45+ Tough Looking Dogs That Are Actually Soft Inside

If you think of dogs, you may think of tough companions who protect your family. But what if your dog is in fact scared of something simple and small?

By looking at some of these dogs, many would find it hard to believe they are fraidy-cats at heart, especially the bigger dogs. But here they are, trying to get away from what they fear in often hilarious ways, whether that is reacting to a thunderstorm, the vacuum, or even a mouse.

And while many dogs are brave, allowing for you to rely on them when you need to, some have fears that don’t make much sense. The results can leave you laughing or, at the very least, shaking your head in amazement. Check out these tough dogs who have found themselves in scary situations way over their heads.

1) The Car Wash

While you might think most dogs would enjoy taking a ride in the car, this poor guy obviously got more than he bargained for when he went along for a ride. Obviously, something as simple as a car wash is far too traumatizing for this dog.

2) Outside

According to this cute little puppy’s owner, he was afraid to go outside. Can you blame him, though? It’s a big, wide world out there with a lot of scary stuff. As a matter of fact, I think I am scared to go outside too, now that I think about it.

3) You Guys, There Was a Mouse

And what about this guy? He jumped up on top of the cabinet when he saw a mouse. Rather than face that scary mouse, this dog decided to get up as high as he could. I wonder if he knows that mice can climb.

4) Toys Part 1

Better watch out! It’s a scary toy. To make matters worse, this toy jumps and can even bounce off walls. Unfortunately for this dog, he can’t run very fast due to his short legs, though in this instance he ran faster than normal.

5) The Vet

This dog is clearly not a fan of the vet’s office. Imagine his surprise when his owner walks right into the office. I wonder if he will feel the betrayal of that for a while. I’m sure all will be forgiven just as soon as he gets some love from his owner.

6) Julia Roberts

This dog’s phobia is hilarious. Who would have thought that Julia Roberts could be so scary. Not only does he want to have nothing to do with her picture, he actually doesn’t take his eyes off her as he leaves the room.

[Source: Keyla R]

7) Lawnmowers

This dog’s owner caught his pooch hiding behind the hose in the back of the house. Was he trying to hide, or was he just wanting to get away. I can imagine what he is saying now: “The lawnmower is scary, so I’ll just be over here.”

8) Thunder Part 1

This dog is afraid of the thunder. Poor cat is suffering the brunt of his fear. Either that or the cat is scared too and is hiding its head under the dog. I guess they both don’t realize it’s not the thunder you have to worry about getting you, but the lightning.

9) Vacuums Part 1

Where does a dog go when he has nowhere else to go when his owner is vacuuming? Why on top of his owner, of course. Poor woman can’t even get any cleaning done. I hope this dog realizes that eventually, his owner will have to stand up. Then where will he go?

10) Walks

The sweet boy didn’t want to talk down the mountain. It looks like a sneaky ploy to us. Is he playing dead, or is he just happy he doesn’t have to walk? I feel bad for his owner, though. That dog looks heavy.

11) Chainsaws

Poor girl, this 200-pound pup heard a chainsaw outside. Their owner had to comfort her. Those scary chainsaws will get you if you don’t watch them. Actually, they will, with more than 30,000 chainsaw-related injuries in the U.S. each year.

12) Hardwood Floors

God forbid a dog has to touch a hardwood floor. Maybe this dog’s owner has gotten onto him in the past for tracking in mud. Obviously, this dog is having none of it, choosing to touch the floor as little as possible, even when getting a drink. I guess the toilet was occupied.

13) Bridges

Bridges are scary; it doesn’t matter what anyone says. Just ask this dog. I wonder if he has the same fear when riding in a car across a bridge. I guess he figures he is OK as long as he doesn’t touch the ground. I would hate to see his reaction if he ever has to ride in an elevator.

14) Ducks

I agree with this dog: Ducks are scary. Just look at his eyes. Either he’s never seen a duck before or he’s had a bad experience with one in the past. My bet is that he crossed a duck earlier in his lifetime, maybe even this particular duck.

