Noise Phobias

It is not uncommon for dogs to be sensitive to loud noises. In some dogs, this sensitivity to turn into a "noise phobia" where the dog panics when he/she hears loud noises, eg cars backfiring, thunderstorms or fireworks. This can become very distressing for the dogs as well as their owners as affected dogs may try to escape from their house or yard and/or become very destructive. As these dogs are in a state of panic, they are unable to control their actions.

There are things you can do while your puppy is young to make them less likely to suffer from noise phobias as they get older. Socialising them thoroughly and in the appropriate way will help your puppy become generally a better, "more rounded" dog who will be more able to cope in stressful situations. To prevent your puppy developing noise phobias, CDs are available that you can play while your puppy is in the house to acclimatise him/her to noises in a non-threatening setting.

If you have a dog that already is showing a sensitivity to noises, you can use the same CD to help desensitise and counter condition the dog to be less anxious when he/she hears loud noises. However, once your dog develops an actual "noise phobia", they will need a visit to a veterinary surgeon with an interest in behaviour. The vet may prescribe anti-anxiety medications as well as a systematic behavioural modification programme to control the problem.   The earlier the owner seeks professional advice and implements a plan, the more successful the outcome.

Leadership without confrontation

 To have a healthy relationship with your dog it is important that you are making all the important decisions.  Most dogs are much less stressed if they can leave the decision making up to you.  To help you gain your dog’s respect and make you an effective leader in his/her eyes, be consistent in following these rules.

 Teach your dog to say “please”

Before you do anything for your dog that he/she enjoys or wants, ensure you ask for your dog to do something for you first.  Once you have taught your dog to “sit”, start asking for a “sit” every time you are going to do something your dog wants, eg feeding time, putting a lead on, going through doorways and gateways, getting a pat, getting a treat, throwing a ball, etc.  If your dog does not comply then simply don’t give him/her what they were expecting.  There is no need to get angry or yell at the dog.  It is more effective to say nothing and walk away.

 Reward your dog regularly for doing something good, even if you didn’t ask for it

If your dog comes up to you and sits, reward him/her with praise, patting and/or a treat.  If your dog settles at your feet, praise.  Any time your dog does something you approve of, let him/her know that it will get rewarded.  If something is rewarded it will be repeated.  It is easy to get into the habit of giving the dog attention only when he is not behaving appropriately and ignoring the dog when he is being perfectly behaved.  When this happens, you’ll find the behaviour you do not like will increase and the good behaviour will diminish. 

Do not reward attention seeking behaviours

Dogs quickly learn that things such as barking, whining and jumping up at people are effective ways to get people’s attention.  Any time the dog does these behaviours, do not give any attention (not even “no”), but simply turn around and walk away from the dog.  He will learn that demanding behaviour will not get him what he wants (which was your attention).  However, when the dog is being calm and well behaved, ensure he is getting your attention.

Train the dog to move out of your way

Dogs can become possessive about spaces such as doorways and sleeping spaces.  If you train the dog to move when asked it will help prevent possessiveness.  To train the dog to move when asked, walk up to the dog when he is settled somewhere and, making sure he sees you, toss a treat a couple of feet away.  The dog will move to get the treat.  Try this a number of times until you are sure he will move when you throw the treat.  At this stage, you can add a word to mean “move”.  This can be any word(s) you like as long as you are not using this word for any other cue.  Suggestions include “excuse me”, “move away”, “out the way”, etc.  Don’t add the word until you are sure you will get the action, otherwise you may get a dog that thinks “excuse me” means “stay where you are”!  Remember, they don’t know English.   

You have control over the play sessions

It’s your decision when you want to play with your dog and when you want to stop play.  Before you begin playtime ask for a “sit”.  If the dog doesn’t comply, don’t play.  It is also useful to have a break during playtime, ask for a few obedience cues (what you ask will depend on what you have trained) then resume playing. 

