You are sitting in your living room one cozy afternoon when suddenly, you let out a very loud sneeze.
Your dog starts to panic and maybe even runs away right after hearing you do so.
What is the reason behind this behavior?
Some possible reasons why your dog freaks out when you sneeze are: it is making sure you are okay, you startled him, or it has mistaken your sneezing for an invitation to play.
Here, we will share nine reasons why your dog freaks out when you sneeze.
1. Your Dog is Making Sure That You Are Okay
After you let out a loud sneeze, your dog may think that you are crying out because you are in pain or feel some discomfort.
It is why after letting out a sneeze, your dog might rush to you almost immediately with a concerned face.
And looking as if they are asking you if you are doing okay.
Whenever this happens, you can assure your dog that you are fine and condition it into thinking that sneezing is just usual and nothing it should be afraid of.
2. You Startled Your Dog
Sometimes, you can startle another person when you let a loud sneeze out of nowhere.
Imagine how your dog must be feeling after you have just let out a very loud sneeze.
Before you sneeze, try to let out small noises so that your dog will not be startled when you suddenly let out a loud sneezing sound.
3. Your Dog Thinks You Are Inviting it To Play
Your dog may freak out after hearing you sneeze because they think that the loud sound you let out is an invitation to play.
It is just like when you yell out “fetch!” or “catch!” whenever you play with him.
Now, your dog might be thinking that every loud sound you let out is you, trying to tell it to fetch the ball or to catch the sock.
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4. You Scared Your Dog
Before you let out a loud sneeze, you close your eyes, you make a weird face, and you let out a loud sound accompanied by a giant “whoosh” of air.
It is scary for your dogs, especially if they do not see you doing it that often.
It is why your dog might be looking at you as you prepare to sneeze, and they would suddenly jump and run away right after you do so.
5. Your Dog Thinks You Are Mad
When you let out a loud sneeze, it sounds as if you are shouting at him.
Your dog might feel that you are mad or that you are scolding it for something that it did.
In turn, your furry friend might start to freak out or even panic and run around the house or try to hide from you.
When this happens, assure your dog that you are not mad and that you are just having some allergic reactions to dust particles in the house.
6. Your Dog Sees it as a Sign of Aggression
Your dog sees letting out a loud sneeze as a sign of aggression mainly because that is what people or even animals do.
They fight – they growl, shout, and they let out loud sounds to assert their dominance.
A dog may either run away from you or try to defend himself from you by being on guard or even letting out a slight growl while looking at you.
When this happens, try to calm your dog down by showing it that you are not trying to attack him.
And shortly, avoid sneezing out of nowhere – try letting out a few sounds before you sneeze.
So that when your dog hears this, it can expect that you are about to let out a loud sound and can get accustomed to your sneezing.
7. It is in Your Dog’s Instinct
It is in their ancestor’s instincts, and obviously, it is passed onto them.
Dogs in the wild are trained to be cautious and keen observers.
And when they hear a loud and strange sound, chances are, it is a predator trying to attack them.
It is why a dog’s first instinct would be to panic and try to hide to get away from possible dangers.
8. Your Dog is Surprised
Your dog may freak out when they hear you sneeze simply because you got them surprised.
And by surprised, we mean amazed in a “is it my birthday today?” surprise.
Remember how you speak in a loud voice whenever you are trying to call your dog from a distance or when you are about to give it food or treat?
Well, your dog might mistake your loud sneezing sound for this if it runs to you excitedly with its wagging tail right after hearing you sneeze.
9. Your Dog is Excited
Finally, your sneezing got your dog pumped up or excited.
In most places, loud music is being blasted to get the people excited.
For your dog, hearing you let a loud sound out of nowhere is like hearing you trying to cheer it on or telling it that the two of you are about to do something exciting.
You may observe this when your dog is calmly lying down and suddenly gets up after hearing you let out a sneeze.
When this happens, do not disappoint your dog.
Play with it for a while or give it some cuddles to enforce good behavior.
Key Takeaway
We may not fully understand why our dogs act the way they do.
What we do know, however, is that dogs are a bunch of loving and caring beings.
Your dog may check up on you after hearing you sneeze to make sure you are okay, or they might run to you thinking that you are calling them for cuddles.
What is important is that you observe your dog and get some time to understand their actions thoroughly.
