# Just for fun...wha tis your GSD afraid of?



## Prediluted (Feb 24, 2014)

We adopted a 1.5 year old GSD about about 5 months ago now, and while she has been improving, she is afraid of quite a list of items. From what the vet's office where we adopted her from told us, with her prior owner she spent all her time locked in an RV while he roamed the country, which I can guess resulted in very poor socialization.

So she is afraid of/nervous around...

running water
puddles
fans
hair dryers
children
large men
senior citizens
dogs, especially small ones

Running water she will refuse to cross a small stream on a hike, or if she hears it in a drainage pipe on a run she will jump sideways into me to get away from it. With puddles she will walk around, or if she accidentally runs through it she freaks out a little and flies away from the puddle

Fans and hair dryers she leaves the room

Little kids and dogs she gets close to investigate, and then if they look at her she runs away. With dogs she will go up to them and bark a few times, then try and get away.

Large men and senior citizens she tries to hide behind us and won't go near them unless you give her plenty of time and let her do her own thing, even then, she is very nervous and jumpy until she really gets to know them.

It certainly keeps things interesting!


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## McWeagle (Apr 23, 2014)

Mine was afraid of everything when we first got her as a puppy due to a rough start at the shelter (including being beaten up by the mother of another litter at about 9 weeks old). It took a lot of work, but now she's only scared of crowds (like at a festival), "gangs" of dogs (in her mind, more than 1 is a gang! ) and large holes in the ground that make a lot of noise (open manholes, openings on a small ferry boat, etc). She keeps things interesting, for sure, but she's come a long way!


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## Pax8 (Apr 8, 2014)

Baths are the worst for Kaiju. I can get him in, and then he just sits there and moans the entire time.

Oh, and he'll jump when the squirrels body slam the tin roof over the back porch. Though in all honesty, that tends to surprise me as well.


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## Lilie (Feb 3, 2010)

Honestly, at 4 years old. Hondo isn't afraid of anything. He's not fond of heavy gun fire (target practice), but he doesn't move off or go back to the house. 

When he was a youngster he was afraid of a tooth brush in my mouth. No idea why. If I was brushing my teeth, he'd leave the room and wait till I was finished. If I went into the room he was in (while brushing my teeth) he'd walk away. He didn't like it. When I offered him the tooth brush, he'd turn his head away. 

I took an old toothbrush and laid it on the living room floor. He had to walk past it a gillion times every day. Finally he ignored it. And I moved his kennel into my bedroom. I fed him his raw chicken in his kennel. While he ate, I brushed my teeth. 

Now he doesn't even wake up when I'm brushing my teeth. Stays quiet when I brush his teeth. Never could figure out why he was concerned with a tooth brush.


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## misslesleedavis1 (Dec 5, 2013)

The vacuum cleaner, my sparkly riding crop the hardwood steam mop, laundry baskets. (Tyson)
Dexter, same but also is very nevous of loud voices,
Shigs. Hates the vacuum has no fear other then the vac I dont know if its even vac fear, she just gets up gives it the look and goes in her crate and sleeps for another 8 hours. Of I were to say "shiggies what are you most afraid of" and she could answer me she would say "running out of snacks" 


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## Shade (Feb 20, 2012)

Nothing so far

Though I saw him startle for the first time ever yesterday. There was a huge thunderstorm with hail going on yesterday when I got home and I let the dogs outside to do their business and there was a huge BOOM of thunder a few moments later, it shook the house and scared the bejeebus out of me and both dogs hightailed it for the door. Of course two seconds later he was back at the door whining to be let out again  So scared, no


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## DWP (Mar 31, 2011)

*The Obvious one*

The Vacume Cleaner is not their favorite. The Roomba vacume robot doesn't bother them at all, but if you have the big push vacume they avoid it.


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## DJEtzel (Feb 11, 2010)

Nothing, thankfully.


