Fears, Phobias & Reactivity
sound desensitization
Sensitization
Responding vs. Reacting
Fears, Phobias, & Reactivity
Management
Soundproof Dog Crate
Sound Masking
Music Specifically for Dogs & Cats
White noise machine
Distraction Toys
Anxiety Wrap
Mutt Muffs
Supplements
Medication
Pain
Comforting a fearful dog?
Hearing loss (Seniors)
Programs
Habituation Program
Desensitization Program
Counter-Conditioning Program
Soundtracks
Fireworks, thunder, rain, trash trucks, leaf blower, lawn mower, grass trimmer, smoke alarm, emergency alert broadcasts, skateboards, motorcycles, truck, portable air compressor, car wash, warehouse store, crowds
Sound fear & phobias can be the result of:
Socialization - a lack of experience or exposure to sounds/noises
similar to lacking a vaccination to build immunity
Fearful Event - previous overwhelming, frightening, or traumatic experience
Sensitization can result in a dog becoming sensitive to a specific sound or to additional sounds that were previously of no concern.
Pain Induced - musculoskeletal pain leading to a greater sensitivity to noise
see below
Hearing Loss - especially senior dogs
see below
Specific sounds can activate or inhibit a dog’s response. Dogs will respond or react in differing ways to sounds. There is a big difference in responding and reacting. In this context responding is functional and reacting dysfunctional. We would prefer to hear a doctor say we are responding to the medication rather than reacting to the medication.
Common Ways Dogs Respond or React
REACT
Out of Control - High Arousal
Panic (Danger to self)
Fight (Redirected fear/frustration)
RESPOND
Avoid
Flight
Freeze
Fear:
fear is a natural response to something perceived as potentially threatening.
the dog’s actions are for the purpose of avoiding something that it fears or is concerned with, and the dog is in control of those actions.
Phobia:
phobias are exaggerated and irrational fear disproportional to the perceived threat.
cause some level of impairment, resulting in the dog being out of control.
Reactivity:
Can be high excitement/arousal both productive and unproductive arousal. Unproductive high arousal can result from fear or frustration.
Panic
Panicking resulting in hysterical or irrational behavior which can put the dog in greater danger.
Management
Since we cannot control everything in the environment that causes our dogs concern its important to manage the environment and control those things that are within our control. It’s common for people to tell you that the dog will feel comfortable as long as you are comfortable. There is an element of truth to that statement in the right context. But this is not a guarantee the dog will feel safe or be comfortable. Our behavior can have a big impact dogs. It is important that the humans look truly relaxed, and in control. When we get concerned you can be sure the dogs pick up on this. We need to be the role model for the behavior we want to see in our dogs. How we interact with others and things can affect our dog’s view of them. It’s important in situations that dogs find fearful or threaten, the humans look truly relaxed, and in control. If we overreact or act inappropriately for the situation we can reinforce a dog’s behavior by validating their interpretation of the events leading to their behavior becoming learned response. Our actions can help build resilience or weaken it.
It’s important that we do not place our dog’s unnecessarily into a situation where they feel uncomfortable or unsafe. When we do this the dog can learn that we cannot be trusted. It’s important to understand that all reactive behavior is caused by the need to gain control. Fearful dogs just want the scary thing to stop. Most dogs given an opportunity will flee to create as much distance as possible from the thing of concern. If a dog prefers to hide someplace like a closet during the concerning events let them. Provide them a safe place that they will choose to use. But understand we can only make a slight impact to actually dampen the sounds of the lower frequency sounds like thunder and the lower fireworks booms. Since we can’t eliminate the concerning sounds a good strategy is to mask the sounds of concern.
Soundproof Crate
Its not possible to soundproof a crate, nor can you purchase a soundproof crate. You may slightly dampen a sound but you will not be able to soundproof against thunder or fireworks. Here is an excellent article explaining why its not possible. “How to Soundproof a Dog Crate”
Since its not possible to soundproof a crate one thing we can do is to work to mask the sound.
