Quote Originally Posted by Stefan-A View Post
I think you might be making it a bit more complicated than it needs to be. I think it's more likely that it just started associating the hand with danger.
Blood = danger
Blood + hand = danger
=> hand = blood = danger
=> hand = danger.

Or maybe I'm just bored out of my mind. Anyway, just guessing again.

the only problem i can see with that theory is that the animal had no problem before with hands. The reason i immediately think addreniline is because its the bodies preparation for defence and attack so if an animal "smells" adreniline then it assumes either attack or defence is likely to occur.