If your dog is afraid of loud noises, you can help him overcome the fear with a little patience and calm behavior modification techniques.
Sherry Woodard, a dog trainer and consultant for Best Friends Animal Sanctuary, says the following technique is especially helpful.
o She suggests getting an audio of the loud noises your dog is most afraid of. Play the audio at a low volume so that your dog hears the sounds but is not startled by the volume that normally accompanies it.
Do things to divert their attention while the audio is playing. You can play with it, pet or brush your dog while the audio is playing.
Once your dog gets used to the sound or noise that previously invoked the fear, you can adjust the sound level a bit so that you gradually hear it at higher levels.
By doing this over a period of several days, your dog will be able to overcome his fear of loud noises.
o Calm your dog by talking to him. If your dog is afraid of loud noises made by the sound of trash cans, for example, stay with him when the trick comes and talk to him calmly. Just don’t make too much noise or it will associate your attention with noise and reinforce the fear of loud noises.
o The cave is really a box. We adopted a dog that had been abused and would be frightened by any noise beyond a whisper. Shaking and shuddering, this little Chihuahua mix would run and hide when the doorbell rang. To get over her fear of loud noises, we left a box in the living room. When a loud noise produced fear, the puppy would run to the cage and calm down. Many dogs have a cave like instinct for safe haven, dating back to the days in the wild 10,000 years ago.
Once the dog had calmed down, we would sit by the cage and let her feel our presence. No calls, no fanfare. She would soon leave herself, reassured by our presence. After a few weeks, she started running towards us instead of the box. She was no longer afraid of loud noises.
o Cool as a Cucumber – Make sure you never show emotion or anger when your dog shows fear of loud noises. The fear will only get more intense. Stay cool and calm. Your dog will react the same way.
o Nature’s help is fine too – if all else fails, you may want to consult with a holistic vet to determine if there is a natural supplement available, appropriate for your dog, that will help calm your dog and ease your fear to loud noises.
Once you determine which approach works best for your dog, he will continue to progress and end his fear of loud noises as long as you continue to work with him in a calm and consistent manner.