# New thinking on handling noise sensitive dogs



## Guest (Mar 21, 2012)

One of the most common questions I am asked in my work, is how deal with a puppy or dog that is reacting fearfully to noise. 

Whatever I write... especially when I am going against the "generally accepted" views of the dog training community...someone will have evidence to the contrary and that is fine.... I respect that evidence, view or experince as it is valid.... I can only give our experience and that experience ammounts to knowing and or training around 10,000 dogs and puppies so I believe it has some credence and relevance. I hope yoou find it interesting! 

So, sound sensitive dogs. Historically, the dog training world has often recommended that dogs that are showing unwanted or irrational fear of "sounds" ;ike fireworks, bird scareers, gunshot etc.... typically, the advice given is to "ignore" such behaviour, so that you are not rewarding it... and not encouraging it.. or so that your dog will find comfort or confidence in your non reaction. There is very good loguic behind that so I can see how so many people , me included, have followed that advice for so long... 

The problems I see with this approach (and it is one that I have tried estensively in the past) is fourfold in my view. 

1) Firstly the dog is already scared before it observes (if it observes) your reaction. it may look at you and realise that you are not scared, or it might not even look at you to see if you are scared.. but either way, the dog is still scared! it has had a biologival and neaurological response to fear that is already running rampant in its body. 

If you and me where in a room together and you where scared of spiders but I wasnt .....and a massive one was coming toward you at speed, Im guessing that even if you had a great relationship with and respect for me, then you still wouldnt find comfort in the fact that I wasnt scared. I think its the same for dogs. Even if you look totally relaxed, it doesnt really help them or allay their fear. 

2) It is practically impossibe to "ignore" a dogs fearful reaction.. even if you try to.. it is almost certain that you will look at the dog more often.. to observe its response.. (this is not ignoring) or you will be seen to deliberately "PRETEND THE DOG ISNT THEIR" (this too is not ignoring).. its virtually impossible to NOT REACT to your dogs REACTION. Ignoring can only be done if you are not in sight.. in which case it is pointless. 

3) Thirdly. it has often been assumed that dogs look to their human "LEADERS" (for want of a better or less contenscious word) for guidance in dangerous or unknown situations. My experince though of the average pet dog though is that not many do actually look to their owners for guidance in such circumstances.. perhaps becasue in the dogs eyes their owner has at some point let them down on that front (eg. the owner held the dog still whilst the vet stabbed them with a needle... or the owner insisted on putting the cold smelly stuff on their shoulders (flea treatment), the dog has been picked up and dumped in the scary bath or under the cold nasty hosse, even though the dog was clarly fearfull, or some other situation where the dog has been in its mind "let down" by the owner. Or because sadly on occasion... the relationship between dog and owner is so under developed and or confused, that the dog has long since given up hope of asking the owner for help or guidance..

it is true in my experience that some dogs, will look at times to other older or well respected or highly experienced dogs, for guidance as to how to behave in scary or unknown circumstances......but it is not common in pet dogs with their owners i believe except in all but the most highly developed or trained relationships. 

4) And finally and in my view MOST IMPORTANTLY... it think that we have been looking at this the wrong way round. It is not realy a question of how can we "CURE THE DOG" or "stop the fear response" that we should consider most... but How can we build our realtionship with our dog.. at a time when the dog is severly stressed and highly volotile and being over ridden by its bodily and mental reactions. 

I lived with a severly noise phobic dog for 18 years. She was a sound sensitive tri coloured border collie, (it is my view that some genetic make ups... the tri gene in border collies being one, are particularly susceptible to sound phobias) a rescue, who came with many "issues". During her time, i tried pretty much everythign from ignoring, distracting, counter conditioning, diverting, phobia CDs, drugs, homeopathic remedies, accupuncture for stress... etc etc. During those years my method of dealing with her panic changed and became more successfull and it has been increasingly successfull in other dogs too. 

