But nothing strikes fear into Gypsy's heart like my 10-year old daughter with a case of the hiccups. Last night I was on the couch, and I heard a faint hiccup from the kitchen. The next thing I knew I had a 55 pound quivering, panting mess climbing onto me. The shaking was so strong that the entire couch was vibrating. Even though I immediately banished the hiccupping kid upstairs, it still took Gyps a good 20 minutes to calm down.
I tried googling to see if the fear of hiccups was something other dogs experience. Apparently lots of dogs and puppies GET hiccups. But if other dogs also are completely terrified when they hear human hiccups, no one is writing about it on the internet. Except me.
94 comments:
Awww. I guess that dogs are kind of like humans and sometimes have totally irrational, unexplicable phobias :)
TC: I definitely think dogs and humans have a lot in common. Gypsy is getting older, and the older she gets the worse it gets. Senility I suppose.
Hey--just wanted to let you know your dog isn't alone! My dog has been terrified of hiccups for all of his 7 years. Searching (like you) for other dogs on Google led me to your blog. Nice to see there's at least one other unusual dog out there! =)
xzombiexmoosex: Wow, I'm shocked! If you have any secrets for dealing with it, I'd love to hear them. Gyps is 13 next month, and I think each case of the hiccups scares her more than the last.
YES!!! Our border collie/sheltie mix has no fear of thunderstorms, firecrackers, or any other loud noises, but quivers like a leaf when anyone has the hiccups. Weird!
dee--Well, that makes at least 3 of us that have (freak) dogs with a completely irrational fear of hiccups! Thank goodness for the internet.
Make that 4! My 11 year old Westie isn't afraid of anything but hiccups. He cries like a baby! A few days ago, he even tried to bust down the screen door of my back patio to escape...which is very unlike him. I wish I could understand why he's so deathly afraid of them!
Morgan, welcome to the club! I need to remember to ask my vet about this the next time I'm there. Maybe it's more common than I thought!
I was searching for advice on my dogs terroe of hicups and found your site.....my dog a collie/spaniel cross has had the most terrible fear of humans with hicups since he was a tiny puppy. I really wish I knew why he was so afraid, esp as my partner has sessions of hicups that last for two days.
My dog Kallie, 9 year old female, lab/huskie mutt gets really concerned when my wife or I get hiccups. It will wake her up if she's sleeping. And she always comes up to us wagging her tail like she's asking us to stop.
Today my wife had hiccups and Kallie ran to me.
She sat at my feet and I bent down to give her a hug and she was trembling. It's so odd. I wish I knew why.
Yes! My hound/collie mix (9 yrs old) started being afraid of them just a few months ago, despite the fact that he has heard (with no visible concern) my husband and me endure hundreds of bouts of hiccups during his 6 years with us. Earlier today, I was hiccuping (to his shivering displeasure) and offered him a bacon treat (normally irresistible)...wouldn't come near it for the longest time. I was hoping that the baconic joy would overtake the fear, but apparently not...
Tomorrow morning Sat Sep 5, NPR has a piece on dogs with hiccup phobia, and I was reminded of our Chesapeake Bay Retriever who had the condition. If anyone in the family hiccupped Elsa would pin her ears back and shiver uncontrollably. I googled dog hiccups to find this blog and I realize that the condition is not so rare.
Anonymous: I think a 2-day case of the hiccup would kill my dog. No way she could stand it that long!
Carl: At least you get some tail wagging along with the trembling. We get just pure terror.
Anonymous: It is odd that the fear just developed recently. I have never tried countering it with bacon, but I have a feeling it wouldn't work for me either.
Nicholas: I tried to find details on the NPR program but was unable to. If by chance you read this I'd love details so that I can tune in. I still think it's rare, though.
Yep, a very scared lab collie cross here with me is terrified of them. Founder her curled up and quivering behind the toilet last night when I had a bout of them!! Not a place she normally frequents!
My dog is a black and white shih tzu mix named domino. he is absolutely terrified of hiccups!! Hes 7 yrs old and it just started last year, he runs under the bed anytime somebody got them. he also curls up in a miserable heap if hes got them!! poor psychotic dogs lol
Our dog Daisy, a 9 year old mix is also terrified of hiccups. It just takes one small barely audible hiccup and she'll put her tail between her legs and head up or down stairs to get away from the offender. It is just weird. I can now get her to stop shaking by offering her a nice treat. We were wondering if Daisy was an isolated case. Apparently not.
Our 8 yr old Border Collie, Patch is terrified of hiccups as well. The second he hears one he starts to tremble... does anyone know how to get dogs over their phobias like this one?
