Field Guide · Glossary
Noise sensitivity
Reactivity and fearA fear response to sounds such as thunder, fireworks, gunshots or household noises, ranging from mild startle to a lasting panic called a noise phobia.
How it works
Owner surveys suggest it is very common, with close to half of owners reporting at least one fear sign in their dog at loud noises. Signs include trembling, hiding, panting, pacing, clinging to people, trying to escape and, at the severe end, destroying things or self-injury. The fear often spreads to things that predict the sound, so a dog afraid of thunder may start reacting to wind, rain or a drop in air pressure. Pain is one known contributor. A small study of twenty noise-sensitive dogs found that the dogs with muscle or joint pain had started fearing noise nearly four years later in life, on average, and avoided more places afterward. A noise fear that begins suddenly in an adult or older dog is therefore worth raising with a veterinarian.
What it looks like
Every Fourth of July a dog spends the evening shaking behind the toilet. The next year the family prepares a quiet interior room with the curtains closed, a fan running and a stuffed food toy, and brings him there before the fireworks begin. Their veterinarian also prescribes a medication meant for predictable noise events, to be given beforehand.
Related terms
Gear that helps
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White noise machine
Covers the outside sounds that set a reactive dog off at home: the hallway, the street, the neighbor's dog. Steady sound gives them less to react to.
Kong Classic (multiple sizes)
The workhorse of enrichment. Stuff it, freeze it, and it buys you a quiet hour. We reach for it for crate time and alone-time practice.
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