my dog reacting to whistle sounds

Question
Hi my 11 years old he has been getting scared when he hears any         
whistle sound sometimes like on tv or our wood stove does it is not a New sound 2 weeks ago he had a cyst on his neck removed it has been since then wanted to know what could be causing this..he gets all shakey  and pants heavily he tries to jump up on us or hide under us.  Thanks for your help

Answer
Just a guess, but I suspect he heard some similar sound at the vet's while he was there and he is associating the two in his mind. Or maybe he is starting to lose his hearing a bit, and that is one of the few sounds that can get through for him. Changes at this age can prove challenging for some dogs. It may be a coincidence that these two incidents happened about the same time.

Just ignore his behavior... certainly do not reassure him as he will think his fearful behavior is desirable. If he has a favorite toy, try to distract him with that... otherwise I would just ignore him, or maybe walk away from him when he starts this behavior.