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## Cassidy's Mom (Mar 30, 2003)

Halo is afraid of missing a meal.  

Keefer likes to attack the vacuum, but I don't think he's actually afraid of it. Strangely, he only does that when I vacuum, he doesn't seem to mind if Tom vacuums. 

They're both pretty bombproof.


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## Courtney (Feb 12, 2010)

Well, I can tell you he was afraid of me this morning when he took off with my $$ make-up brush. lol


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## SuperG (May 11, 2013)

The blender ...weird....doesn't give a crap about the food processor or vacuum cleaner...but the blender makes her slink away into another room...always wondered if it is the sound frequency??

SuperG


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## SuperG (May 11, 2013)

Courtney said:


> Well, I can tell you he was afraid of me this morning when he took off with my $$ make-up brush. lol


HeII hath no fury like a woman and a purloined make-up brush.....

You have a mighty brave dog trying to pull that caper off....


SuperG


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## bill (Nov 8, 2013)

Missing the train" loves to ride!

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## Courtney (Feb 12, 2010)

SuperG said:


> HeII hath no fury like a woman and a purloined make-up brush.....
> 
> You have a mighty brave dog trying to pull that caper off....
> 
> ...


Indeed, SuperG


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## Ellimaybel (Mar 16, 2014)

The only thing he is consistently scared of are trucks. Ever since the garbage truck came by with the giant mechanical arm that lifts things into the air, any vehicle large and loud causes him to run and hide. Kind of. Only the garbage truck causes a huge reaction. I've seen him duck halfway into the bushes when school buses stop at the intersection. The other day a tractor was going by and he came trotting up casually but with ears looking a little worried and stood behind a hedge until it was gone.


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## SuperG (May 11, 2013)

Interestingly....clowns scare the bejeezers outta me....especially foreign speaking clowns....but my shep is rock solid around clowns...and me as well.


SuperG


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## ApselBear (Feb 10, 2014)

Apsel isn't really afraid of anything that I know of yet. I've seen him get spooked a couple times when he couldn't recognize a strange noise, but the first thing he does is find me or my dad and then he's ready to confront whatever it was.
I accidentally spooked him once when he didn't know I was outside at dusk. He didn't see me, but heard me move a box across the concrete. He took off running a good football field away to make sure he saw my dad, who was mowing at the time, and then strutted back like he owned the place, hackles still raised and all huffy. He was pretty relieved to find me then lol

I will add, Apsel's bark gives me chills. I love it.


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## CJthePuppy (Oct 9, 2013)

CJ is scared of baths, school buses, and doors opening when we are out for our walks going by someone's house. 


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## mego (Jan 27, 2013)

nothing I can think of - she does get spooked by loud sudden noises sometimes if she's in a deep sleep, but she has a quick recovery.

She can shy away from the hairdryer but she's not really afraid of it, it has just worked to get me to stop a bunch of times. If I bust out peanut butter and smear it on something suddenly the hair dryer doesnt exist, go figure


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## Mikelia (Aug 29, 2012)

Eli is afraid of nothing. The only time I've ever seen him kind of spook was during his therapy dog testing when they mimic a crowd. We were the first ones up, 4 people were standing in an X across from each other, they all put their hands behind their backs and started walking back and forth along their line at the same time (how this mimics a crowd is beyond me). He looked at them with a puzzled face and boofed. Walked through and around them but was definitely weirded out. He passed so I was happy. He totally threw me off with that though, he has been in HUGE crowds before, performed rally obedience in parades, met some very odd people. But 4 people walking back and forth in straight lines that all started moving at the exact same time - people just don't do that lol.
Cajun is a rescue and although he was afraid of many things when I got him his only lasting fear is of things falling on him. So if you move the baby gate too close to him, or the broom gets knocked over, he panics and runs but recovers immediately.