15) Kittens Part 1

Also, kittens. Kittens are terrifying. Even for a giant Saint Bernard. This big guy took solace in the lap of his owner. All to escape those scary kittens and their little meows, licking tongues, and soft fur.

16) Dog Masks

When a pug comes face-to-face with a person in a pug mask, this is the reaction you get. I honestly want to know if she’s looked in the mirror lately. Maybe she thinks it is a bigger version of herself, even though it smells like her owner. Poor doggie!

17) Car Backfires

How does a dog react when a car backfires? Probably not well, as in this case. Most would run, but this dog took a swim as well. According to this dog’s owner, “He was sleeping, when a car backfiring scared him, and he accidentally ran into the pool.”

18) Zucchinis

I tell you, those zucchinis are scary. Just as these two Corgis. It is almost as if they are afraid to look at it. Oh, the horrors! The zucchinis will get us all, or at least little, short-legged dogs. Maybe it’s because they feel they would have problems running away.

19) The Cuddle Spot

The cuddle spot has been taken, and it looks like the culprit is the family cat. I am curious if this is an ongoing battle between the two. This dog looks like it is patiently waiting for the cat to move so he can swoop in and get it back. Unfortunately, cats are notorious for their long naps.

20) Toys Part 2

The mother of this dog’s owner figured she would get her kids a nice toy. Little did she know the horrors she would unleash. Poor dog looks like he might have a heart attack. I wonder if he has recovered from his ordeal?

21) Thunder Part 2

Why do dogs like to hide when it thunders outside? Maybe it’s the noise that the thunder produces, much like fireworks, which dogs are said to be frightened of as well. It took this dog’s owners 20 minutes to find him after a thunderstorm.

22) Backwards

This funny pooch likes to go into areas he is afraid of backwards. I guess he figures if he can’t see the (nonexistent) danger, it can’t hurt him. I hope he knows he is more apt to get hurt by not looking where he is going.

[Source: Rhiannon Hamam]

23) Birds

According to this dog’s owner, his dog is deathly afraid of his brother’s pet bird. It makes you wonder how the dog functions when walking outside to do his business. Don’t worry boy; you are not alone. Many people share the same fear of birds.

24) Shark Week

I know sharks are scary, but not on the TV. This dog obviously doesn’t know the difference between a real shark and shark on the TV screen. Sharks are impressive animals, though, and this dog should probably not go out onto the ocean.

25) Electronics

When you don’t have a doggy gate at work but your dog is 100% afraid of electronics. I wonder if the same principle would work with a cell phone? Want to keep this dog out of your room? Put a lamp in front of the door.

26) Cucumber Water

Dogs are funny, as they can have a fear of just about anything. Take this owner’s cucumber water. Not only was the dog afraid of it, he actually left the room to get away from it. I wonder how this dog would react if he came across a whole cucumber?

27) Vacuums Part 2

Vacuums are pretty much a dog’s worst nightmare. This owner came out to find his dog in this hairy predicament. The fear must have been real because the dog was whimpering. Funny that the vacuum at the top of the stairs wasn’t even electric and didn’t make the noise of a normal vacuum.

28) Hair Blowers

This is what happens when your dog is afraid of hair blowers but you have to take him to the beauty salon with you. It seems a system was devised to keep the terrified pooch calm. I love the big headphones to keep out the sound. A little doggy deprivation.

29) New Additions

This old dog is not a fan of the new addition. Just look at the fear in his eyes. Either he doesn’t know what to do with the little pup or the doggy’s momma is saying it’s his and he isn’t ready for that kind of commitment. Next up on Maury, Am I the Puppy’s Father?

30) Farts

When you are scared of your own farts. I wonder if it is the sound or the smell? I wonder how she reacts to her own silent-but-deadly farts or if she just tries to blame it on her owner. It’s more like a fear of claiming her own farts if you ask me.

31) Dark Hallways

This little puppy is scared of the dark hallway. She waits patiently for her owners to go to the bathroom. Hopefully, she doesn’t wake up at night, because then it’s dark all over with nowhere to go, except for snuggles from her owner.

