Sarah's Dog Log: Noise Sensitivity (Mild to Moderate Anxiety)

Stressed Summer. Laying flat, body tense/quaking. Head lowered more than usual. Quick pant with slightly pulled lips. Base of tail clamped down. Hyper alert with tendency to avoid gaze. Movements quick.

For the new folk: before I got sick I was a dog trainer and, most importantly here, a freelance canine behaviorist (B.S. in psychology, graduate studies in both behavior and cognition) for about 14 years. This means that when people were faced with a behavioral issue in their dog - a fear, a bite, a bark - I'd go into their home, assess the situation, help them understand what was going on, and teach them how to fix the problem. I loved it. The best part was knowing that you'd walk in and most likely be putting a family back together. It's a powerful experience.

It has been suggested to me that I start writing some of my dog tips out. This is my first attempt in many years. Today is the Fourth of July, so this first post is some quick and dirty information about helping your noise-sensitive dog cope. All dogs are different, of course, but what I've written below should be a good place to start.

~*~

This is Summer. Summer is a recent rehome and has a known issue with noise sensitivity. She does not like thunder and shows occasional predictive response to heavy rain. Summer's safe place is in the bathroom or the hallway between the fans.

Sarah knows that fearful dogs can find lots of creative ways to hide. Sarah also believes that a person should not let their dog go where they cannot follow. Finally, Sarah knows that scared, trapped/hiding dogs can bite if pushed enough regardless of prior bite history. Sarah looks around her home to find places that Summer could hide where she could not be safely retrieved from.

Sarah blockades the space underneath her tall bed and between her bed and a shelving unit with bins she already uses for storage and her laundry hamper. She makes sure any gaps are far too small for Summer to squeeze in between and become inaccessible to her. An inaccessible dog not only stays stressed for a longer period of time but also cannot be reached in an emergency (say, a tornado warning or other evacuative order).

Sarah also makes sure to practice small commands (simple recall is fantastic) once in a while so that Summer understands that a) Sarah is calm, still in charge, and has everything under control, b) home rules apply regardless of anxiety, and c) she can still do things that make Sarah happy. Sarah makes sure to mirror her daily training activities as closely as possible; changing too much could actually hurt the situation.

...so be like Sarah. DO:

* go through your home and block off areas or rooms that may offer unsafe or inaccessible hiding places
* try to keep your home running as it usually does - stability is key
* practice simple training to keep communication open with your dog
* have both well-lit and dimmer areas available for your dog to hunker down in

DO NOT:

* allow your dog to go anywhere you cannot follow him. An inaccessible, terrified dog is an unsafe situation; if the dog is injured, gets stuck, or needs to be moved in an emergency the person attempting retrieval may get bitten. Instead, offer appropriate areas where you can reach him if need be.
* move furniture the dog is hiding behind or beneath. Want to make your dog's responses twice as bad? Try noisily lifting his refuge off of him while the scary noises are happening. Instead, just leave your dog be for this thunderstorm. He outsmarted you this time, and that's ok. After he comes out on his own figure out how to block off the new hiding area for the next time he's anxious.
* coddle or "comfort" your dog. Consoling them just tells them that they're right - there IS something terrible happening. Instead, go about your day as normally as possible. Say, "Hi!" instead of "Poor Baby!" if/when they seek attention. Doing so instantly changes your stature and tone from one of pity to one of normalcy.
* physically restrain a dog. Standard leashes are ok, but a squirming, panicked dog being held against his will can bite regardless of past bite history. Instead, let your anxious dog find a safe place in the home you've prepared for him.

Again, these are just some quick guidelines - but they can give you a good start on keeping your anxious dog safe while not contributing to the problem.