Noise Phobia in Dogs & Cats

Coping with fireworks

Welcome to our guide on supporting the emotional well-being of noise-sensitive dogs and cats. Does your pet get anxious during fireworks, thunderstorms, or other loud noises like gunshots or bangs? You’re not alone, and there are ways you can help!

This quick guide offers some simple yet effective strategies to support your pet through these stressful times, improving their comfort and emotional well-being.

Noise sensitivity reduction programme using free work and Pet Remedy for dogs

Pet Remedy and Andrew Hale, Pet Remedy’s Dog Behaviourist, have created the following video and pdf downloads to help walk you through how to help your pet overcome its noise phobias.

COPING WITH FIREWORKS & NOISE PHOBIA PDF NOISE SENSITIVITY PROGRAMME PDF FREE WORK PDF CHOOSING A DOG TRAINER PDF

What is Free Work?

Dogs can feel unsafe in several different situations which can then easily trigger a stress response. When they are stressed their ability to be able to process what is happening in a constructive and positive way is often compromised. As a result, the dog is likely to exhibit behaviour such as hiding, barking, growling or even biting.

This might be dealing with guests coming to the home, being taken into a rescue or introduced to their new forever home, becoming more comfortable around certain people or sounds etc. This is where Free Work can come in as it is a great activity to include in supporting the dog through the training process and can be used in multiple contexts.

To help the dog cope better in these situations, we need to gradually expose the dog to the trigger in such a way they can properly process what is happening a create a more neutral or ideally positive association to it.

Emotional Wellbeing for Noise Sensitive Dogs

Here is a more indepth 30 min Webinar with Andrew Hale.

When a dog with a noise phobia hears a specific sound, it triggers a negative emotional reaction, leading to stress and anxiety. This often results in various behaviours such as barking, attacking (particularly with vacuum cleaners!), fleeing, or hiding.

To assist such a dog, it’s important to work on changing its emotional response to the sound, helping it become less stressed and more tolerant. While some dogs may always find certain noises frightening, you can still support them to reduce their anxiety.

On the other hand, some dogs may eventually learn to accept and ignore these sounds entirely. Every dog is unique, but regardless of the intensity of their reaction, all can benefit from some level of support, making it worthwhile to work with them and provide the assistance they need.

By remaining calm yourself and using these strategies, you can help reduce your dog’s anxiety during noisy events. Explore our tips to keep your furry friend feeling safe and comfortable.

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Protecting your dog this firework season

October 8, 2024

Does your dog get anxious during fireworks, thunderstorms, or other loud noiseslike gunshots or bangs? You’re not alone, and there are ways you can help! This quick guide offers some simple yet effective strategies to support your dogthrough these stressful times, improving their comfort and emotional well-being. Be Realistic Some dogs might always find certain …