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## Sunflowers (Feb 17, 2012)

The vet.
Didn't used to be, but when he began to have prostate problems he went through several painful exams. He doesn't cower, but acts as if he wants to tear the poor vet's head off.


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## Curtis (Jun 9, 2013)

Large unidentified shapes. If we are walking in the dark and he sees the outline of a heap of garbage bags, he will become alert and hackles will go up.

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## DTS (Oct 19, 2010)

jasmine: the vet, the dishwasher (pants heavily and shakes) strangers petting her, chases the vacuum. If she sees other dogs regardless of size she will raise hackles. Doesn't bark or growl. 

Titan: nothing as of yet. I have never seen him raise his hackles at anything. He might startle if someone comes around the corner but normally I will startle first.
He thinks everyone needs to pet him and will whine like a little girl when he thinks a stranger is going to give him attention. He has never been shy.
He Loves the vet.


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## AddieGirl (May 10, 2011)

K-Bar came from a home where he was not socialized ether. Left in a small pen outside and only used for breeding with some occasional abuse we believe 

It took us a YEAR to get him comfortable around my husband. He is now a hilarious goofball who loves to lounge on the couch and his favorite thing in the world is FOOd, he gets so excited at dinnertime. 

Things he is still afraid of:

Adults other than a select few (he is immediately comfortable with all children).
Loud noises like thunder, fireworks.
Anything that is out of place in the yard like a tent set up for the kids or a scary plastic bag blowing in the wind.


All pretty normal stuff for a dog with anxiety I guess


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## llombardo (Dec 11, 2011)

When mine were younger, plastic bags. Neither of them liked when they made the noise when you shook them to open them. They have since grown out of that, but it was both of them. Now, neither of them are afraid of anything. They like checking out new things.


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## SDG (Jul 30, 2013)

When our GSD was a baby she was slightly apprehensive of *PIZZA BOXES*  I guess the unpredictble way they flapped open worried her. 

So, I started putting the box on the floor when it was empty and put a few treats on top of it.

She learned that there was nothing to fear.


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## lyssa62 (May 5, 2013)

I'm not sure Roxy is as "afraid" of the dishwasher as she is annoyed by all it's various noises. She used to sleep right next to it and it didn't bother her. Now she paces the whole time it's running. I try to run it when I'm leaving the house with her to go for a Llllllllllllooong walk so it's done by the time we get home.


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## Nigel (Jul 10, 2012)

Sunflowers said:


> The vet.
> Didn't used to be, but when he began to have prostate problems he went through several painful exams. He doesn't cower, but acts as if he wants to tear the poor vet's head off.


Yup, that'd make me less than happy too!


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## misslesleedavis1 (Dec 5, 2013)

SuperG said:


> Interestingly....clowns scare the bejeezers outta me....especially foreign speaking clowns....but my shep is rock solid around clowns...and me as well.
> 
> 
> SuperG


LOL there was a clown making balloons infont of the mastermind toy store for kids the other day, his fingers were stained cigerette yellow and he smelled really bad, he was not smiling either he looked pissed to be there.


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## AngelaA6 (Jan 20, 2013)

Running water or large bodies of water freak Gunther out as do hair dyers (so just brush him out in front of a little space heater until he's dry). He's fine with my husband's heat gun as long as he's far enough away that he can't see it/feel it. The heat gun is never used on the dog haha just on shrink wrap and things of that nature. 

He's not _comfortable_ in my sister's truck either but she's had quite a few different kinds of animals in it so I think that might be why.


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## SuperG (May 11, 2013)

misslesleedavis1 said:


> LOL there was a clown making balloons infont of the mastermind toy store for kids the other day, his fingers were stained cigerette yellow and he smelled really bad, he was not smiling either he looked pissed to be there.


Probably faced .......pissed as a newt....couple that with big shoes and I am wetting the bed.....ohhhhhh...the humidity.


Superg


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## wyoung2153 (Feb 28, 2010)

I'd say he ahs pretty solid nerves, I have yet to come into a situation where he is fearful.. though he does dislike some things...

