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subject: How To Help Your Dog Overcome "noise" Fear [print this page]

If you're a dog owner, you know that your dog has a keen sense

of hearing. That becomes quite obvious during thunderstorms,

Fourth of July or New Year's Eve festivities.

Both my dogs Abbey and Mollie avoid loud noises at all

costs. Usually family members are near and usher them

into a more quiet area of the house during such

disturbances.

Unfortunately, many city pets can take off when provoked

by a sharp, loud noise. A dog can dig himself under a

fence and quickly escape from the noise but end up

in harm's way with traffic and unknown surroundings.

The good news is that puppies and dogs can be desensitized

with consistent training. As you would expect, the

process must be carefully monitored. Here are

some simple ideas to help your puppy or dog overcome

such a challenge:

1) Use your stereo or CD player to acclimate your dog

to loud noises.Start at a low volume and gradually increase

it a bit each week until you see your pet start to accept

the noise without being agitated.

2) Put your dog into his crate if he suddenly becomes

agitated during a loud noise occurrence. The crate's

walls help dampen the sound level.

3) Talk to your veterinarian if your pet does not

respond to training after a few weeks' time. Tranquilizers

might be an option but do not always work.

4) Finally, make sure your dog has an ID chip and

dog collar with complete identification and your

contact information on it.

As with all dog training, it takes time to get your

pet to change his behavior. Abbey, my brittany spaniel,

has never had an issue with noise. But Mollie,

my border/aussie mix, was very sensitive to noise being

the herder she it. Gradual training has worked wonders

with her.

by: Tom Hering

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