History Main / ScareTheDog

* The titular {{TheThing Thing-dog}} terrifies the other sled dogs so utterly that that one of them tries to tear open the chain-link fencing of its pen in a desperate attempt to escape the mutating horror, to no avail.

* A variation in the {{Animated Series}} of {{101 Dalmations}}, where Cadpig (who is the runt of the litter) was able to emotionally manipulate a group of vicious guard dogs by cruelly pointing out their flaws and weaknesses until they became a whimpering pile with self-esteem issues. {{Beware The Nice Ones}} indeed.

* In ''MedakaBox'', Medaka pulls this off not out of choice, but [[ParodySue because animals are frightened by her overwhelming power.]] When she was in primary school, she took a field trip to the zoo, not ''one animal'' showed its face!

[[AC:Film]]

* In [[TheSilenceOfTheLambs Hannibal]] the titular character breaks into [[spoiler:Paul Krendler's]] house, and the fairly imposing dog takes one look at him and starts to back down and whimper. The film just about gets away with it, since it is possible that the dog is just a pet rather than a guard dog, and it would make sense that the dog would smell the psychopath's lack of fear. In any case, it's a lot more convincing than a scene later in the film (and book) where [[spoiler:specially bred and trained killer pigs refuse to attack him, apparently because he is just that awesome.]]

[[AC:Literature]]
* Inverted in ''[[{{Discworld}} Going Postal]]'': Moist Von Lipwig is able to [[spoiler: control some dogs as he originates from the same country as them, and thus knows the commands to give them. ''Or so he thinks...'' It turns out the dogs weren't Lipwigzers. [[MagicFeather The power was in Moist the whole time!]]]]

[[AC:Live Action TV]]

[[AC:Tabletop Games]]

* [[{{Warhammer40000}} In Leman Russ']] backstory it's said that the disguised Emperor caused one of Leman's wolves to cower in fear, while the other was too stupid to do so.

[[AC:Video Games]]

[[AC:Webcomics]]

[[AC:Western Animation]]

* [[Film/Tintin The Adventures of Tintin]] has an example of a dog being scared by ''another dog'': Snowy, a tiny Wire Fox Terrier, makes a ferocious Rottweiler twice his size whimper and roll over on its back by merely barking at it. A minute later, the Rottweiler is seen [[BigFriendlyDog playing with Snowy]].

* In [[TheSilenceOfTheLambs Hannibal]] the titular character breaks into [[spoiler: Paul Krendler's]] house, and the fairly imposing dog takes one look at him and starts to back down and whimper. The film just about gets away with it, since it is possible that the dog is just a pet rather than a guard dog, and it would make sense that the dog would smell the psychopath's lack of fear. In any case, it's a lot more convincing than a scene later in the film (and book) where [[spoiler: specially bred and trained killer pigs refuse to attack him, apparently because he is just that awesome.]]

Not related to the TropeyTheWonderdog family of tropes.

* Shrek scaring that little white fluffy dog in ''{{Shrek}} 2''.

* In ''{{Robots}}'' Rodney's pet/invention faces off against Madame Gasket. Who just sneers at it causing it to short-circuit. It does get over it's fear in the very next scene though.

* Inverted in ''[[{{Discworld}} Going Postal]]'': Moist Von Lipwig is able to [[spoiler: control some dogs as he originates from the same country as them, and thus knows the commands to give them. ''Or so he thinks...'' It turns out the dogs weren't Lipwigzers. [[MagicFeather The power was in Moist the whole time!]]]]
** Werewolves in general have power over dogs, though it's largely the power to make them cower and look as inedible as possible.

* There's an official ''MetalGear'' {{Novelization}} where Snake, at one point, covers himself in "panther musk" and roars at a group of guard dogs to scare them away.

** Averted in the First Season finale, where the animals at the Gala just didn't seem to like her. And then it's played straight when she snaps...

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* In ''JurassicPark 2'', the dog barks at the T-Rex which promptly turns around. Dog hides and whimpers loudly. Then it gets eaten. Dog house and all.

* In ''TheLordOfTheRings: The Fellowship of the Ring'', the Ringwraith asks the first hobbit it sees where to find Baggins. Said hobbit's dog barks, then whimpers and hides inside the house.

* In ParadigmShift, Kate McAllister has used the fact that she's a werewolf to teach some dogs not to mess with her.

* In [[TheSilenceOfTheLambs Hannibal]] the titular character breaks into [[spoiler: Paul Krendler's]] house, and the fairly imposing dog takes one look at him and starts to back down and whimper. The film [[YourMileageMayVary just about gets away with it]], since it is possible that the dog is just a pet rather than a guard dog, and it would make sense that the dog would smell the psychopath's lack of fear. In any case, it's a lot more convincing than a scene later in the film (and book) where [[spoiler: specially bred and trained killer pigs refuse to attack him, apparently because he is just that awesome.]]

* In [[TheSilenceOfTheLambs Hannibal]] the titular character breaks into [[spoiler: Paul Krendler's]] house, and the fairly imposing dog takes one look at him and starts to back down and whimper. The film [[YourMileageMayVary just about]] [[MostlyNarmless gets away with it]], since it is possible that the dog is just a pet rather than a guard dog, and it would make sense that the dog would smell the psychopath's lack of fear. In any case, it's a lot more convincing than a scene later in the film (and book) where [[spoiler: specially bred and trained killer pigs refuse to attack him, apparently because he is just that awesome.]]

* In ''MedakaBox'', Medaka pulls this off not out of choice, but [[ParodySue because animals are frightened by her overwhelming power.]] When she was in primary school, she took a field trip to the zoo, [[BeyondTheImpossible not]] ''[[BeyondTheImpossible one animal]]'' [[BeyondTheImpossible showed its face!]]

* In ''MedakaBox'', Medaka pulls this off not out of choice, but [[ParodySue because animals are frightened by her overwhelming power.]]

* In ''MedakaBox'', Medaka pulls this off not out of choice, but [[ParodySue animals are frightened by her overwhelming power.]]

* Fluttershy from MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic. She's normally the resident ShrinkingViolet, unless you [[BerserkButton hurt her friends]]. She stood up to a dragon and a cockatrice. Special mention to doing it by staring the cockatrice down, a creature with the ability to have whatever look into it's eyes be TakenForGranite.

Some characters are frightening enough to scare some people. Some characters are frightening enough to scare most people. Some characters, though, are frightening enough that they can reduce even fierce or aggressive guard dogs to whimpering, cowering puppies, just by looking at them, or even just by ''being there''.

* In ''{{Robots}}'' Rodney's pet/invention faces off against Madame Gasket. Who just sneers at it causing it to short-circut. It does get other it's fear in the very next scene though.

* [[{{Warhammer40000}} In Leman Russ']] backstory it's said that the disguised Emperor caused one of Leman's wolves to cower in fear, while the other was to stupid to do so.