Noise desensitisation

• Dogs who are scared and startled by noises can struggle to relax in a variety of situations. They can be hypervigilant, waiting for those triggering sounds so they can respond to them in ways that make them feel safer; quite often, this is barking to warn the sound away, or alternatively hiding in a perceived safe space. Both of these tactics are reinforcing - sounds can often be fleeting, leaving the dog satisfied that their behaviour indeed reduced the frequency or intensity of that sound. Thus, the cycle of fear of sounds and associated unwanted behaviours goes on. It is our responsibility to make our dogs feel safer.

• It is also possible for a component of pain to be at play. Imagine you have a sore back; a sudden sound may cause you to move suddenly in ways that cause you more pain. You may then start to link feeling pain with sudden sounds, and the cycle of fear and pain continues, perhaps even after the initial cause of pain has healed. As with all training issues, we need to rule out underlying health issues by getting a full vet check.

• We will use two techniques to help your dog overcome their sensitivity to sounds:

  • 1) Desensitization: We play the sounds on the lowest possible volume for as many days as necessary. Only when we are sure our dogs aren’t bothered at all, we can turn it up by one nudge, still hardly noticeable for human hearing. We keep increasing at the pace the dog is happy with.

  • 2) Counter Conditioning: Create a new involuntary response using classical conditioning. Find a recording of the sound or create it yourself. Teach your dog that whenever they hear the sound, a really yummy treat follows straight after. This exercise needs to be practised with our trainer to ensure you are getting the timing right.

• Find sounds here.