Your dog is man’s best friend, a friend with a sense of hearing far sharper than our own. Even more, this friend has a mind that thinks for itself.
And a heart too. A heart that feels all sorts of emotions including fear, anxiety, and general phobia. It is through understanding this heart that you, a loving pet owner, can detect the subtle signs of fear in dogs.
Signs that lead to noise phobia and subsequently, dog anxiety.
However, these signs are not so subtle when your dog is afraid of loud noises. All dogs are but before you begin searching for these signs, how about we tell you how to detect them first?
Dog Fear, Dog Anxiety, And Noise Phobia; What’s The Difference?
When it comes to dogs and loud noises, you need to understand that there are sounds only dogs can hear and hate. Therefore, such noises have different levels of impact on your canine friend.
Dog fear is a natural, instinctual response by your canine to a change in environment. Not just any change but one that poses threat to them or you, their beloved human.
Dog anxiety is a fear that persists in your canine friend. It can be due to any external factor that may or may not be present. Anxiety occurs because your dog is expecting something that, once again, may or may not happen.
Noise Phobia is one of the most alarming signs of fear in dogs. Imagine your dog’s anxiety maxed up beyond the extremes. These are learned responses of fright that are consistent, persistent, and illogical even for your dog. Here, anything can become a trigger.
Even the slight creak of your door as it swings.
Our chests grow heavy seeing loved ones go through these phases. How is your dog any different than your loved one?
What Triggers My Dog’s Anxiety Against Noise?
Searching for the source of your dog’s anxiety is like looking for a needle in a haystack. There can be numerous upon numerous reasons but here are a few where you might start:
- Alarms; fire or otherwise.
- Loud noises from your television, mobile phone, or radio.
- Sudden storms.
- Car traffic or an aircraft passing by.
- Noisy gatherings.
- Fireworks.
- The barking of other dogs.
We may have given you a list of all the possible sources of your dog’s fears. A short list, yes but the point is simply to get you started rather than give you a total playbook. Each dog is different and so, each dog is afraid of loud noises differently.
Your canine friend may be genetically anxious and noise may be key. German Shepherds and Golden Retrievers face this very commonly. These dogs and loud noises do not go well together.
Perhaps there was no reason at all. Some signs of fear in dogs appear either early on in their puppyhoods or later in life. Or perhaps, they caught it from you. Dogs are well known to pick on the emotions of their owners.
Only you can truly know.
So What Should I Do Against My Dog’s Fear?
Every problem has its solution or several. That said, here are a few pointers you could try out:
Noise Training.
In other words, desensitization forms a positive connection between your dog and loud noises.
Figure out what exactly is triggering your dog, save recordings of that noise and play it in front of your dogs. This time, have them associate these noises with something positive. Our suggestion? Take out their favorite treat and spoil your dogs a little.
Rather than reminding you that your dog is afraid of loud noises,
Get A Dog Bed.
When a dog’s fear reaches its peak, they tend to behave no differently than us; find a comfortable spot, a corner perhaps, away from all the noise. Your job is to make that comfort spot a safe space for them.
That’s why we recommend our donut dog bed to meet these demands. Its foam mattress is extra soft, making your dog feel light and loved when hugged from all over. Yellow, green, or grey, you pick the best for your little canine friend.
Or maybe this friend of yours prefers a less overwhelming approach when he lays in his dog bed? Then, the square bed dog bed is just the thing for him.
Either way, a dog bed mixed with pressure wraps is the best therapy against signs of fear in dogs.
Positive Connections.
This time, it is you who needs to form a connection with your best friend. To put things into perspective, what this specific segment entails is what not to do upon phobia’s strike.
Whenever your dog becomes afraid of loud noises, do not pet them. Petting is a reward in their eyes and by doing so, you are indivertibly promoting their anxiety. A better approach would be to remain calm and cool.
But not do nothing, of course. Observe their behavior. Try to catch the common signs of fear in dogs. Perhaps low-pitched moans upon a thunder strike or maybe they rush off somewhere in a corner whenever a police car or ambulance passes by.
Either way, it relates to the first point; figure out the trigger.
Conclusion
Should your dog get noise phobia, don't panic. It's pretty common though, that doesn't stop its treatment from being tricky. After all, no one method is absolute and no one method works the same for all dogs.
Your dog, though very simple, is a very complex mix of emotions. Even the slightest noise can tick them off. So we recommend a diversified approach, one full of different techniques and methods.
Oh and patience. Lots of patience.
Woof luck!