32) Feathers

This dog is scared of feathers, especially ones stuck in the deck. Little does she know that her own movement is contributing to any movement on the feather’s part. Better not get too close little dog; that feather might bite you.

[Source: Brett Smith]

33) Other Dogs

According to the owner, other dogs were in the store, so this little puppy panicked. He hid on a shelf until he felt it was safe to come out. He better get used to other dogs; he will have a rough life if he doesn’t.

34) Leaves

This dog thought he was in for a day of fun playing with the kids outside. Little did he know that he would encounter his greatest fear, leaves. Maybe it is because he is short and he thinks he might get lost in the leafy piles.

35) Vacuums Part 3

Any guesses? Yep, the vacuum. I’m surprised dogs haven’t put forward a petition to get rid of all vacuums, or at least make it so that their owners can’t use them while they are around. Honestly, I think dogs should go on strike until this is so.

36) Chopping Wood

This dog’s owner had gone outside to chop some wood. Imagine his surprise when he looked around and saw his dog peeking around the corner of the shed. Maybe the dog thought he was next on the chopping block?

37) Vacuums Part 4

If you haven’t already guessed, vacuums are a dogs number one enemy. This dog seems ready to climb the walls to get away from his arch-nemesis. Forget facing it head on, who knows what that beast could do? I’m talking about the vacuum of course.

38) Thunder Part 3

Where do dogs go when there is a thunderstorm outside? One obvious place is the dishwasher. I have no idea how he thinks he will be safe in there. It might be an easy way to give him a bath, though. Hurry up and close the door before he gets wise!

39) Birthdays

It’s her birthday. She’s not happy about it. Some possible thoughts going through her head: “What’s going on? Why is there a hat on my head?” Too bad she can’t see all of the bright birthday colors due to her color blindness.

40) Water

Look at this little dog run from the waves. Too bad he wasn’t fast enough to escape them. I just wonder if anyone ever taught him to doggy paddle. Well, hopefully, his owner is there to keep him from being dragged out to sea.

41) Cats

They were afraid the new cat would be afraid of the dog. Turns out, it couldn’t be more opposite. What is he even doing? It looks like the dog has put himself in a doggy timeout. Or maybe he figures that if he ignores the cat long enough it will just go away.

42) Road Trips

We have a feeling road trips aren’t this guy’s favorite thing in the world. Or maybe he just farted and he is trying to look all innocent so as not to take the blame. Though it could have been his owner, and he is like, “Really?! What the fetch, dude?”

43) A Mouse Part 2

Again … another mouse. I can’t tell who is more scared, the poor little mouse or the dog, who obviously didn’t see the mouse as he was walking along and minding his own business. It looks like a hair-raising experience for both to me.

44) Kittens Part 2

Because nothing is scarier than four fluffy, adorable kittens. This poor guy didn’t know what to do with himself, so of course he jumped up out of the scary kittens’ reach. He better watch out or he might get nuzzled and licked to death.

45) Kittens Part 3

I don’t know how some dogs can face their peers after learning about their fear of kittens. Keep in mind that this dog is 85 pounds and the kitten is 1.5 pounds. I can see them acting all tough only to turn to jello when they hear that tiny meow.

46) A Boar’s Head

This dog is deathly afraid of this stuffed boar’s head. He still can’t figure out why his owners would want to own such a horrid thing. Come to think of it, I am scared of it too. By the looks of that ugly thing, I’m with him. Maybe we can keep it outside, where it belongs.

47) Little Dogs

This dog was so scared of the little dog that she jumped into her owner’s arms. Why the bigger dog would be so terrified of such a tiny dog is beyond me. Notice the little dog, who seems to be oblivious to whatever is happening.

48) Airplanes

It’s this big boy’s first time on an airplane. The eyes say it all. Hopefully, they belt him in. Otherwise, they could have a panicked dog on their hands. Who knows, in his haste to get back on the ground, he might even try to land the plane himself.

49) Roombas

In this dog’s defense, robots are scary. Even if they’re vacuums. Poor Roomba. Just doing its job, not trying to scare anybody. The Roomba goes home at the end of the day, sad to be so misunderstood. If only the pooch would take the time to get to know him better.