Ensure your dog is getting enough mental stimulation as well as physical exercise

Regularly have training sessions with your dog (using only reward based training methods) and think of new things to train your dog to do.  Give the dog food releasing devices rather than feeding from a bowl (eg Buster Cubes, Kongs, etc.).  Take him for walks regularly and let the dog sniff at lots of things (this is the doggy equivalent of reading the newspaper).  Try to find other friendly dogs for your dog to have regular play sessions with (unless your dog is not friendly to other dogs).  Buy new toys regularly and rotate the toys around so your dog is not getting bored with the same things.

 Give your dog his/her own “safe area”

Have an area that your dog is able to go and not be disturbed.  This is particularly important if there are regular visitors to the house or children reside there.  This may be his kennel or a corner of the lounge room or bedroom.  Try to choose somewhere the dog already has a preference for.  Keep this area as a “do not disturb” area and ensure visitors and children are respectful of that.

 Train your dog to give you things that he/she has

The most effective way of making a dog possessive of items is to try and take them away.  Train the dog that if he gives you a low value item then you will replace it with a higher value item.  You can also do lots of object exchanges where you take an item, give the dog a treat and then give the item back.

Control you dog's access to toys

Any interactive toys should be kept away from the dog unless you are directly playing with them, eg balls, tug ropes, etc.

Chew toys can be given but the dog should be asked to do something for you before getting it (refer to getting the dog to say “please”).

 Do not leave food out all the time

            Always ask for a “sit” before offering the food bowl. 

Your dog needs to know that the food comes from you, not from a bowl.  If the dog does not eat everything that is offered, take the bowl away after about 5 minutes.  You can also use a large proportion of your dog’s meal as training treats so he/she “learns to earn”. 

A little dog psychology…

• All dogs repeat behaviours that are rewarding – make sure you are rewarding the behaviours you want to be repeated!  Too often we pay all the attention to our dogs when they are doing the wrong thing and we ignore our dog when they are doing what we want.

• Dogs are dogs – they are not little people.  They do not have the moral values we do and do not do things to “get back at you”.

• Dogs do not understand English.  You need to patiently explain what the words mean and make sure they understand before you start labeling your dog as “stubborn” or “stupid”.

• Whenever your dog is doing something you don’t like, always try to think of what you would like the dog to do instead.  For example, if the dog jumps up to greet you, train the dog to sit for attention when greeting.

• Be consistent when with your dog.  Your dog needs to see you as a predictable leader who doesn’t change the rules.  Confusion = anxiety, anxiety often = aggression

• Your dog will learn more quickly and enjoy training more if you use positive reinforcement training (i.e. you reward the dog for doing the right thing).  Contact the surgery should you wish to find a positive training class near you. 

Training your dog to “sit”

This should be the first thing you train your new dog or puppy to do.  Once they understand what “sit” means, you can then use it as “please”.  In other words, you can ask your dog to sit before meals, before going through doorways, before jumping in and out of the car and before getting the lead on.  In fact, you can use it for everything the dog enjoys.  Doing this ensures that your dog or puppy are under your control when the most exciting things are happening rather than jumping up and down like a lunatic!

To train your dog to sit hold a treat at the dog’s nose.  It’s okay if he nibbles it, just don’t let him get the whole treat.  Take the treat over the dog’s head and towards his back.  He should follow the treat with his nose and as he does his head will go up and his bottom will go down.  As soon as his bottom hits the ground, praise him and give the treat.

Troubleshooting:

If your dog just goes backwards as you lift the treat over his head, try doing the exercise in a corner.

If your dog jumps up to get the treat hold the treat closer to the dog’s nose and don’t have your hand too high when you are bringing the treat over his head.

If your dog is not interested in the food try experimenting with different types of food (e.g. a small piece of cheese or fritz) rather than their usual dog food.  Food is a primary motivator (the dog needs it to survive) so dogs that are truly not motivated by food are rare (and it may be an indication that he is not well).