Some triggers can make sense, like loud noises or the car. Loud noises scared her. It's quite normal for loud noises to startle humans and pets alike. Dr. Dodman shares one final key bit of advice: Don’t wait to get your pup or young dog treated for a noise phobia. Fear of thunder and other loud noises is a very common problem in many dogs. Some dogs are more prone to it than others, leading to something known as noise phobia or dog noise anxiety. No one really knows why some pets become afraid of noises and some just don't. This means the dog will display symptoms of acute anxiety. However, some might not make any sense, like people wearing hats or glasses or inanimate objects like a lamp. There are various behavior changes we can see as our dogs age. Before this he never showed any fearfulness of loud noises, fireworks, thunder, nothing phased him. Most pets aren't interested in getting treats or toys when they are scared." Sounds tricky, but according to Dr. Dodman most of the time it can be done when it comes to loud noises, like a firework. "But, distraction doesn't always work. A fear of fireworks and loud noises in general is common in dogs and other pets, and in many cases is accompanied by other anxieties, such as a fear of thunderstorms or separation anxiety.However, some dogs may experience an excessive fear or phobia to loud noises that can be harmful to their well-being. The most common older dog behavior problems are: Anxiety or fear of noises, children, housemate dogs; Aggression towards other dogs, children, being petted; House soiling and accidents Those who own dogs suffering from noise phobias know for a fact how miserable life can be for their dogs when they are exposed to the noises they fear. However, dogs are also often afraid of things that are in no way dangerous to them. Noise sensitivity affects a large percentage of dogs; it’s estimated that between 40 and 50 percent of dog owners have a dog who is ‘‘scared… Dog guardians’ own understandably frustrated reaction to their dogs’ behavior can also aggravate the problem-especially punishment is used. Noise fears are often closely associated with another type of fear. Left untreated these fear of loud noises can easily turn into a terrible and harder to treat phobia (an excessive, persistent and irrational fear response to stimuli). In fact, some of the most common dog fears include noise, loud people, other dogs and changes in weather such as a thunderstorm, says Dr. Denise Petryk, the director of veterinary services at Trupanion, a pet insurance firm. Helping children overcome their fear of loud noises 1) Start by trying to get to the bottom of it. They may show some specific signs of trying to run away from the noise, digging behavior or pacing up and down the home. Older dogs can suffer from fears and phobias of noise and thunderstorms and, less commonly, of going outdoors, entering certain rooms or walking on certain types of surfaces. We have had her 4 years almost and she is doing great now. Last year I noticed he'd get a little anxious during thunderstorms, but nothing too bad. Families can desensitize dogs to fireworks by adding loud noises to daily life. For example, the noise of a vacuum cleaner may terrify a small child because they imagine being sucked up by its vortex. So have a talk to find out precisely what scares them. Noise sensitivity affects a large percentage of dogs; it’s estimated that b etween 40 and 50 percent of dog owners have a dog who is ‘‘scared’’ of some sort of noise (1,2). My 14 year old border collie mix has become afraid of loud noises in the past year or so. Dogs commonly develop phobias to loud noises like thunderstorms or fireworks, and even loud machines like vacuums or hair dryers. 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