Dogs growling at object?

Ok so my cousin moved in with us and has lived with us before, this time she brought this doll with her from somewhere, sorta mid 20th century baby dolls. Anyways all three of my dogs are fine "Lab/chow, wirehare pointer and basset hound" see it or with in preasence of this doll they seem to growl or whimper like crazy. A hour a ago I was listening to my chow/lab growling and whimpering at the door and no one is in there. Now granted I too think this thing has some bad juju I too find it kinda disterbing but my dogs seem to be most effected by it. Even my 2 cats seen it and hissed and clawed and ran away. Any ideas why, I doubt its demons or that kinda crap is there an actual "Psycological" reason why? I know it sounds stupid but I hate to see them scared by in inanimate object.