My 5 year old maltese/yorkie mix is terrified of human hiccups! It just started about 6 months ago. My husband got hiccups and our dog just started shaking and putting his tail in between his hind legs and sitting on top of me for comfort. Now if either of us get hiccups we go threw this. Glad to know there are others out there that have this problem with there dog!!
My almost 8 yr old chocolate lab is unruffled during thunderstorms and firecrackers but boy if my 10 yr old son hiccups or coughs... he is terrified! He cowers as he scratches at the door to go outside and refuses to come in until the hiccups have stopped. Very strange behavior but I'm relieved it's not unique.
I have 2 Schnoodles and one of them is terrified of the hiccups. Has been since he was a puppy. He is 6 now. It took a while to make the connection, it just seems too ridiculous! He cowers and trembles at my feet if anybody has them!
Keep the kid and ditch the dog lol
As I write, my 11-yr old yorkie, Bijou is panting and shaking uncontrollably. If someone says the word "hiccups" he will go and hide, but if someone has them - like I do now - he is inconsolable. I googled the condition and found this blog. Bijou has been this way since he was born. He was also terrorized by the word "bootie" for a few years, too. Oh, and he eats dried up dandelions like they are a delicacy. And he turns on the blinker in my car repeatedly. Other than that, he's a totally mellow, cool dog.
You can add another to your list. My dog Albert is fearless in almost every aspect. He can bravely stand down two men coming out of the bushes with questionable intent. However, if I get the hiccups, he quietly slinks away and waits outside (or near the door) for them to go away. He won't even approach for a treat...and he LOOOOVES food! I had worked in the veterinary industry for 15 years, and until I read your blog, I was unaware of any other dog with this unusual fear.
I never thought to google this until just this morning! I have three month old twins who seem to have the hoiccups everyday and our dog Bruiser (a mutt) is terrified. If he isn't climbing on top of me and pawing me he hides under my bed for hours even though the hiccups are long gone:). He is afraid of storms too but it doesn't seem to be lightning or thunder it is the way the rain sounds when it hits our skylights. I just thought he was a little weird thank goodness there are other dogs out there with the same reactions.
My dog's afraid of the hiccups too. It started maybe a year ago when she turned 5. It's so weird. she shakes like crazy and takes forever to calm down after they're gone.
My 3 year old terrier mix is afraid of hiccups and any noises that come from the mouth area - sneezes, gasps, making noise with your lips, etc. She runs under the bed and doesn't respond to anything. Has anyone has any luck treating this?
My 2 year old Staffordshire Bull Terrier is terrified when I get hiccups she creeps away and hides cowers and trembles all over,its horrible to see her look so scared.
Its amazes me how so many dogs have this phobia,I wonder why? hiccups are not really that loud.
My 2 year old Staffordshire Bull Terrier is terrified when I get hiccups she creeps away and hides cowers and trembles all over,its horrible to see her look so scared.
Its amazes me how so many dogs have this phobia,I wonder why? hiccups are not really that loud.
Add another one to the list. 7year old Boarder collie cross. Totally petrified of hiccups, the higher the more terror. Baby hiccups being the worst. Being a clever thing, the word hiccups sends him cowering into a corner.
You can add another one to the list! Our almost 14 year old Pom (who we've had for almost 3 years) is afraid of hiccups and has been since we got her. She will leave the room if she hears them! She won't come near me if I have them and actually trembles! Same with flies!
One more. Our Australian Shephard is the most intelligent, funny and unafraid of dogs. Yet, one hiccup sends him trembling to hide. Massage, treats, words -none will help. He is now 13 and only in the past few years has this been an issue. Right now he is hiding in the bathroom. Thought I would Google to see if others have had this experience. I'll keep an eye to see if any one finds a solution.
Our dog Spartacus is afraid of many normal things that dogs fear, like thunderstorms, fireworks, and other loud and sudden noises. He has always been a picky, pretty emotional and humanlike boy. He is deathly afraid of hiccups. It's like when he hears just one hiccup the devil is knocking on his door. It's so nice to know that he isn't alone; he is already extremely sensitive. At 11 years old, Sparty is just one more unusual dog out there.
Can't believe this so common!!! I have 1 1/2 year old Schnauzer that is terrified when I get the hiccups. Took me a little while to figure out what was wrong with her. She will lay her ears back & run away shaking all over! Not even a treat will get her near you if you have them!
