Is Your Fur Baby Afraid of Sounds? Try a Silicon Pet ID Tag Silencer

It’s hard to pinpoint why certain things make us afraid. There are lots of explanations and theories as to why each of us experience fear in different situations. As pet parents, we seem to become more brave when our dog cowers at the sound of a garbage truck driving by or is startled when he hears the ping! of an incoming text message on our cell phones. For dogs who are very sensitive to sounds, getting the right pet ID tag is crucial to their mental well-being. You won’t want a tag that jingles with their every move, inhibiting them in their doggie adventures. At HotDogCollars, we’ll help you find an ID tag that your pooch won’t even notice.

Noise Anxiety: Dogs Get Scared Too

For dogs that are afraid of sounds, no amount of verbal soothing can calm them down. The only comfort we can provide is through physical communication, such as by rubbing their ears or scratching their heads. According to the pet care website DogTime, noise anxiety affects between 5-15 million dogs. Let’s take a look at some of the causes and symptoms of a noise anxiety, and how we can help our four-legged children overcome their fears.

Noise Anxiety: Causes

According to a study performed at the School of Veterinary Sciences, University of Bristol , noise anxiety starts early. In an interview with Animal Wellness Magazine , Dr. Rachel Casey (the leader of the study) said the end results “suggest that the characteristics of dogs, their early environment, and exposure to specific noises are involved in the development of fear responses to noises.” Psychology Today even theorizes that some dogs have a predisposition to noise anxiety based on their genetic makeup.

Like humans, our canine friends are susceptible to fear. Whether scared because of a traumatizing event as a puppy or because a former owner used scare-training tactics, our pets are not invincible to experiencing distress. How do we know if our dogs are suffering from noise anxiety?

Noise Anxiety: Symptoms

Similar to humans, dogs exhibit their symptoms in different ways and at different levels. Some dogs can get a mild case of the shakes after hearing a motorcycle rev up next door, while others might empty their bowels in the middle of the living room floor. Other symptoms include:

• Hiding
• Chewing
• Running Away

If your dog has shown any of the above behaviors, they have noise anxiety.

Noise Anxiety: Treatment

There are four treatment options DogTime has found to be consistent in helping dogs fight their noise anxiety. These include:

Pressure Wraps: A pressure wrap is equivalent to the weighted blankets used by autistic individuals as a comforting mechanism. The pressure wrap wraps around the dog’s chest or torso and provides gentle compression that mimics the compression of a hug. During a hug, the chemical oxytocin is released, helping to calm our nerves, in this case our pet’s nerves.

Environmental Changes: This includes getting your pup a “silent” silicone pet ID tag, turning down the television and putting your cell phone on silent.

Medication: If your dog suffers from extreme noise anxiety, prescription medication may be your only option. Prescription medication will even out any brain chemical imbalances in your dog and will help them to get back to their happy-go-lucky roots.

Behavior Modification: This requires that you perform desensitization exercises with your dog on a routine basis. Desensitization exercises include exposing your dogs to noises he is uncomfortable with, showing him there is nothing to be afraid of.

As any anxiety sufferer knows, having anxiety is the pits. You have to work through it to get better. To help your pooch in his fight against noise anxiety, find the accessories you’ll need at HotDogCollars.