He HATES ear drops, baths and bubbles. He will tolerate all but actually bares his teeth at bubbles. Lol. 

Pretty sure this is prey drive more than fear.. lol.. but he wants at any cleaning/gardening tool.. really anything he can chase on the ground.. broom, vacuum, swiffer, rake, hose, lawn mower, he doesn't run from it but he will chase and bark and take them from me if he can. Lol. Same way with my blow dryer.


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## SummerGSDLover (Oct 20, 2013)

Fireworks.

*-*Summer*-*


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## vicky2200 (Oct 29, 2010)

She's afraid I wont throw the ball.
But really the only thing is that she hates when people raise their voices. I've had her since she was very young and she was never abused. Other than that she fears nothing.


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## frillint1 (Sep 2, 2010)

Chief was badly abused when I got him so he was scared of everything but I can proudly say I have gotten him over almost all of it but he is still afraid of bags.


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## Alice13 (Feb 21, 2014)

The vacuum and very loud thunder

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## DonnaKay (Jan 20, 2014)

Haven't found anything yet that Mystique is afraid of, however the ceiling fan is evil and must be warily watched every once in awhile. If it starts to go around, then a barrage of barks shows it who's boss, I guess. She doesn't shy from it though, so I don't think she's afraid of it. Just doesn't trust it.


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## misslesleedavis1 (Dec 5, 2013)

SummerGSDLover said:


> Fireworks.
> 
> *-*Summer*-*


Moms dog hates fireworks and storms, she crawls into the bathtub. Or under the stairs.

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## kjdreyer (Feb 7, 2013)

When Jedda was about 8 months old, we were out for a walk on Canyon Rd. in Santa Fe, which is lined with art galleries. We came up on a sculpture of a huge reclining person, and she froze and then bolted right out of her collar, and almost bounced off a motorcyclist roaring up the street. We both just about needed CPR after that one.


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## Ganzuelo (May 6, 2014)

My 12 week old is afraid of the hose and the sound the hose bib makes when you turn it on


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## njk (Jan 11, 2014)

I think the vacuum unfortunately. She never used to be but she's started recently barking at it. I don't vacuum when she's in the same room so she watches it go past from behind a baby gate. Otherwise she's never shown a fear of anything. Very bold and confident dog. When she's been on medication I don't have to hide it in her food, she takes the tablet when handed to her and chews it happily.


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## Kahrg4 (Dec 19, 2012)

Cafall is not overly fond of fire hydrants or snowmen. I'm not sure what is about either one but the hackles go up and he stalks around them sideways when we walk past. Silly boy.


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## Alice13 (Feb 21, 2014)

njk said:


> I think the vacuum unfortunately. She never used to be but she's started recently barking at it. I don't vacuum when she's in the same room so she watches it go past from behind a baby gate. Otherwise she's never shown a fear of anything. Very bold and confident dog. When she's been on medication I don't have to hide it in her food, she takes the tablet when handed to her and chews it happily.


Sounds so much like mine. Like I said, she is afraid of the vacuum. Only intead of barking she runs away from it. When there is thunder she just runs inside but doesn't bark or whine to show that she is scared. Otherwise she is a very brave dog. She would, like yours take her tablets off my hand. Even if I put it in her food she would fish it out n eat it separately. 

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## sparra (Jun 27, 2011)

Our kelpie......he is such a push over when it comes to her......


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## lovemygirl (Jan 19, 2014)

Eves was afraid of brussels sprouts. I'M NOT KIDDING!! Whenever I would roast them, just before the smell permeated the room (so, likely before I could smell them but when she could), she would slink off -- the only time she'd ever leave whatever room I was in. It was kind of funny, honestly!


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## glowingtoadfly (Feb 28, 2014)

Grim is afraid of bag covered bushes. Skadi used to bark skeptically at rocks with waves going over them at the beach and slink by Halloween decorated houses, but now she fears nothing.