My 2 year old staff is terrified of hiccups too! He shakes and hides when anyone has them but is a lot worse if I have then (he's a softy) we think that maybe he thinks we R ill when we hiccup!
ok we now know there is a bunch of us as mine is a jack russel and i have a new grand baby that hiccups alot the dog is a mess how do i choose we need a way to help her
Wow, I'm glad we're not alone in this! Our 9 year old border collie Jonah is TERRIFIED of hiccups ever since my husband drank too much at his bachelor party, got hiccups and proceeded to hurl for the rest of the night. 5 years later our 2 year old went through a streak of about 6 mos where she'd get hiccups every AM. Let me tell ya, few things are more obnoxious than to wake up to a dog slamming himself against the door in an attempt to escape the dreaded hiccuping toddler.
wow, so many other dogs with a hiccup phobia. Mine goes nuts and literally jumps onto the top of the sofa (right at the top), regardless of someone sitting there. If they are in her way she will just jump up onto their shoulders!!
my dog has always been terrified of hiccups (also burping, coughing, blowing your nose and all the unusual noises of that sort), but only if it's me, my mom or my brother - her "primary family", so to speek. she lives with me and my boyfriend now and she couldn't care less for his (or anyone else's) hiccups and coughs.
weird. and rather exhausting, especially when you get sick and constantly have to hide your coughs from your dog.
My 6 year old Multi-Poo is also petrified of hiccups! I usually have to hold him or take him outside until he stops trembling. He also quivers at burps & squeaky shoes!
like most of you who posted before me here, i too was googling why my dog gets so terrified when my husband and i hiccup.. good to know lots of other ones out there do too, and it isn't as strange as i thought! haha
I have a 10 year old Sheltie who is also petrified of hiccups! He'll banish himself under a bed for hours if he hears even one! He'll even leave my side while I'm eating meat to go hide if someone hiccups. And the only time he has ever bitten me was when I tried to get him out of hiding while I was hiccuping. My poor baby is hiding under my bed right now.
Here's yet another story about a dog that gets freaked out by hiccups. She shivers uncontrollably like a human being who has gone into shock. Her back hairs stand on end and she refuses to move. She is a mutt of some sort, partially shepherd, partially terrier of some sort. Seems from this blog hat the issue is non-breed-specific.
My 11 year old poodle Lily is horrified by hiccups. My theory is there is something high pitched in hiccups that hurts their ears or is similar to a threat noise. I will try the bacon trick.
my springer spaniel is terrified of the hiccups!!
My 4 year old Lily, black lab, loses her shit when my wife hiccups. Unfortunately my wife seems to hiccup somewhat often, leaving me with a terrified 60lb mass trying her hardest to burrow underneath me to escape the dreaded hiccup monster that is my wife. Oddly enough she adores my wife any other time. Also could care less when I hiccup. I will continue the search for the cause of such odd behavior! Stay strong fellow hiccup burdened people's!
Yes, my 5 year old black lab Meg is completely irrational with hiccups, she is a working gun dog, she has no other fears or weird reactions to anything else, she wont take a treat for hours after ive had a bout of hiccups, i will keep popping in to see if anyone has come up with a cure! fingers (and paws) crossed.
Wow. So glad to see that we aren't the only dog parents experiencing this issue. Our 7 year old Australian Shephard HATES the hiccups. He begins to shiver/ shake uncontrollably. I asked the vet & he thought it could be seizures caused by hiccups but doesn't have info on WHY hiccups would cause seizures. But our poor puppy dog makes a bee-line downstairs to get away from anyone who hiccups as quickly as possible. And he is inconsolable, even with treats (his favorite!) for quite some time. Sometimes it helps if I hold him & talk quietly to him, his shaking will subside. Anyone else have any other ideas as for causes & remedies? I hate seeing my poor baby so frightened & run away from me.
weird same here, my 9 year old westie is absolutely terrified of hiccups and will do anything to get out of the room and starts trembling quite badly now, she used to be only slightly scared of them when she was younger but somehow the fear of them has gotten worse as shes gotten older. She seems to be more scared if its me too and not strangers
If anyone knows how to help let me know! Our dog is terrified only when I hiccup. No one else which is odd...but he goes nuts. Runs to me then runs away shaking scared sometimes he even unlocks and opens the side door because he's so scared...which I hate he knows how to do lol thank God for bungee cords.
Thanks,
Mia
Confirmed... our 45lb Colbe Pit Bull will drop all things to run for cover at the mere mention of hiccups.
Shivering so hard thought she was poisoned.