Sound Masking
Soundtracks (bottom of page) are a tool to help desensitize dogs to noises that result in fearful, agitated, or highly excitable reactions. How they are used is dependent on the dog’s behavior. Used improperly you can make the reaction stronger and your dog even more hyper-sensitive to new sounds. (Sensitization) Sensitization can also result in the dog becoming sensitive to additional sounds that were previously of no concern. None of the programs outlined here should be confused with “Flooding” as has been seen on popular TV dog programs or in internet videos. “Flooding” is exposing the dog to the thing of concern at full intensity while at the same time preventing their escape. While this may look effective on TV or in videos what you generally are witnessing is a dog that is stressed and shut down. Although it may appear the dog has “learned” the sound/event is of no concern, or at least is tolerating, or not reacting, understand what you are witnessing is “adaptation” which is “the physical process of tiring.” … “The sensory neurons can tire and when they do, they actually stop working” If the sound/event was presented an hour or so later, or the next day the flight/avoidance behavior would reappear. So please be considerate of your animal and follow the guidelines as presented.
The soundtracks available here have been specifically designed for desensitization, but they can also be used for habituation and counter-conditioning as explained below. They are approximately 15-30 seconds recording that repeat in a continuous loop to provide a predictable pattern to minimize your dog being startled or surprised by the sounds. Through systematic and repeated exposure the predictability of the soundtracks is designed to build your dog’s immunity to the sounds over time if we use them properly.
SOUND MASKING SOUNDTRACK
Specific sounds can activate or inhibit a dog’s response. Dogs will respond or react in differing ways to sounds. There is a big difference in responding and reacting. In this context responding is functional and reacting dysfunctional. We would prefer to hear a doctor say we are responding to the medication rather than reacting to the medication.
Leaving the TV or radio on can help mask noises but they can also broadcast sounds that the dog may find concerning during a program or commercial and the emergency broadcast alerts can be alarming for dogs so it is best to play your own recording to avoid this. Playing an audio recording close to the frequency of the sounds/noises can help mask the concerning sounds for your dog by distracting and diverting a dog’s attention from the concerning noises. To help mask the sound people outside of windows or doors that are not excessively loud place a white noise machine near the window or door. Marpac Dohm Classic White Noise Sound Machine The key is finding a recording that masks the sounds of concern to reduce the you probability of your dog noticing the concerning sounds. But you will need to carefully test to determine the new sound (noise, music, etc) will not trigger a negative response. Rock music may be good for covering construction sounds and bluegrass music may be effective in drowning out delivery’s, voices or commotion outside. To help mask the sounds of thunder and fireworks we have a dryer with shoes masking soundtrack available in the Store. You will need to habituate or desensitize your dog to this soundtrack before using to mask sounds they react to.
When your dog is someplace they feel safe and is lying down resting comfortably go can play calming/masking music/soundtrack (If your dog thinks it’s calming) at a level your dog can hear to start to build an association between calming music and relaxation. Calming music may help comfort dogs, mask noises outside, break the silence, and provide background noise.
Lisa Spector - Concert Pianist, Juilliard Graduate, Pet Calming Maestro Calming Music for Dogs
Start by playing the calming/masking music while you are home and the dog is resting comfortably so the music becomes associated with calm and relaxation. Do this as often as you can to strengthen the association between relaxation and the calming music. You can also incorporate an essential oil at the same time to make a second sensory association with relaxation.
When you can predict there will be an event/sounds that will cause your dog stress (storms, July 4, New Year’s Eve, etc.) be sure to exercise your dog (Unless there is a medical reason that prohibits it) prior to the start of the stressful event/sounds. A large yard is no substitute for walking or exercising your dog. How much exercise will be dependent on the dog and its health. Walks are great, but don’t turn them into a march or just a structured activity like heeling. Make walks enjoyable by giving your dog opportunities (and permission) to explore and use his/her nose to sniff those areas that are of interest to him/her as long as it is appropriate and safe. Vary the route you take on your walk and go someplace new for a walk. It’s important that our dogs are ready to rest before the event/sound starts. If your dog is healthy play fetch with them to tire them or engage them in nosework games such as find the toy or treats.
Before the event/sounds start encourage your tired dog to rest on his/her bed in a quite place in the home. Play the calming/masking music that is now associated with relaxation and be sure you look relaxed and not stressed.
Entertaining & Distraction Toys
If your dog is relaxed but not ready to sleep give them a Qwizl, Happy Lapper, or stuffed Kong. My favorite is a jerky stuffed Qwizl since the dog will need to lie down and work at getting a jerky or fish skin out of the toy which should take a good amount of time if we force it in tightly. With Happy Lapper’s I like to freeze food or special treats in them to keep them distracted and entertained longer. For persistent dogs like labs and beagles a stuffed or frozen stuffed Kong is great. For dogs that are not as persistent and become frustrated trying to get the food treat out of a Kong use a Qwizl or Happy Lapper.
