Source
r/DoesAnybodyElse•
Winga

DAE have a dog that acts offended when a person coughs near it?

If someone in my home coughs near our dog she either stares at them intently with an affronted expression, or quickly leaves the room.

I thought it might be some sort of automatic response in dogs, or maybe a cough sounds somewhat like a growl ... but I don't recall this happening with other dogs. She's about 9 years old, and she's always done this.

I have tried to google, but all I can see is pages of links to do with dog coughs and dog health.

I'm really curious about how common this might be.

Posted Jul 8, 2011, 1:17 PM UTC

1621
Cat_Shampoo•

My beagle is easily offended by any bodily sound a person makes. Coughs, sneezes, and flatulence all result in him either staring you down or barking angrily, as if to say "'Quit it, ya fuckin' cunt!"

While we're on the subject: DAE imagine English breeds of dogs speak in angry, cockney accents?

3
ISayStupidThings•

I've always imagined my dog with a monocle. ಠ_ರೃ

3
ISayStupidThings•

I don't know anything of this, but if it helps. My dog freaks out whenever he hears those squeaky toys. I think they are similar us, they don't like certain sounds. Or perhaps it's just a habit.

2
WingaOP•

Yeah, maybe it's just her. She is a bit idiosyncratic, and she has persisted with some other odd behaviours at times, without any reason that makes sense to me.

She would get really hyper about this when I had a bad patch with colds and coughing. All I had to do was take bit of a sharp breath in and she would take off.

1
Cat_Shampoo•

Apparently the high pitched sequel that squeaky toys make provoke an automatic response in a dog's mind that likens it to the sounds of a dying animal, thus why dogs tend to attack and try to "kill" any toy that squeaks. Pretty scary when you think about it!

1
Hypobasis•

Yep, my chow chow does the same thing but with hickups and when someone takes a picture. She runs down stairs or freezes up if she can't get out of the room.

2
WingaOP•

Mine doesn't really approve of hiccups either. She's okay with cameras though. I guess a camera click might sound a bit similar to a hiccup.

1
djloreddit•

probably think their barking or something

2
WingaOP•

Yeah, that's what we figured. I guess maybe it's some combination of that happening, and the habit idea which ISayStupidThings mentioned.

It's odd though because if I make a sound which I think sounds like barking she just acts interested.

1
seasicksquid•

My dog does this for burps. She either sulks out of the room or starts barking bloody murder. She's a pit bull, too...scared of burps. Aren't you terrified?

2
WingaOP•

Imagines what your burps sound like.

It's funny wondering what goes on in their heads I think.

1
TrickinVixen•

I just said to my roomie today that I think our dog interprets my coughing as barking because it runs away when I cough and we are outside.

2
WingaOP•

It must seem like a special kind of territorial bark, I guess.

2
[deleted]•

[deleted]

2
WingaOP•

My husband always reckoned that her look meant coughing must be the height of rudeness in the dog world. :)

However, that doesn't seem to hold for all dogs.

1
Ianskull•

my dog freaks out when someone sneeze. she'll bark much more angrily than usual and run to whereever in the house the sneeze came from. then looks intently around and goes back to doing whatever she was doing.

2
rinote•

My dogs bark at me when I dance or hang up decorations. Everyone's a critic.

2
wildberryskittles•

i used to have a grumpy terrier. This dog was just an asshole though. She wouldnt even let the other dogs eat their own food. It liked to purposely lie down in a pathway when it knew someone had to walk there and act offended when I told her to get the fuck out my way.

2
CoconutCurry•

I don't, but I've heard of it.

Dogs sometimes make a cough-like sound that means "stop screwing around" but it tends to be quieter than humans hear. Your dog could be getting offended because she's not goofing around, and doesn't understand why you're getting irritated at her.

Also: Coughs are LOUD and dogs' hearing is superb. Could just be that your dog finds the sound unpleasant, and wants you to not make it.

2
WingaOP•

I hadn't heard about that quiet, cough-like sound. That's really interesting. Our dog does try to get us to leave her alone at times, starting (to my ears), with a very quiet low level growl. It sounds like you might be referring to a stage prior to this.

1
wanderingbark116•

My dog acts as if I have just swatted it's behind if I sneeze. He looks at me with sadness and a bit of fear then kind of creeps out of the room.... SO weird.

2
WingaOP•

That actually made me lol. I could totally imagine it (well, with my dog in my picture). I'm sure it makes sense to them somehow, but it does seem really weird.

1