Our 13yr old lurcher x has been terrified of hiccups for yrs. He crawls onto my lap quivering and drooling like a big baby even if I'm the one hiccuping. Then he totally loses it and goes to find the smallest corner hidey hole he can and squeeze himself in. Found him behind the blinds on windowsill the other day, he's a decent size dog I've no idea how he managed that one. And on the shelves in the store cupboard behind the food...in the bath..in wardrobes. Vets sold me a spray that emits calming enzyme or something, I was dubious but wanted to try help him. Needles to say it didn't work, I may as well have sprayed water at him n saved money. Vets are clueless and say something must have happened to him whilst someone was hiccuping. I beg to differ, especially after reading all the above suffers also. Good luck everyone, Ally n Slow, Hampshire UK
I have a 9 year old Australian Shep that is trained as a siezure alert dog (for me). She trembles and runs in fear when anyone gets the hiccups. My guess was that she senses it to be a type of siezure but it isn't a "normal" siezure that she is trained to alert for, so she gets confused. She is very smart and highly trained (being a service animal and also having 2 herding titles), but is scared of hiccups!
I have a 10 year old small mixed breed who is also terrified of hiccups if I hiccup he starts shaking and tries to climb up onto my chest otherwise he has very few fears. He did come from a bad past and I assumed it had something to do with that but maybe not since there seem to be a lot of other dogs out there with the same phobia.
This is amazingly the only thing I've found of any relevance on the interwebs. My 3 year old Basenji/Shepherd/ coyote/mutt is the sweetest and most laid back dog I've ever known, but I found this blog while overcoming a bout of hiccups from which she's STILL hiding.
I think it's time to call in a scientist! lol
Wow I finally found a blog with people who have the same problem! My poor chihuahua :( the faintest sound of a hiccup and she TAKES OFF she hides under things and I can't get her out. No one I know with a experienced this but I'm glad others one here have so she not too crazy. I feel sooo bad my poor boobie
My Staffordshire bull terrier bitch is also terrified of hiccups, thought it was uncommon but not as uncommon as I thought!! Julie :-)
Thought this was weird but I guess not. My 7 year old Puggle has always been afraid of Hiccups more than anything else. Which is sad because my wife gets them a lot. He is afraid of thunder if he's inside but if he's outside it's OK, think that has something to do with the way the house rumbles with thunder. But hiccups......could be a slight hiccup 2 rooms away and he's shacking and hiding. Has anyone talked to a vet about this to see why?
This is my dog too! So I googled it
Here I am
OH MY GOODNESS! I just googled "why is my dog afraid of hiccups" and this post was the first hit! Our German Shepherd has the very same reaction as your Gypsy! I thought it was just our Al being quirky.She's also terrified of balloons...so much so that she'll actually vomit. And extended tape measures and umbrellas and, of course, fireworks and thunder and lightening. Good to know she's not the only pooch that comes undone when she hear's a hiccuping human. =)
My Scottish terrier will run to my husband even if I pretend to hiccup. If my husband hiccups he runs to me and tried to hide in our laps. So very odd. It seems weird that it is so common but nothing written about it?
I have a Border Terrier and he isn't scared of anything except when someone has the hiccups. He will put his head down, put his tail between his legs and leave the room
I have a Chinese Shar Pei and she reacts to sounds of human hiccups! I didn't think it was fear but after reading your comments, it might be it! She'd be on alert mode and interrupt whatever that she's doing. and if she's idling, a hiccup sound would jolt her from her resting position and she'd walk towards the hiccuping person with her head lowered, in slow footsteps. it's really quite fascinating to observe. Google brought me here! I'm surprised I can't find anything else on the internet besides your page!
My 9 year old Min Pin just developed this fear in the past year. He is TERRIFIED when I get the hiccups. I cannot console him.
My Bichon frise could sleep through a power saw, a nail gun, a vacuum and a loud party. But as soon as someone even slightly hiccups, he panics and can't get out of the house and doggy door fast enough.
I read, on another blog, that this happens because the sounds are very similar to those made by wolves when they are warning each other that something bad is about to happen. I have no idea if it is true or not, but it seems to be logical.
So I went and researched sounds made by wolves and found this: Wolves "yip" with a series of high-pitched barks which seems to serve the function of an alarm, warns of danger or to challenge an enemy. So maybe there's something to my comment above!
My dog Hates hiccups. I just hold him super tight and his tremors go away. Some times I'll prop him against the arm of the sofa and all sit with my legs up tight to him, like a cocoon
My aussie is terrified to the point he ran away from us outside. He was missing almost 2 days. Thankfully we found him safe. He's always been terrified of hiccups, no matter who has them. He runs away to someone else if they're home and just trembled likes crazy. It's such an odd thing. Wish there was more research on it
My 6 year old Maltese Shi tzu has just witnessed me with the hicccups for the first time ever. He is shaking uncontrollably! I thought perhaps a storm was coming as that’s his biggest fear (or so I thought) but then I started googling and stumbled on this blog ha! So bizarre..
