Noise phobias in dogs are a common problem and are difficult and frustrating to treat. A dog can develop a phobia to any sound. Cats also get noise phobias but are better at hiding away than dogs and so it often goes unnoticed.
Thunderstorms are by far the most common; however, with this time of year, the frequency of fireworks increases due to Diwali, Guy Fawkes, and the festive season.
Noise phobias can develop for several reasons. It could be something as simple as not being exposed to a certain sound when a puppy or incorrect reinforcement of how to react to a sound. For example, a puppy might get startled by the sound of thunder and the owner, noticing, might pet the dog and tell him it’s okay in an attempt to calm and comfort him. The owner’s intentions are to calm and comfort, but what they end up doing is reinforcing the fear by rewarding a fearful response. Rather make them feel safe in a way that does not make them feel like fear is a correct response. Reward positive responses to noise. With that said, if a dog has a debilitating fear, you cannot ignore it. The animal needs to feel safe. Reassure him in a way that shows you are not affected by the noise and that you plan to continue with normal activities. Ensure the animal has a safe place to hide if needed.
There is also a genetic component. Some dogs, like people, are more timid and fearful than others. Many dogs develop these phobias over time and a dog who initially didn’t have a noise phobia can develop one at any stage of life, often associating other fearful experiences to the sound that happened at the same time.
Noise phobias can manifest in many different ways. A mild case may involve panting, tremors, and crying. A severe case can involve chewing holes through walls and aggression. It is important to note that these dogs are extremely anxious and are basically having panic attacks. They are not purposely trying to destroy things. Do not punish them as this will increase the fear response. The dog will now associate even more negative events with the noise. Other signs include urinating or defecating, hiding, chewing, pacing, not leaving your side, digging, escaping, drooling, attention-seeking behaviours, excessive gas, barking, trembling, and dilated pupils.
Sensitisation and Counter-Conditioning
The proper treatment involves several steps and centres around desensitisation and counterconditioning (DCC). During the DCC program it is important to not expose the dog to any of the sounds/components that he is afraid of. It would be best to start treatment when it is not thunderstorm season. A DCC program involves exposing the dog to each component of the thunderstorm to a degree that either does not evoke a fearful response at all (this can be difficult) or at the very least evokes less of a fearful response. Reward relaxation, no or less response with praise and a food treat. If your dog does not accept the food treat, he is too stressed, and the intensity of the stimulus needs to be decreased.
There are CDs with recordings of thunderstorms. These will give the sound of thunder and rainfall and are a great place to start. Play the recording on a very low setting, barely audible, and reward calm behaviour. Do not increase the volume too fast. Going too fast is the most common mistake people make. After several short sessions (3–5 minutes each) per day for a few days, begin to increase the volume. If your dog begins to react, ignore him, turn the sound off, and restart at the previous volume that he did not react to and start over. You cannot go too slow, but you can very easily go too fast.
Once the sound components have been dealt with (thunder and rain), it is time to move on to the visual side of the house: lightning and rain. A camera flash or strobe light can be used as lightning. Start in a different room and flash once. Reward as stated above. Slowly start to increase the frequency of the flashes and then the intensity. Bring it closer, but never flash it right in the dog’s face. As you begin to move closer, start over with one flash, then slowly increase the number of flashes at that distance. Next is the visual component of rain. All you need for this is a window, garden hose, and a helper (human type). Have your dog sit far away from the window as someone “makes it rain,” reward calmness and gradually bring your dog closer to the window. This is not perfect because of the components that we have no control over, but it’s the best that we can do.
Once your dog has been desensitised and counter-conditioned to the individual components, it’s time to repeat the process with combinations. Start with two of the components he reacts less to and build on that. Switch them up and DCC to as many combos as you can. After this, combine three things and keep building in this manner.
Products
There are several products on the market that can help dogs with noise phobias; however, none of these is intended to be used as the sole treatment. They are intended to be used in conjunction with behaviour modification. In other words, there is no shortcut and choosing one of these because it is an easy way of dealing with the problems will likely result in failure about 90% of the time.
DAP collars and room plugins. DAP (Dog Appeasing Pheromone) collars and room plugins can help to decrease anxiety in dogs, regardless of the cause. They should be used together and constantly.
Medications. Medicating your dog may not be an appealing idea to you, but oftentimes medications can be a tremendous help. Stress and anxiety inhibit learning. If anxiety can be decreased, learning can be increased. There are several types of medications that can be used.
Selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitors (SSRI) and tricyclic antidepressants. These will cause an increase in the serotonin levels of the brain, producing a calming effect. They also have an effect on other neurotransmitters, such as norepinephrine and dopamine. This class of medication is meant to be taken for a period of months to years. The positive effects of these medications are seen after taking them daily for 4–6 weeks.
Benzodiazepines. Benzodiazepines are anti-anxiety medications that start to work in about 30–45 minutes. These can be used on an as-needed basis but can also be used daily until the SSRIs kick in.
Phenothiazines. Acepromazine, or Ace for short, is a very commonly used drug in veterinary medicine. It only sedates. It does not have any anti-anxiety properties and is not a good choice for dogs with anxiety. It makes the owners feel better because their dog cannot display the anxious behaviour. The dog’s brain is still experiencing all of the stress and anxiety that the situation brings about, but his body cannot show it. Plus, it actually heightens sensitivity to noises!
Anxitane and Calmeze. These are more natural products. They are amino acids, which can increase production of calming substances in the body. They do not cause sedation. Their effects are very variable.
This often doesn’t completely resolve. Although it can be a frustrating and time consuming, improvement can definitely be made. The most important part about noise phobias is making sure the animal is safe. It is vital that they are microchipped as a scared animal is a desperate animal and will go to extremes to escape the noise. Make sure your pets are identifiable in case they get out, especially since they may be injured.