No… not people who are afraid of pets! There are some pets out there who have some very odd fears. Take the pets in my family, for example.
My dog Lally is afraid of probably the weirdest thing ever: ceiling fans. She will not go into a room when the fan is on. No amount of coaxing or treats will get her through the door! It just so happens that we have a ceiling fan on the porch, in between the kitchen door and the backyard. If the fan is on, Lally is not budging. She’s also easily startled by things like crinkling plastic bags and the flaps on cardboard boxes — if it moves and makes a noise, it will send her running in the opposite direction.
Moose, you may recall, is afraid of thunder (and other loud noises, like fireworks). That one isn’t quite as strange a fear. My dog Miko used to crawl into the nearest lap when it stormed, or belly-crawl under the bed. My mother’s shepherd Shashi used to actually open the door to a closet in the hall and shut herself in when it thundered.
My parents’ dog Becca (a chow mix) has the strangest reaction to tall, heavyset men. Any time she sees one when she’s out for a walk, she sits down and refuses to budge. She’s been a part of the family for nearly ten years now, and she’s always done it.
A girl I know has a pit bull who’s deathly afraid of the pool vacuum cleaner. The poor dog barks and barks at the water, but backs up VERY quickly if the automated vacuum gets too close. And speaking of “big” and “scary” pit bulls… my brother’s dog Kuma (a pit bull/Labrador mix) runs for the hills when she hears any kind of power tool — like a cordless drill or a nail gun. And when someone comes to the door, she sends her “minions” ahead to check on things. Becca and my brother’s other dog Lily run ahead to investigate while Kuma stays back and barks from a safe distance.
So what is your pet afraid of? Anything as weird as ceiling fans and power tools?