Yoda showing off his “Boo” bandana. Appropriate for a fraidy-dog!

The character Zeph is inspired by my own dog, Yoda. The very first time we brought Yoda home, we pulled into the garage and closed the garage door so that he and his sister couldn’t get loose. Immediately when we opened the door, both puppies jumped onto the garage floor. Two seconds later, one of the dogs was circling the car, sniffing everything in sight. The other dog had dashed under the car and was hiding, squealing in fear. It was Yoda. I had to coax him out and let him sit on my lap for a while before he became acclimated to the garage. But the fears have not ceased. Yoda is loyal and obedient, but he’s sure afraid of many things. I decided to keep a list of everything he’s afraid of. Hope you enjoy!

1. Christmas trees
   

   Yoda: This is as close as I get! (Yoda watches from afar as the Christmas Tree is put together and decorated. All season, he gave the tree a wide berth.)

2. Ceramic Duck
   

   We found this duck while cleaning out an old box. Yoda approached tremulously before deciding he wanted nothing to do with the duck–and dashed to the other side of the room. He still fears it to this day.

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3. Wooden bridges
   
   

   Scary Stuff!

   When visiting family in Maryland, Yoda, Leia, and two other dog friends visited a park with beautiful walking paths. One of the pathways goes over a rocky drainage area, and walkers are supposed to cross over a wide, short wooden bridge. Yoda, terrified of the bridge, always dashes across the scattered rocks rather than risk the terrors of… the wooden bridge! My parents now refer to it as “the Yoda Bridge.”
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4. Foil
   In Corgi Capers 2, Zeph is terrified of the sound and sight of aluminum foil. This is directly inspired by Yoda, who fears the strange sound foil makes when torn from its holder.
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5. Pez dispensers
   What can I say? Some of them are pretty scary!
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6. The Vacuum Cleaner
   

   Some dogs attack vacuums. Not Yoda. In this picture, he is seen keeping a safe distance at the top of the stairs while I vacuum the entryway and steps.

7. His Sister!
   Yoda loves his sister, but she can be scary sometimes. She loves to guard things, including empty dog food bags, bags of potato chips, and slipper socks. When she’s in her guarding mode, if Yoda even thinks about approaching, she growls a low, rumbling warning, and Yoda stays on the other side of the room. Once guarding mode is over, Yoda resumes his role as protective big brother.,
8. Crinkly Toy
   I bought Yoda this crinkly toy after his sister fell in love with a similar one. It has a plastic water bottle inside, so it crinkles when bitten. It’s supposed to be fun. Leia loves hers. She carries it around like Linus’s blanket and never lets Yoda play with it, so I bought Yoda his own. As soon as I presented it to him, he backed away. To Leia’s delight. She swooped in like a hawk and claimed the crinkly toy as her own.

Yoda’s latest terror: the crinkly toy!! Come to think of it, Yoda might be afraid of all stuffed animals. He hasn’t really played with or picked up any since he was a puppy. It’s just rawhide and Nylabones for him!