QWIZL
JERKY TREAT
HAPPY LAPPER
KONG
anxiety wrap
Some have found that an anxiety wrap has helped keep a dog calm. But as Temple Grandin points (see below) this is not a magic wrap. The effect wears off in about twenty minutes. Also be mindful not every dog likes the sensation of a body wrap so don’t force it. If you chose to try a wrap be careful that you don’t create the wrong association for your dog. If your dog excepts the wrap make sure you condition your dog to wearing it for short periods of time before the stressful event is likely to occur. If you only put the wrap on just before the stressful event your dog may learn that the wrap is an indication that concerning things are about to happen. Instead use the wrap for short periods of time prior to the stressful events and after putting it on your dog “surprise” your dog with a special food stuffed toy that will require them to go lay down to enjoy. Its important that whatever you offer your dog is a surprise so don’t let them see you prepping or staging the item. This way the wrap is a signal of good things to come!
“With any kind of pressure treatment, you have to be careful not to leave it on too long. The maximum calming effect wears off in about twenty minutes, so, for longer treatments, it often works best to apply the treatment for twenty to thirty minutes, take it off for thirty minutes, and then reapply.” Temple Grandin - Animals Make Us Human: Creating the Best Life for Animals
Mutt Muffs
Mutt Muffs hearing protection was developed for dogs that fly in small planes. Mutt Muffs do not eliminate sounds they are designed to reduce the sound “decibel level” and are best suited for constant sounds like engines. They work to reduce the higher frequencies so will not be much help with lower frequency sounds like thunder but could help some with the higher frequency fireworks but not the lower fireworks booms. If you decide to try these, like any tool you choose you will need to get your dog comfortable wearing them in a positive manner long before the stressful events occur. They should look forward to putting them on; it should not be another stressful event. If you only introduce these during or just before the concerning sounds the hearing protection can now signal to the dog concerning things are about to happen.
MUTT MUFFS HEARING PROTECTION
MUTT MUFFS
Rex Specs Ear Pro
Light weight, breathable, sound absorbing material designed for hearing protection by reducing noises.
Essential Oils
Choose a time and place where your dog feels safe and is lying down and comfortably resting before introducing a new essential oil. Do this as often as you can to strengthen the association between relaxation and the essential oil scent. For guidance check the AnimalEO website or facebook page.
Calming Supplements
12 COUNT
90 COUNT
[1] Ashwagandha - Dose 50-100 mg/kg (23-45 mg/lb) with food twice a day. *https://foreverdog.com/corrections/
[2] Bacopa Monnieri - Dose 25-100 mg/kg (11-45 mg/lb) with food twice a day. *https://foreverdog.com/corrections/
Full list of calming supplements
Medication
Medication should be a last resort and only used out of necessity and not convenience in my opinion. Sileo is a prescription gel given to dogs orally to treat signs of noise aversion but like any medication they must be used with caution.
UPDATE: FDA Reissues Warning About Sileo Following Additional Overdoses
Help Your Storm-Phobic Dog, but Avoid This Dangerous Mistake
Acepromazine (NOT Recommended)
“Acepromazine is a dissociative anesthetic meaning that it scrambles perceptions. Ask yourself if a scrambling of perceptions will make an anxious or uncertain dog worse or better. It's always worse, and we make many if not most dogs more sensitive to storms by using this drug. In part this is also because sensitivity to noise is heightened.”
“This is a recipe for disaster for these dogs, and, in fact, they learn to be more fearful and more reactive because of these associations. If what you need is sedation - acepromazine can be an acceptable adjuvant, but it makes most of my really fearful and really reactive patients worse, so all sorts of other drug combos can work better and do less harm than is done by the routine use of acepromazine.”
CBD
I personally have not used CBD for dogs with anxiety. There have been published studies on CBD use in dogs for osteoarthritis and epilepsy with promising results but for anxiety there are only anecdotal reports to date. [1] [2] “Dr. Rob Silver, a veterinarian and herbalist and my primary resource for all things CBD-related, explains that one of the most common applications for CBD is for anxiety and behavior issues in dogs. It seems to work very well at low dosages for hyper dogs.” [4] For more information on selecting a CBD product start here. CBD
Pain
Dogs with noise sensitivity should be routinely assessed for pain by vets
Those with musculoskeletal pain had a greater sensitivity to noise.
