One of those dogs developed a chronic illness late in her life and passed away when she was 12 years old. We are definitely dog people now! Nine months ago, we rescued another toy pup that has special needs.
All 3 of our dogs have exhibited some scary behavior that had me sure they could not breathe. What was actually happening is something called a "reverse sneeze". Usually, it's not a serious condition, though it sure looks like it. My dogs have episodes of honking and act like they can't get air. It doesn't last very long and sometimes I'm successful interrupting it. It usually happens when my dogs get extremely excited.
I recently read these internet articles. They talk about reverse sneezing. The second link has a great video that shows what it looks like. If you have dogs you might want to take a look to see what it looks like. It is always recommended that you talk with your pet's vet regarding any unusual behaviors or concerns. Usually reverse sneezing is not a problem, but your pet's vet will be able to determine if a more serious condition is causing it to happen.