My border collie goes very strange when I have the hiccups she's all over climbing on me jumping up putting her nose right in my face when I get them, I wonder if she's checking that I'm still alive
It's the most bizarre behaviour I've ever witnessed from her
Even a fake hiccup will get her to climb on my lap and kiss me
I'm glad it's not just me
My 3 year old pit mix does this too! That’s how I found this blog, I was curious if this is normal or not! Any little hiccup noise and she is in my face with her wet nose right on my lips or chin!
My 6yr old dog jake is a germanshephard X husky staff mix he's scared of the usual fireworks, thunder that sort of thing he just sits in front of my wife and I guarding us and whining but if my wife gets the hiccups he will climb on my lap cuddle into me with his ears pinned back and shake uncontrollably no clue why, had him 5 1/2 years nothing besides hiccups causes him to behave like this wish I could help him but not sure what to do, glad this is quite common so it shouldn't be anything serious to worry about, but we love our furry family member so I want to see if I can help him.
Im writing this while buried under my trembling 3 yr old cocker spaniel/poodle/coonhound. I’ve had him from a puppy, he’s rarely alone and nothing traumatic has ever happened to him. Yet, here he is trying to crawl up my shoulders because my son hiccupped. ONE hiccup and this dog is upstairs and under the bed before it’s over, a BOUT of hiccups and he’s done for the rest of the day. Still no answers “why?”!
My border collie starts to bark and bite us nearly aggressively when we get hiccups. He is not an aggressive dog and has never had an issue with anything like fireworks. It's so bizarre
I came across this in a search because my 11 year old yellow lab has started freaking out and shaking after hearing me with hiccups. My husband hiccuping doesn't bother her. She is a mama's dog though. Severe thunderstorms and fireworks did not even phase her, but my hiccups make her shake like crazy. She runs out of the room.
Having the same issue now. Developed two days ago. It's so odd...
OMG! My dog has done this since we adopted him! We have joked its because it sounds like when dogs get sick and vomit, or that a child from his former home/life threw up on him and traumatized him! I guess I'm glad he's not alone.
Add my 8 year old Welsh Springer Spaniel to the list of pooches being afraid of hiccups. I asked my vet about it, and she never heard of it so it’s good to hear I’m not alone.
My 11 year old dog also has an intense fear of hiccups. If I’m taking him for a walk and I start hiccuping, he refuses to come back inside.
My 11 year old dog also has an intense fear of hiccups. If I’m taking him for a walk and I start hiccuping, he refuses to come back inside.
Mine too!
My 12 yr old Jack Russell just became terrified of hiccups a few months ago. He shakes and tries to get away from the hiccups. I’m not sure why he’s just now afraid of them.
Add my silly dog to the list. (rescue...Staffordshire Terrier mix)
I have always wondered if it had to do with her puppies that she had in her "previous life." Like they were yipping to her and she couldn't help...
I like the "wolf" explanation above. Could be true.
Make that five my girlie terrier freaks out and runs for me whenever I get the hiccups so weird I understand it
Another one in here - collie Cross spring is absolutely terrified of them and shakes like mad
He's so scared of them, our lab has picked up on it and he is now scared too.
Yes! All this time and this blog still seems to be the most visited on this bizarre subject. My 11 year old terrier mix will slink off with his tail between his legs if someone hiccups. Had anyone been able to find a scientific explanation yet? Balloons anger him and some obvious things worry him (fireworks of course) but I really can’t understand the hiccuping thing. Odd!
My husky chow freaks out when someone hiccups. Today she ran out and pooped all over the porch when it happened.
Our two, three-year old adopted (basenji/shepard/beagle?) mixes are also TERRIFIED of hiccups. They both tremble, shake uncontrollably and run to us as if something terrible is about to happen. If it happens when we are in bed they jump on our pillows by our heads for the rest of the night. I feel badly for them but it is kind of amusing. :)
My 10 year old shitzu is terribly afraid when i get hiccups. She will even leave the bedroom when I get them at night. She has always been like this.
same - my dog is currently having a complete meltdown asking uncontrollably because my toddler has (quiet) hiccups
Out boarder collie and cattle dog mix is also terrified of hiccups. He books it for a safe place any time it happens around him.
I have a 2 year old Miniature Pinscher and tonight I had a bad case of the hiccups. When they started he immediately backed away from
Me, put his ears back, army crawled to the other side of the room and then stood there and quivered. He wouldn’t let me near him. Sooo strange.
Same!!! I have a sheltie also and she is soooo scared of my hiccups!
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