Silencing Fear for a Peaceful Pet

Have you ever been frightened by a loud noise? Imagine the potential effects loud noises might have on an animal whose hearing is much more sensitive than ours, and who lacks the ability to understand what caused the noise and thereby overcome fear of it.

Noise phobias have both a genetic and a learned component, and represented an all too common behavioral problem in pets. While they can often be prevented, they are unfortunately difficult to cure once they have developed.

Fear is a natural response when an animal perceives or experiences pain or danger. A phobia is defined as an irrational fear of a specific item or phenomena. There are many different noises that can evoke irrational fear and generally the louder the noise, the more frightening it is. The two most common noises that instill fear in animals are thunderstorms, which may be enhanced by the change in the pressure and electricity in the air, and fireworks. Many other common noises can frighten animals, such as vehicles, horns, door chimes, gun shots, vacuum cleaners, children screaming and even the telephone ringing!

As with many other behavioral problems, prevention is the key. Early conditioning to noises can help most animals overcome their fears - it's best to condition your pet between eight and 20 weeks of age. After that, you will have to spend more time on the problems while expecting small gains in return.

How do you condition your pet to loud sounds? First and foremost you want them to perceive the noise in a positive manner. You may wish to engage you pet in play, give them verbal praise, or give them a food reward while the noise is occurring. Also it is best if the noise is experienced at a low volume - a thunderstorm in the distance, the vacuum is running in the next room, or walking by the local playground at a distance of 100 metres. Training can be done within the confines of your home (especially if it's winter) by playing a sound effects CD at a low volume while you engage your puppy or kitten. In subsequent sessions gradually increase the volume while continuing to reward your pet, and the eventually will be conditioned to the various noises.

Dieter Kohlmaier DVM