Anyone else's dog terrified of Alexa?

LeylandVCDS

Active Member
Apr 20, 2015
273
150
Leyland, Lancashire
My 4 year old Border Terrier Rosie is absolutely terrified of the Amazon Echo smart speaker, you only have to say the word Alexa and she runs out of the room shaking. We thought the word Alexa was the trigger, so we changed this to Computer, and within a couple of times of using this, she's now exactly the same with the word computer. The amount of entries on google about Alexa fear in dogs, and the fact that Amazon are fully aware there is a major issue with some dogs, is truly worrying. Anyone else found the same thing with their dogs? Pic of my two for cuteness.
 

Attachments

  • 20200407_093856.jpg
    20200407_093856.jpg
    603.3 KB · Views: 86
  • Like
Reactions: Tell

martin j.

Active Member
Feb 11, 2007
1,996
889
Fife
Not heard of this and don’t have Alexa, but if it upset the dog it would be straight in the bin, or eBay.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Tell

Jimbobcook

Moderator
Staff member
Moderator
Nov 24, 2012
6,149
2,531
Admittedly I only have a cat and she wonders where the voice is coming from but doesn't seem to care much.

If I had a dog and this happened like you it would be out the door. I assume it's giving off a frequency that it doesn't like?

Is you say alexa and the speakers are off does your dog have the same thing like it's by association?
 
  • Like
Reactions: Tell

LeylandVCDS

Active Member
Apr 20, 2015
273
150
Leyland, Lancashire
Admittedly I only have a cat and she wonders where the voice is coming from but doesn't seem to care much.

If I had a dog and this happened like you it would be out the door. I assume it's giving off a frequency that it doesn't like?

Is you say alexa and the speakers are off does your dog have the same thing like it's by association?
I'm sure its something like a frequency.......she runs out of the room like a gibbering wreck if its playing, whether that's speech or music, and she's associated the "Alexa" and latterly the "Computer", wake up words with the thing switching on, so she's scared of those words now too. I changed the wake up name to see if it was the name "Alexa" that was bothering her, but she very quickly picked up on the new name too. Alexa now boxed up and for sale, I'm not having a traumatised dog for the sake of a smart speaker.

A quick google search has revealed that this is not an uncommon problem, and that Amazon are well aware of it being so. Loads of folks complaining of exactly the same behaviour shown by their dogs as my Rosie
 
Last edited:
Genuine SEAT Parts and Accessories.