Noise Phobias in Dogs

by The K9 Guy, 06-30-16

With the 4th of July now upon us, there will be many dogs dealing with the stress of fireworks, parties, and other events this weekend. Many dogs have issues with loud noises, and owners will find a vast array of products, medicines, supplements, and advice on how to best help. Working with anxious dogs every week, and having dogs of my own that aren't fond of noises, I thought I'd offer a trainer's perspective on what I have found to be best options for offering them help.

First, I believe very strongly that daily leadership and obedience are the foundation for best solutions to anxiety based problems. Anxious dogs who have a strong leader to "lean on", will always do better in stressful situations. Additionally, training is a process that builds communication with a pet, and teaches a pet how to use their mind in a more focused manner. That training can be a great way to communicate, redirect, or pro-actively tire a dog.

If training isn't an option, chew toys, distracting sounds (music, tv, etc.), and even play can help some dogs. Certainly worth a try, since these items cost little or nothing. For dogs that enjoy car rides, sometimes they do very well on a 30-60 min road trip during fireworks. Not ideal for many owners, but maybe worth some consideration.

Also, there are many over the counter products designed to help anxious dogs. Most of them work with some dogs, but none of them work with every dog. This means you may be looking a while to find the "right" product for "your" dog. Based on information garnered from clients and fellow trainers over the years, in my list of products from most effective to least would be: homeopathic supplements, thundershirts, and finally pheromone collars/sprays/diffusers. Bach's Rescue Remedy has been useful to many people for many years, and the makers of Cosequin have just released a new product named Solliquin. You can see reviews of most of these products (and more) on Amazon.

For severely stressed dogs, there are medicines that can help. A new one just hitting the market is featured in the video below. Like all medicines, there can be side effects and risks. So these therapies should only be used if other solutions fail, AND your dog is facing stress that routinely reduces his/her quality of life. While we live in a society that values convenience, medications to me should never be used simply for convenience.

Finally, many local shelters will be filling up with panicked dogs that escaped homes, yards, and events this weekend. If your dog is a flight risk, please take time NOW to assure you have good identification in place. The first line of defense is always a collar with your pet's name, and your contact information. Hopefully your pet is already micro-chipped.

Wishing everyone - human and canine - a Happy 4th of July Weekend! May it be restful, fun, and safe for all.