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## Juliem24 (Jan 4, 2014)

Parker was my daughter's black lab. He introduced us to the art of "slinkering": while on walks, if there were any inflatable holiday decorations or snowmen, he would get really low to the ground, dart his eyes towards the offending object and bark loudly like the cowardly lion while scraping his belly on he ground. Slinkering. It was hilarious. 
Rudy, our GSD, worries some about the lawn mower, and is spooked by objects moving around at dusk. His favorite Kong toy helps him be brave.


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## Skywalkers Mom (Oct 26, 2012)

My guy is scared of gunshots and loud trains.


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## CindyMDBecker (Feb 22, 2013)

This cranky bossy 12 year old kitty! She holds her own. Will PICK the fight. He's on edge when she comes into the room!


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## blackshep (Aug 3, 2012)

My dog is afraid of the vacuum and steam mop cords. Not the vacuum or mop running, but the actual cords when they are coiled up and hung over the handle. It's strange, I don't think she's ever had a bad experience with them, or if she just can't figure out what they are?


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## Gunther der Heinz (Feb 17, 2014)

My 11 month old pup has showed no signs of fear of anything......except that angry mama deer. There was no time to show fear......RETREAT at once.


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## Mister C (Jan 14, 2014)

kjdreyer said:


> When Jedda was about 8 months old, we were out for a walk on Canyon Rd. in Santa Fe, which is lined with art galleries. We came up on a sculpture of a huge reclining person, and she froze and then bolted right out of her collar, and almost bounced off a motorcyclist roaring up the street. We both just about needed CPR after that one.


Reminds me of Maddie when we visited the FDR Memorial in DC. She did great walking through the Memorial until we came upon a bronze larger-than-life statue of FDR's Scotty dog Fala. She froze, clearly afraid of this huge dog form in front of her. I gently coaxed her to walk up to it and she finally touched her nose on the statue. But it was hot from the sun and she jumped back about 2 feet.


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## pineconeforestGSD (Feb 24, 2014)

large trash pails. she is getting better but my oh my she doesn't like them at ALL.


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## Tina D. (Aug 29, 2012)

Honestly, my Mia isn't afraid of anything. If something sounds or looks different to her, she will not hesitate to run right up to it to check it out. I have never seen her shy away from anything, even as a puppy. But this is often typical for GSD, right?

My Scooter (lab mix), on the other hand, is afraid of/freaked out by tons of things! The vacuum, whole watermelons, the Swiffer duster, the Swiffer mop, and Mia (at times)  He's a big baby.


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## Tina D. (Aug 29, 2012)

Juliem24 said:


> Parker was my daughter's black lab. He introduced us to the art of "slinkering": while on walks, if there were any inflatable holiday decorations or snowmen, he would get really low to the ground, dart his eyes towards the offending object and bark loudly like the cowardly lion while scraping his belly on he ground. Slinkering. It was hilarious.
> Rudy, our GSD, worries some about the lawn mower, and is spooked by objects moving around at dusk. His favorite Kong toy helps him be brave.


LOLOL! "Slinkering" is an awesome word! That is exactly what my poor Scooter does, minus the loud bark. He's a lover, not a fighter. :wub:


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## Stosh (Jun 26, 2010)

In his four years, I've never seen Stosh afraid of anything.


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## Lilie (Feb 3, 2010)

After Snake Avoidance Training last weekend, Hondo is now offically afraid of snakes.


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## Maxil (Jun 1, 2014)

Flo rida song "Good Feeling" and " Who let the dogs out" , idk why but when I play them he runs away xD


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## Stosh (Jun 26, 2010)

I bet that's all Hondo is afraid of


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## Lilie (Feb 3, 2010)

Stosh said:


> I bet that's all Hondo is afraid of


True. Him and stosh are blood brothers.


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