then can you imagine what a dog feels? Exactly as depicted in this picture. It was so unsettled by this toy it directly went into a time-out to escape reality.

Longing

Just look at the look of sadness in that puppy’s eyes. It sees the prize. It knows that it tastes good. Also, it knows too dang well that that treat will make it happy. But it can’t get to it.

Why? Because this particular pupper is afraid of wooden floors. Why WOOD it be afraid? Maybe it could be due to the myriad of patterns on the wood paneling. Some do look like eyes, in a sense. Someone hand him that treat already.

Ducking heck!

Okay. We understand the emotional turmoil this poor pup is going through! Just look at its eyes! They’re like millimeters away from cartoonishly popping out and making funny horn sounds. All of this because of a duck? Well, yes. A terrifying duck.

Ducks are highly territorial and would defend their home with aggressiveness. They sometimes undergo hormonal surges, making them even more aggressive to anything that waddles into their territory. So no wonder this dog is having second thoughts about crashing this party.

Sheep mania

No wonder the Queen of England has a thing for Corgis. Just look at this adorable ball of fluff. It’s so cute; you just want to take it home and shower it with love and kindness for the rest of its days.

But why does it look scared? Over a toy sheep? Goodness. After all, corgis are known for their weird phobias, and this one takes the cake. From the corgi’s side, we’d also flip if the sheep started moving on its own.

Mommy!!

Wild boar. Tastes delicious, but if made aggressive, it can deal some pretty intensive damage with its bulk and those tusks. So always exercise caution around them. But, having said our piece on public safety, we have to say something about taxidermy.

It is so well done! It’s almost like it is about to charge head-on. No wonder this poor pooch got the fright of its life when it saw this. Kind of like it’s about to jump and make a mess of things. Top-quality!

Age is just a number

We will address the distraught pug in a moment. We promise. But before we forget, we have to mention this adorable-looking cake. We want something like this! It looks like it was taken out of a fantasy book. Quality work, this is.

So as promised, we’ll move back to the pug. Poor thing. It looks properly scared. But it can’t be the cake, though. Must be at the candle. Also, it could be freaked out because it is now one year older.

What a pose!

In addition to being excellent sniffers, dogs can hear very well. We have covered this a few times already. The vacuum fear seems as universal among dogs as arachnophobia and claustrophobia are among humans. Now let’s turn to this photo. What a pose!

If you have dogs in the house, you should aim to obtain a vacuum with a vibration dampening facility and low noise. Having said that, we can’t go on enough about what a great picture this is. This pupper is all poise and grace, even when frightened.

Picture perfect

What’s this? Some sort of an attempt at a renaissance painting? Well, good job, because it has everything you need. Good lighting. Raw emotions and a good story behind it. And as it turns out, there is indeed a story.

The story is this. The person in the middle got married. His wife probably had a cat, and since he’s a dog person, he thought it would be good to introduce the dog and the cat together. Judging by the expressions, we don’t think so.

I don’t see it. So it can’t be real

There seems to be a thing with big dogs and small birds. Remember that one post we covered a short while back? Well, compared to that, this dog doesn’t seem scared at all. It seems, well, quite disinterested at the whole thing.

Now the dog itself is no small thing. It’s a 100-pound pit mix. It kind of looks like Anubis, in our opinion. All in all, a beautiful specimen of a dog. It has adopted the philosophy of “If I can’t see it, it doesn’t exist.”

History repeats itself

Another floor is lava case! We think the issue is with the geometric pattern of the tiles. Just seeing all those neat squares seems to be putting the dogs off for some weird reason. Do they perceive a dimension that we don’t?

Maybe it could be because of the texture of the rug that they are on. We know we love a nicely textured rug between our toes when we walk. It has that kind of tickling effect, which is quite soothing. We’re speculating, but maybe that’s it.

Nah fam, I’m good

Dogs can’t digest grapes. The look of fear on this dog’s face has a natural backing. Grape toxicity in canines may result in substantial renal dysfunction, resulting in severe acute (sudden) renal failure. The specific hazardous substance in grapes is unclear.

But it’s thought that it is indeed due to dogs’ incapacity to digest flavonoids, tannins, and monosaccharides. This pooch must have really had an intuition about this. Seems like millions of years of evolution haven’t gone to waste at all.

Star class human

Now, this is what we are talking about! This is proper caring and sensitivity when it comes to another life form. This is the kind of human being we would be proud to call our friend because of just this.

Sure, dogs are afraid of vacuums. We covered this point multiple times. But what matters most is kind actions like this. Makes our hearts warm as a stick of butter in the microwave. The dog must have some really good deed in a past life to be loved like this.

No plates, no bowls

Why is this dog eating from the floor? One of the main questions anyone would ask, as it is quite obvious. A beautiful house and a healthy-looking dog – what happened to its doggy bowl? The answer is quite strange.

The dog is scared of plates and bowls. This is why it is eating its doggy treats off of a rug, out of all things. If that’s the case, the other question we have is this. How does it drink its water?

What in tarnation?

What’s this big, bright pink pig doing in my house? Why is my human holding it? What is that ungodly sound which comes from its belly? These can be the sort of questions that run through this particular dog’s head.

Usually, dogs love squeaky toys to the point of obsession. We have seen countless videos of dogs guarding their squeaky toys like it’s some dwarven treasure. Maybe this poor soul here has never encountered a squeaky toy in its life.

Some logic this is

Well, this dog is scared of the cat. So how does it hide when the feline is around? Hide its entire body under the bed? Nope. It just stuffs its snout inside the gap between the mattress and the headboard.

Now, this seems like quite an illogical thing to do. But, if you take some time to think, there might be something else entirely. The snout is sensitive and quite important to dogs, so why risk injuring it if there is an attack of sorts?

Who this?

Humans and some other species do have the ability to recognize their personal reflection in the mirror, but canines do not. We’ve discovered that dogs are unable to do so even after years, and it never loses its entertainment value for us.

They often approach their image as though it were a different dog. That’s what is happening here. The pooch understands that this is another human, but it also knows that it is not its master. It’s also not getting any scent. So much confusion.

Big nope

We would be taking a double-take, too, if that was the look of our basement. Those steps look a bit shabby to be holding any weight, let alone a human or a husky. So, the huskies know what they are doing.

Look at these two cute furballs. They’re literally contemplating whether or not to go down and join their beloved human. We know for sure, if the human is in need of help, these two for sure will brave the basement.