noise phobia (best way to deal with dog that is scared of noises?)

whats the best way to deal with a dog that has a noise phobia, inc fireworks, thunder, helicopters, aeroplanes, the hoover (even when off) etc.
I am aware of a noise phobia tape u can get where u play the sounds at a low level to desesitise the dog to these things. Can anyone recommend a good one as there seems to be so many, or is there a better way of curing this

Distraction sometimes helps, depending on how bad the problem is, e.g. with toys, but be very careful not to reinforce the unwanted bahaviour with anything the dog might see as a reward. For example, it may seem hard but never offer comfort. Perhaps most important is to make sure that the dog does not detect any reaction at all from you, not even turning to see how he behaves. Your attention is a reward in itself. If you react in any way, the dog almost certainly will. This is one occasion when it is often best to do absolutely nothing. Time and regular exposure to noise usually cure the problem in the end but it can take quite a while. I know of no quick solution. For special occasions, firework night, disco next door etc. mild sedatives are a last resort.

I would suggest purchasing a DAP diffuser. this is used to prevent fear and stress associated with bangs fireworks etc. Costs about £19 plus VAT I think but type in DAP and you can read all about it for yourself. Hope you manage to get something sorted out I know how stressful it is when your dog is bothered by fireworks. Do keep us posted.

Hi Jenny I have never tried the tapes so can't comment . I have advised people to record the 'feared sound' and to play it back at low levels gradually increasing the sound as the dog becomes comfortable with it .

The most frequent used method and one that I have successfully used and tried is familiarisation /desensitisation .

The best method of all is of course prevention and that means introducing a puppy to as many noises as possible while ignoring them/expressing no surprise oneself .

didn't trude Mostrue release a cd of noises??? Or was that my imagination. I'd just do a search on amazon or somewhere Jenny.

i agree with everything that's been said and totally agree with Mini that prevention is far better than having to find a cure.Sadly though, all too often nowadays dogs are becoming startled by noises, particularly of fireworks, which then develops into a more general noise phoebia.

I think treating noise phoebia is hard. De sensitising them can help. The DAP diffuser is brill and ignoring and responding to their fear is invaluable. Think you need to do all of them together, but I think this is one of the hardest things to cure, because it is totally and utterly out of our control...thunder occurs at anytime for example and we have no idea nowadays when fireworks will go off. I'm not sure it can ever be totally cured in a very noise phoebic dog, I know of many dogs who just can't go out because of it. It's so sad to see.
If the dog is very fearful it is also worth building them a den, or teaching them to slepp in a crate as it gives them somewhere safe to escape to...
Hope this helps, sorry for the rant, I just find this really sad..

thanks everyone for ur advice. its for a friends dog, not mine.
will suggest a dap diffuser

If the dog spends a lot of time being distressed by these noises then a last resort may be drugs. I mention this purely because if a dog is really suffering it may be the best way to open a window of opportunity - however, the drugs must, absolutely must, be used with a behavioural programme and the support of a reputable and experienced behaviourist.

I'd try everything else before i went that route, I hate the idea of drugs but there is no doubt that they can work. What I'd hate to see is the drug being used continuously and no behaviour programme.

Problem is always controlllig the environment, unexpected noises can put a desensitisation programme back.

I agree daps are excellent, they can take the edge off anxiety but not sure they'd work on their own for serious noise phobia.

It can work to pair the noise with a pleasant thing ie food or a game, I have done this with my dog who was a bit worried over bangs, out on walks if there was a bang i'd say "yes!" and immediately bring out a toy or food treat. Now if there is a bang she looks to me, but it won't work if the dog is really upset as they won't even take food or play.

i used the noise cd and diez can tell the difference between "real and fake" i got to the stage of feeding her with this cd blasting out(my neighbours thought i was mad) i mean it was really loud and she would eat no problem,we fed her in the house the garden car all with cd playing all fine,a real firework and she would run for cover we now use a dap diffuser and anxiety a homeopathic mixture,it doesn't cure her but she is a bit more calm i have used drugs in the past when she was really bad and i couldn't get her in the garden in broad daylight(down to firework fear) the drugs don't work for everyone and try to exhaust all other options first

This topic has come up before I think, when we had our litter I played the CD crash bang wallop for the 12 weeks they were at our home, moving the cd player about the house so that the pups did not associate the noise with the player, all the pups without exception, are quite happy about noises, they are all 18 months old, and the owners have told me fireworks, load bangs, traffic etc does not faze any of them, I personally have never used a DAP but have heard good reports about them,

Mo