Instead of trying to ignore her, or making it obvious that something odd was going on by frantically tryong to distract her or get her to play or eat....... as Id always believed before... I just accepted that she was frightened.... And made it my mission to protect her PHYSICALLY and befriend her mentally. At first using the old methods, if she got scared she would run off or dig a hole and get in it... but as I changed my methods she began to come to me more often in times of fear and hug right up close. 

I came to see this situation as one where, if she wanted to jump in my dinner or crawl into my armpit or sit on my lap (not a small dog), or scrabble up my neck....then she could and I would wrap my arms around her and give her the body contact she was seeking. As I changed my approach.. i found that she would run TO me, not AWAY from me, when she heard a scary noise. And in the body contact we shard she somehow found some confort and most importantly OUR RELATIONSHIP improved as she started to see me as "THERE FOR HER" where as before she must surely have seen me as oblivious to her plight. 

For sure, not all dogs want physical contact when they are scared and sometimes its not practically possible. But for me, with my dogs, and my clients, now, if they want to plonk themselves on or next to me when they are scared, then they are very very welcomed to do so. And I feel trully priviledged and warmed to know that they have found in me, some kind of comfort. 

I would like to give my heartfelt thanks to me dearest beloved Lace who left this world on Bonfire night (as if to make a point), two years ago, for teachign me so very much and helping CaDeLac to help so many other dogs, though her teaching. Oh how I wish I could scoop you up in my arms and give you the biggest of all hugs , right now :crying:. 

Thank you for listening and I Hope this was of interest . Denise x...


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## Sled dog hotel (Aug 11, 2010)

Quickest way to learn about dogs and a specific behavioural problem and the best way to deal with it is to have a dog of your own with it and have to deal with it on a daily basis thats for sure!!

Whats the expression Baptism by fire I believe


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## Guest (Mar 21, 2012)

Sled dog hotel said:


> Quickest way to learn about dogs and a specific behavioural problem and the best way to deal with it is to have a dog of your own with it and have to deal with it on a daily basis thats for sure!!
> 
> Whats the expression Baptism by fire I believe


Indeed! And I think my involvement with so many BCs and all their issues has helped too! If ever a breed has a propenmsity ti take thing to the enth degree.. its a collie!


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## Sled dog hotel (Aug 11, 2010)

CaDeLac Denise said:


> Indeed! And I think my involvement with so many BCs and all their issues has helped too! If ever a breed has a propenmsity ti take thing to the enth degree.. its a collie!


In a lot of pet homes unfortuanately its their down fall I think that and being extremely misunderstood (collies I mean) Sadly I think people see excently trained ones, and think its easy and they are a really easy dog, instead of one that can be very complex.

One Barmy Malamute with severe anxiety problems was my biggest learning curve


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## Guest (Mar 21, 2012)

One barmy malamute with sever anxiety problems is plenty methinks. . Lets hope for no more of those . Gosh they have minds of their own dont they.... At least collies liek to share their minds quite openly


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## Cleo38 (Jan 22, 2010)

When we moved to our new home (which is the countryside) Toby began to get very scared of the noise of shotguns. At first he sort of tolerated it but after a few weeks he really was terrified. On one of our walks he started trying to jump in to my arms 

In the end I couldn't avoid walks (there was shooting everywhere at one point) so instead I drove to one of the qalks we do so he could sit in the safety of the car. We just used to sit there for about 5 -10 mins at first & each time we heard a shot Toby would look at me & get a treat. We gradually increased it until he would get out of the car on his own & we would have a very short walk. 

Luckily Toby is incredibly food motivated & even a bit of sausage can still be tempting despite being scared! 

We just took things nice & slowly. I used to think I should ignore his behaviour but if he was scared he would come to me for reassurance so although I gave him a stroke for reassurance I didn't baby him. I comforted him for which calmed him

He's more or less ok now. He doesn't like the noise but knows there's nothing to be scared of. If he does start getting a bit more bothered then he walks closer to me & we play a game to distract him.


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