My dog hates people with sunglasses!

Seeking help
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Gizmo, our 4-year-old border terrier, is our pet. He was given to us a year ago, and he normally gets along with everyone! He gets along with youngsters, folks with hats, and our guy with the prosthetic arm. However, those who wear sunglasses? Surely it is the devil in human form. When my brother—who is blind—came over for a visit and wore sunglasses, we found out. Gizmo lost it. He started to run around, bark uncontrollably, and refuse to let my brother close me in an attempt to trip him.

At first, we believed he despised my brother, but as soon as he removed his spectacles, Gizmo became peaceful. That evening, my partner decided to try wearing sunglasses to see if it would make a difference. Gizmo lost his mind. Thus, the spectacles are undoubtedly the cause.

Every time my poor brother visits, he has to take them off, and even though he assures me it is all right, I still feel awful.

How can I assist Gizmo in getting over his dislike of sunglasses? (And how could it have happened?) Would it be preferable to simply ask my brother to give up the sunglasses when he visits if I am unable to accomplish that?

2 Likes
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To help Gizmo feel better about sunglasses, slowly introduce them to him with rewards and praise. Until then, ask your brother not to wear sunglasses when he visits to keep Gizmo calm.

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Perhaps because he is aware that wearing glasses indoors is impolite.

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He wasn’t introduced to sunglasses during his puppyhood. Sunglasses can be especially unsettling for dogs because they feature large, dark lenses that lack the usual cues dogs expect from human eyes—no direction, no blinking. This reaction is more widespread than one might think. Similarly, some dogs react similarly to cameras with distinct lenses (as opposed to phone cameras) for much the same reason.

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Interesting. My usually super friendly dog went crazy barking at a photographer in the park the other day. I was really surprised because he never barks at people on our walks. I assumed it was because the photographer was standing around and moving in strange ways, but maybe it was the camera lens. I never would have guessed.