Noise Sensitivities in Dogs: An Exploration of Signs in Dogs with and without Musculoskeletal Pain Using Qualitative Content Analysis
“In this study, concerns over musculoskeletal problems were confirmed using a range of procedures (some individuals having multiple procedures): four clearly demonstrated pain during physical examination in the clinic, eight were radiographed, and one underwent magnetic resonance imaging. The problems identified or inferred related to the hip (including dysplasia–five subjects), degenerative joint disease of the limbs (four subjects), and focal spondylosis in L2 and L3 (one subject). In six of these cases, the owner commented that the dog seemed to be in some pain and/or the pain worsened after exercise.”
“There was a large proportion of neutered dogs: 9 of 10 of both controls and “clinical cases,” whereas the Pet Animal Welfare Report (29) suggests that nationally only about 71% of dogs are neutered. A study by Spain et al. (30) found that decreasing age at gonadectomy in shelter dogs was associated with an increased risk of developing a noise phobia, but it could not be concluded that neutering is causative of noise phobias.”
Comforting A Fearful Dog?
Since stress, fear, and anxiety are emotional responses/reactions trying to “correct” the behavior is inappropriate and likely will add to the fear or anxiety.
If a dog only has a mild concern ignoring the behavior has its place. If we do not react to the sound/event and treat it as no consequence we can often be a good role model for our dog’s behavior. If we overreact we can reinforce their behavior by validating their interpretation of the events leading this to be a learned response. For a few of these dogs that do not get enough attention from their family their concerned behavior can be rewarded with their family’s attention and so in doing this behavior can become an attention seeking behavior. But don’t assume your dog is using this to seek attention. You nor your friends have likely ever seen this behavior. If this is still a question for you, reexamine whether you are fulling your dog’s needs for attention, social interaction, exercise, and mental stimulation.
I’m all for comforting and doing what’s necessary and beneficial for the dog. That being said it comes down to how we attempt to comfort a dog. If you act or look; frantic, like you are apologizing, or mourning the loss of a love one when attempting to comfort your dog, you most likely are not helping your dog in that situation. We won’t make them more fearful, but when done incorrectly we can actually validate anxious, nervous, and fearful behavior. And we certainly won’t lead them to believe we are not concerned with the event if we are acting in a concerned manner. We need to act calm, under control, understanding and like we are capable of handling the situation. You can sit with your dog and place your arm around them, or stroke them calmly (not frantically or fast) while calmly explaining to them what the noises are and how long you estimate they will continue. They won’t understand all your words but they can recognize you are not acting concerned nor appear to not be shaken by the experience. This is what a role model does. Our behavior can add to the experience or reflect an alternative interpretation of of the event for the dog. It’s similar to a small child falling down when it’s clear they are not seriously hurt. If we show contextual concern the child will be up and going in a short time after shaking off the experience. But if we over-react that same child will often continue to cry and take a much longer time to recover from the experience. Our actions can help build resilience or weaken it. Suzanne Clothier explains what “calming contact” should look like in the video “Calming the Fearful Dog”.
Dogs with Hearing Loss (Seniors)
Dogs experiencing hearing loss can become fearful of sounds that previously were of no concern. I believe many of these dogs can no longer hear ambient sounds and now they may only hear the sound when its at a volume that provokes a startle reaction. Similar to being in a quite room and jumping when hearing a sound that was unexpected. The sound does not need to be loud to provoke a response or reaction. It just needs to be unexpected. For these dogs we need to set up the environment to support them and minimize any stress.
The programs outlined below may not work for dogs with hearing deficits because they may not reliably hear the sounds at the lower levels which limits their ability to build an immunity or tolerance.
Programs
Which program to use?
If your dog’s response to an event (sound) is one of the following:
“lets get em” - Activated to go toward the sound.
“lets get outta here” - Activated to move away from the sound.
“RUN FOR YOUR LIFE!” - Absolute panic; runs frantically endangering self and not stopping to negotiate obstacles risking life and limb to escape.
Pacing, shaking, drooling, hiding, fear elimination (pee or poop)
Takes more then a minute to recover.
— USE THE “DESENSITIZATION” PROGRAM —
If your dog’s response to an event (sound) is:
Startles or reacts but recovers in under a minute
Startle response not resulting in a complete loss of control nor danger to self or others.
