The Secret To Teaching Your Dog Not To Be Afraid Of Loud Noises

Dogs are well known to have a problem with loud noises. Everyone's heard the stories of dogs hiding under beds during a thunderstorm or becoming terrified when fireworks are being shot off. Dogs don't have any way to know that such noises are harmless. In their world, a loud noise spells danger - immediate and deadly. Some dogs simply react with irritation and annoyance, barking and carrying on, but other dogs have be sent shivering to the vet or succumbed to heart attacks.

If your dog is one that suffers from such an intense fear of noises, you know first hand just how devastating it can be - both for you and for your pet. Terrified dogs, just like frightened humans, may give in to destructive behavior such as peeing on the carpet, chewing on things, barking franticly, or even attacking anything that moves. And such behavior is even worse if their owner isn't home when they become frightened.

People who don't truly understand the way a dog's mind works tend to try and comfort it the same way they would a human child - holding it, petting it and talking to it. For a child, such things are comforting but for a dog, those actions are a reward. Those are the exact same things the owner would do if the dog did something good, after all. So the message that is sent to the dog is "Good boy (or girl) for acting afraid. Good dog. Peeing on the carpet is good." Which is exactly the wrong message to send. This teaches the dog to repeat whatever it was he did while genuinely frightened - except that now he'll be peeing, chewing or barking in order to get rewarded again.

The hardest thing to do, but the absolutely BEST thing to do, for dogs that don't like loud noises but that aren't terrified of them is to totally ignore the dog when he s frightened. Keep an eye on your pet and make sure that he doesn't get hurt but that's all. Leave him alone and let him deal with the situation. And make sure that you don't leave your dog in an area with items he can get stuck under when you leave. You never know when loud noises are going to happen.

If your dog is terrified of loud noises however, then get used to confining him to a small room or a crate. Humans tend to think of crates and small confinement areas as punishments but dogs aren't humans. They think of such things as warm, cozy dens. Being in a nice, cozy den while the loud noises are going on will bring the dog comfort and a feeling of safety.

You will also want to try to desensitize the dog - which is a fancy way of saying get him used to noises in small doses. For example, you might record thunder or buy a tape of a thunderstorm. Then when the dog is relaxed, play the tape back on low volume. Let him get curious. Increase the volume slightly and let him get used to that before increasing it again. Over time he'll get used to the idea that it's nothing bad and begin to ignore it. Keep working with this until you can plan the tape at full volume without the dog reacting.

A well-trained dog is a joy to his owners, his neighbors and himself. Don't let your dog run wild, take control. Learn the secrets of dog obedience training at http://www.secretsofdogobedience.com/. Your dog will thank you.