# Strong reaction to my sneezing.....Why??



## Deuce'sMom (Jul 4, 2008)

Every time I sneeze Deuce will come running and is not satisfied until I have petted him and told him I am okay. It doesn't matter if I am in another room, or if he is asleep, you can be assured he will react.

I am the one in the family that he is very protective of. Anyone have any ideas on this sneezing reaction? Curious.

Donna


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## Konotashi (Jan 11, 2010)

Probably because it's a loud, sudden noise that can shatter a total silence. I know that sometimes when certain people sneeze, I'll jump out of my skin. 

And because you can't help it and he knows he gets pets afterward.


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## AgileGSD (Jan 17, 2006)

I have known other dogs who reacted to sneezes. One dog I knew would hide whenever her owner sneezed. Another would go into a barking fit every time he heard a sneeze. Sometimes dogs are weird


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## Good_Karma (Jun 28, 2009)

You have trained him to come to you when you sneeze (by rewarding him with petting). Which is cute! Now you just need to train him to bring you a tissue.


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## Lilie (Feb 3, 2010)

I wonder if when you sneeze he hears it as a loud yelp, and comes running to see what's happened. Perhaps when your other family members sneeze it doesn't sound to him like a yelp.


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## Jax's Mom (Apr 2, 2010)

Do you have one of those weird sneezes? 
I work with someone who has the most bizarre sneeze... I'd kind of appreciate being pet too after hearing it sometimes aranoid:


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## Konotashi (Jan 11, 2010)

Jax's Mom said:


> Do you have one of those weird sneezes?
> I work with someone who has the most bizarre sneeze... I'd kind of appreciate being pet too after hearing it sometimes aranoid:


:spittingcoffee:


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## Lesley1905 (Aug 25, 2010)

I think he's checking up on you!! He wants to make sure your ok....that's how I would look at it!


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## AvaLaRue (Apr 4, 2010)

Ava does the EXACT same thing. She has to put her paws on my knees and kiss my chin. Very strange. She doesn't do it to my husband and his sneezes shake the house! I've gotten into the habit of when I sneeze, I immediatly say "I'm alright, I'm alright". If she hears me say that, she will just look at me and not need to actually kiss my chin.


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## cshepherd9 (Feb 11, 2010)

I don't know why but Willow does the same. If I sneeze or cough she jumps up and prances around like she doesn't know what just happened. One night I woke up with a dry cough and she freaked..... pacing around the bed and putting her face up by me. I had to tell her it was ok and give her a pet before she would lay back down.


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## beaderdog (Dec 23, 2010)

My dear, late Doberman used to come running if she heard me sneeze. Then, if I sneezed again, she'd run out of the room. Allergy season was good exercise for her.


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## Deuce'sMom (Jul 4, 2008)

Thanks! Good to hear that others do the same thing. I really don't think he is coming for the pet - he tends to have this "worried look"? on his face as he approaches after I have sneezed, and like Ava I have tried saying "I'm okay" before he gets to me so that he can go back to sleep but he will not rest until I have touched him.

I have heard some say that when you sneeze your heart stops for a milisecond....I wonder if he is reacting to that??

Donna


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## KZoppa (Aug 14, 2010)

Deuce'sMom said:


> Thanks! Good to hear that others do the same thing. I really don't think he is coming for the pet - he tends to have this "worried look"? on his face as he approaches after I have sneezed, and like Ava I have tried saying "I'm okay" before he gets to me so that he can go back to sleep but he will not rest until I have touched him.
> 
> I have heard some say that when you sneeze your heart stops for a milisecond....I wonder if he is reacting to that??
> 
> Donna


 
i think that may have something to do with it. That extra sense that dogs have and all. when you sneeze everything in your body just stops for that millisecond. heart, brain activity, oxygen processing. everything. I also think they think its just strange and may be trying to understand? I mean i sneeze and my cat titan comes running to check on me. My dogs will peek around the corner to make sure all is well and go about their business. However when THEY sneeze, they'll look around confused like someone snuck up behind them, attacked and took off.


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## DJEtzel (Feb 11, 2010)

My beagle does this, as well. She looks SO concerned, even if it's a small sneeze and is all over me for a few minutes and then she'll calm down. NO idea why.


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## PaddyD (Jul 22, 2010)

Lesley1905 said:


> I think he's checking up on you!! He wants to make sure your ok....that's how I would look at it!


Agreed.
People tend to attribute characteristics, sensitivities and intelligence to their dogs that are in the realm of ESP. He's just a dog, and you made a loud noise and he's wondering what's up with THAT.


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## Tropism (Nov 30, 2010)

Agreed. You just made a weird and possibly high-pitched noise, which is something that generally signals distress or pain (assuming you're an a-choo) sneezer.) Or you made a weird hissing noise like a giant snake (if you're a chssss!) kinda sneezer) or you made a noise like duck, a moose in heat, or possibly Chewbacca falling down stairs. So no matter what, you'd expect your dog to go "WTH?" And the spastic spasm that is a sneeze also would tend to alarm dogs if they see you do it. Loud noises accompanied by sudden motion are something animals pay attention to. 

You could also argue that coughs tend to be relatively rare in dogs and generally indicative of illness or choking, and they may recognize it as such -- but that's pure speculation. You could also say the same thing for sneezing, but, frankly, I've watched dogs sneeze a lot, usually after snorfling up a dust bunny or a pile of spices or something.


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## PaddyD (Jul 22, 2010)

Good_Karma said:


> You have trained him to come to you when you sneeze (by rewarding him with petting). Which is cute! Now you just need to train him to bring you a tissue.


Good thinking, Good Karma!

When I sneeze, Abby looks at me ... on second (mandatory) sneeze her head tilts. If I have a sneezing fit the head tilts from side to side like, "What's UP with this guy?!"


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## Aescleah (Mar 28, 2008)

my min pin gets very upset when i sneeze and barks up a storm 

Ashley


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