Barks excessively at: door bell/knock, mail or delivery truck and not a danger to others.
Dog is aware if you call his name but he finds it difficult to comply with requests; come here, sit, down, etc…
You can identity the sounds that will get a reaction.
— You can start with the Habituation program if you choose —
How long will it take?
How long it will take no one can tell you. How long does it take to lose weight, stop smoking, get in shape, build muscle, overcome your fear of clowns, snakes, etc.? It depends! . “What if I put in all this effort and follow the program for weeks and my dog doesn’t get better?” What if you don’t and your dog could have overcome his fear?
There are no shortcuts. Be prepared to take several weeks for each specific sound. It could take less time, but remember you can only move at the dog’s pace. Don’t go so fast you break something like progress or trust.
The same soundtrack can be used in the three differing programs designed to help with sensitivity to specific sounds. Place the speaker across the room from where your dog would normally rest when your dog is not present. We do not want to draw attention to the speaker.
Our first goal with the habituation and desensitization programs is the intensity of the soundtrack should never cause a negative response/reaction. e. g. gets up from lying down, look of concern, can’t settle, not relaxed, shaking, pacing, drooling, hiding, fear elimination (pee or poop), etc… At no time with any of these programs is the dog to be confined to a crate, nor should the dog believe it has no option to leave the area to avoid the sounds. Contrary to popular belief neither dogs nor wolves are “den” animals in the way it has been popularized. For clarity, “denning” is a seasonal maternal behavior and the den is only used for newborn puppies for about 8-weeks before being abandoned. While there may be dogs that would choose a protected area such as a crate for resting this is not the norm. If this was the normal behavior for dogs there would not be the strong emphases on “crate training”. Choosing a resting place that is isolated is different from choosing a crate.. Sadly way too many people believe a crate is a necessary "tool" for confinement. When confinement is required, I prefer to limit a dog’s access to other areas with a barrier like a baby gate or other types of barriers.
For most people looking for help it will be best to start with the “Desensitization” program and then possibly follow up with the “Counter-Conditioning” program if appropriate. The “Habituation” program is generally used to expose young dogs to sounds they are likely to hear as they go through life so we can prevent unreasonable fears. (Auditory vaccination) The “Habituation” program can be used for older dogs to lower the arousal/excitement of mild/moderately reactive dogs that do not present a risk of harm to others.
HABITUATION PROGRAM
This program is simply letting the dog get used to sounds by repeated exposures to the sounds in question until the sounds become inconsequential and no longer provoking a reaction. (Background noise) This is done without causing stress or being overwhelming. Over time the sounds can become familiar and meaningless and no longer creating a negative reaction. People habituate to traffic, airplanes, and train sounds over time and get to the point they don’t pay attention to them anymore since it becomes background noise.
Purpose
To diminish reactions or overreactions to meaningless stimuli
Caution:
This program may be appropriate for dogs exhibiting excitement or high arousal. I DO NOT recommend this program for dogs with anxiety, fear, phobias, aggression, out of control arousal, or dogs that may redirect aggression due to frustration. (See “Which Program To Use?” above)
Soundtrack
Turn the soundtrack on and play at normal levels letting the soundtrack repeat and continue for a minimum of four-hours uninterrupted but ideally it should continue play for 24 hours over the next several days.
Continue this each day for as long as possible. Treat the soundtrack as if it is no consequence and ignore your dog’s behavior. Do not attempt to correct or address his behavior in any way as long as it is safe to do so. If your dogs looks stressed or anxious (see above “What Program To Use”) turn off and start with the Desensitization program the following day being careful not to cause your dog undue stress or anxiety.
For dogs that become overly excited/aroused to sounds such as a knock at the door or doorbell a habituation program may be appropriate. When appropriate, having the family knock or ring the doorbell each time they enter the home can over time reduce the excitement/arousal of the dog. For the dogs that a knock or doorbell signals visitors have arrived it will become an unreliable indicator to your dog that there is a visitor present and so the barking response should become less intense or more manageable due to a lower level of arousal.
For the first 3-years my Dalmatian would startle and bark each time the air conditioning unit would turn on when we were in the backyard. Over time she got used (habituated) to the sounds to where it no longer elicited her to bark. For her it was not fear, but rather a normal startle reaction that resulted in high arousal. A startle response is involuntary so never attempt to punish or correct such a reaction.
