Fireworks, thunder, loud sudden bangs, and other loud noises can be scary to both humans and to dogs. However, you might wonder why dogs are scared of loud noises and why they have such noise anxiety. While humans can outgrow their noise anxiety by understanding what thunder or what loud noises are, and that they are nothing to be frightened of, that doesn’t work with dogs.
In order to defeat the noise anxiety in our dogs, we need to know why loud noises scare them as well as what we can do about it. Since no dog parent wants to see their hound suffer, start reading, and you’ll learn how to calm your dog down when the noise gets loud!
1. There Are Lots Of Symptoms
Depending on the severity of the dog’s noise anxiety, there are a number of things that can be the symptoms, and some of them can be disguised as other behaviors, so you need to ensure that you are making a note of when the symptoms occur. If they are happening after or during a loud noise, then they are probably due to noise anxiety.
Some symptoms can include shaking or trembling, pressing close to you, wide eyes, refusing to move, a large amount of barking and whining, and even bathroom activities that are done inside the house even though the dog is housebroken.
Keep all that in mind the next time loud noises happen, and you’ll be able to see if the symptoms are part of the noise anxiety or if they are part of something else.
2. Most Of The Triggers Are Pretty Common
Even if you have never had a dog or heard of noise anxiety, you probably know most of the things that can make a dog afraid or excited. Some of these loud noises can include thunderstorms, fireworks, loud beeping noises from smoke detectors, fire alarms, sirens, and loud sounds from both people as well as electronics.
While some of these noises are things you can control, others are noises that are going to happen no matter what, and you need to be prepared to handle them. Finding ways to keep your dog calm is one of the best ways to handle very loud situations, such as using pet cbd oil to soothe their anxiety.
3. Don’t Comfort Your Dog
While it might seem very counterintuitive whenever you see your dog acting nervous, you shouldn’t start petting and consoling your dog because it does tell them that they have something to be worried about. Instead, acting normally is the equivalent of explaining to your children what loud sounds are. By keeping yourself calm and not showing any emotions about the loud noise, then your dog will realize there is nothing to worry about.
However, just because you can’t comfort your dog doesn’t mean you should let them sit in their anxiety. One of the best ways you can help to keep them calm during a very loud environment is to use pressure wraps. These wraps can come in the form of weighted blankets, vests, or other materials that exert a gentle pressure on the dog. This can make them feel like they are being held and hugged, and it is very comforting and helps them overcome their anxiety.
Additionally, weighted blankets can also work for humans too, so if you find that you have noise anxiety or any other type of anxiety, then put on a weighted blanket or vest, and you will be all good! Even if you aren’t anxious, the feeling of a weighted blanket is something that someone shouldn’t experience at least once.
4. Exercise Them If You Know The Noise Is Coming To Make Them Drowsy
If you can’t remove the dog from the loud situation, then you might be able to exercise their anxiety out of them by going for long walks and playing with them before the thunderstorm hits or the fireworks start to go off. If you exercise them enough beforehand, they will use up all of the energy that would have been anxious and nervous energy and will instead be tired and might even sleep right through the noise!
Additionally, speaking of making the dogs drowsy, there are plenty of ways to keep your dogs calm medically and naturally. CBD oil, calming chews and treats, pheromones, and prescription medications can all help to keep your dog calm during stressful situations.
Making sure that you know what to do whenever loud noises come around is going to help keep you calm, and it will also ensure that your dog is kept happy and calm during stressful situations as well. And a happy human and a happy dog is going to be perfect for the entire household!