DESENSITIZATION PROGRAM
A desensitization program is a slow repeated systematic exposure to sounds at levels that do not elicit a negative reaction. A desensitization program is for dogs that exhibit fear, phobias, or over-arousal resulting in frustration or other unproductive levels of arousal. The focus here is on sounds that trigger reactions with the goal to have the sounds become inconsequential and no longer provoking a reaction. This is done by the dog building a tolerance over time so they find the sounds inconsequential. Just as with vaccines this “auditory vaccination” contains a representative element of the offending sound(s) with the goal of stimulating a coping response to the sound.
Soundtracks of thunder and fireworks may not sound realistic enough for all dogs since speakers cannot fully emulate the low frequency sounds. So its important to use good speakers that produce the low frequencies. e.g. 20 Hz. High pitched beeps are another challenge for many dogs and they can be frightening at a low volume for dogs. With high pitched sounds start with the speaker as far away as needed so as not to get a negative response. This may require you to start outside where you can create a great distance.
This program may not work for dogs with hearing deficits because they may not reliably hear the sounds at the lower levels so they build the immunity or tolerance. Dogs with hearing deficits may only hear the sound when its at a volume that provokes a reaction.
Purpose
Slowly desensitize to sounds to eliminate fear and reactivity
Soundtrack
Any of soundtracks may be used for this program. For fireworks, thunder, or rain its recommended you to use all of the soundtracks desensitizing each soundtrack completely before starting with the next soundtrack.
Dogs that are hyper-sensitive to more than a specific sound (e.g. thunder, fireworks, etc.) will need to be slowly desensitized to multiple sounds one at a time over a long period of time.
A desensitization program should be started when we have the best chance of keeping these sounds under our control. Preferably start months or at least weeks before the dog is naturally exposed to these sounds when they are out of our control like occurs during storm season, or fireworks during popular holidays like New Year Eve or Independence Day. The desensitization soundtracks are approximately 15-30 seconds recording that repeat in a predictable pattern to limit the dog being startled or surprised by the sounds. Through a systematic and repeated exposure and predictability of soundtracks the goal is to build the dog’s immunity to the sounds over time. Much like lifting weights the goal is to not lift anything above the capabilities of the individual. Over doing it or increasing the volume to soon may make the reaction stronger or the dog hyper sensitive to the sounds.
Choose a time and place where your dog feels safe and is lying down and comfortably resting. Sit down lean back and relax (be sure you look relaxed and are breathing) and casually observe your dog. Starting with the volume off slowly raise the volume so it can barely be heard and hold that volume for about 1-minute. At the same time you start to turn up the volume from 0 watch your dog for the faintest indication that the sound has been heard. You may observe the ears move, eyes open, or a head tilt. If you see no indication that your dog has heard the sound slightly raise the volume and hold for another minute and continue in 1-minute increments until you see an indication that your dog has heard the sound. We do not want to see the dog jump, startle, move to another room, or display any signs of concern, distress, or high arousal. If you do get a startle response or the dog becomes aroused turn the volume off and try again the next day being careful to keep the volume at level the dog can handle and still treat the sound as no consequence. It’s important to keep the volume below the threshold which evokes a reaction.
When you see an indication your dog has heard the sound and they are not showing any signs of concern and have not become activated nor left the room, leave the volume at that level and let the recording continue to play and repeat for a minimum of 4-hours uninterrupted but ideally it should continue play for 24 hours over the next several days. [3] (provided your dog is not showing a negative reaction) The goal at this point is to play the recording at or near this level as many hours as possible for the next 3 days. This needs to be at a level the dog can handle without a negative reaction (below threshold for any level of reactivity) and still treat as inconsequential. For the first 3 days we want repeated exposures to the sound near this baseline volume. Each day you start to play the recording you will need to follow the same program of watching your dog for a response or reaction. Playing the volume at a level “3” yesterday is no guarantee that your dog will give no reaction on level “3” today.
If after three or more days with the recording playing at this low level with the dog giving no response slowly raise the volume a bit more each day being careful not to increase the volume to the extent you provoke a reaction from your dog. It’s important to remember we want a slow repeated systematic exposure to sounds until the dog can treat the sounds as inconsequential at a level they would normally hear the sounds.
Once your dog has no reaction to the sounds at normal levels start to move the speaker to differing rooms or places in the home so the location of the sounds is different. When you do this you will still need to watch your dog to be sure the volume is at a level your dog can handle. If after several days with no response playing the recording from differing places in the home you can now move the speakers outside a window so the sound now originates from outside the home. The final step in the program will be to repeat the process and place your speakers in several outdoor environments like the yard, park, or other locations your dog would normally visit.
“You will usually need to desensitise your dog to other triggers such as sight and smell associations. For example, if you have a dog that suffers from brontophobia (fear of thunderstorms), you may also need to play a strobe light outside your window blinds on a dark evening to simulate the lightning flashes and an air ioniser to simulate the change in positive and negative charged particles in the air. This is incorporated into your programme as soon as the sound part of the programme is completed.” Rogerson, John. The Dog Vinci Code: Unlock the Secrets to Training Your Dog John Blake
COUNTER-CONDITIONING PROGRAM
Counter-conditioning is pairing something desirable with the thing that evokes fear, frustration, reactivity, etc… An example would be to give your dog a special treat every time they heard the scary trash truck with the goal of creating a new pleasant response to the sound of the trash truck. For counter-conditioning to work the dog must first feel safe so I recommend a desensitization program first.
The first question to ask yourself is before starting a counter-conditioning program is do you want your dog to pay attention to the _____________, or ignore it? If the dog was previously out of control with unproductive high arousal prior to completing a habituation or desensitization program it may not be the best idea to now pair that thing with a reward which could lead to another form of high arousal. But if your dog was previously concerned or frighten by the sound/thing previously it may be a good idea to now pair the concerning thing with something to look forward to like food or play.
Purpose
Create a positive emotional response to persons, places, or things
Soundtrack
Prior to turning on the soundtrack prepare or stage the “surprise” reward (toy or treat) so it is ready to give once your dog has heard the soundtrack. Play the soundtrack and then present your dog with the surprise treat to build a positive anticipation between the formerly concerning sound and the surprise treat. The goal is the trash truck would no longer create fear or frustration, and now would result in anticipation that something good will happen when the sound of the trash truck is heard. Keep these session short and always a surprise event. Once your dog has a positive reaction to the sound start to move the speaker to differing rooms and places in and outside the home so the location of the sounds is different.
“Start off by only playing the tape in conjunction with an exciting activity such as feeding or playing with a toy. Make sure you start off with rewards that are fairly low in value – save the better rewards for later in the programme. Continue to play the recording all the time the rewards are being given and stop it immediately after the rewards stop. Within a few days of pairing the rewards with the sounds you should begin to see the dog pleasantly anticipating the reward whenever he hears the sound on the recording. Now begin to take your dog out to various locations and expose him to the sounds on the recording, slowly increasing the value of the rewards you offer.” Rogerson, John. The Dog Vinci Code: Unlock the Secrets to Training Your Dog . John Blake.
Problems can occur if the “desirable” thing is presented or displayed before the thing (sound/noise) of concern. You can create the complete opposite of what you had intended if not careful. The “desirable” thing if presented before the concerning sound can become a reliable indicator that the fearful or scary thing is imminent resulting in the desirable thing now eliciting those same negative emotions. If you attempt this program and your dog has no interest in the “desirable” treat they likely are overwhelmed and not feeling safe. In this case stop and begin a desensitization program on another day being careful to not cause any undo stress for your dog. Counter conditioning can work with dogs exhibiting mild concerns or fear. And if this is the case it will work fast. But for dogs experiencing something more than mild concern it’s important to understand that for counter conditioning to take place the dog must feel safe, otherwise it is likely not much more then treat dispensing which the dog may or may not take.
Desensitization & Counter-Conditioning Programs Soundtracks
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[1] http://veterinarynews.dvm360.com/cornell-takes-lead-cannabidiol-research
[2] https://cvmbs.source.colostate.edu/preliminary-data-from-cbd-clinical-trials-promising/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/30026641
https://petpainfree.com/dr-stephanie-mcgrath-addresses-csu-pueblo/
[3] Rogerson, John. The Dog Vinci Code: Unlock the Secrets to Training Your Dog. John Blake.
[4] https://healthypets.mercola.com/sites/healthypets/archive/2019/05/19/cbd-for-dogs.aspx
Therapy and Prevention of Noise Fears in Dogs—A Review of the Current Evidence for Practitioners
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