References
Abstract
The dog's auditory system is designed in such a way that it will be aware of sounds that are sudden or presented in an unusual manner, and it is reasonable to suggest that sound sensitivity is adaptive in dogs. Studies of sound sensitivity in dogs have mainly focused on intense but occasional sounds, such as fireworks, thunder and gunshots; these studies suggest that almost half of the domestic canine population suffer a depletion in emotional welfare when exposed to such sounds. A dog's early learning period is largely intended to ensure that it learns to ignore stimuli that are inconsequential to its safety. However, both the environment within and outside human homes can be intensely noisy and unpredictable, regularly exposing many dogs to inescapable sounds that they did not meet during their early developmental period, which can initiate emotional responses of anxiety, fear and frustration and a motivation for avoiding sound-producing stimuli. This article discusses the issue of sound sensitivity in dogs, and considers the extent to which sensitivity to everyday soundscapes will become an increasing emotional health problem in the domestic canine population.
An awareness of, and readiness to respond to, novel or sudden sounds is a basic survival strategy for any animal that possesses an auditory system. As a consequence, sensitivity to sound deployed in such circumstances should be considered a natural state. However, for many companion animals sensitivity to sound extends not only to noises that are excessive or unexpected, but also to ‘everyday’ domestic and urban sounds; such clinically recognisable sound sensitivities encompass fear, anxiety and phobia-based responses to a range of sound-related stimuli, such as volume, pitch and suddenness (Sherman, 2008).
As a result of social restrictions put in place during the pandemic, dogs may also respond negatively to sounds that would previously have been ignored as part of the daily ‘soundscape’ within the animal's environment. These situations can create specific sensitivities that result in a reluctance to enter, or inability to relax in, specific environments where such sounds have previously been encountered. As this response will be associated with emotions of anxiety and fear, affected animals experience stress and engage behaviours intended to limit their exposure to potential threat. In addition, the concurrent unconscious non-associative and conditioning will have long-term effects on the animal, creating a need to avoid situations previously associated with, or predicting exposure to sound events. Following this, the result of future exposure to such sensitised sound events, or their predictive social or environmental clues, can become an emotional welfare problem, as when natural coping mechanisms (such as escape and avoidance) are frustrated, the result of the dog's attempts to avoid exposure to stimuli may become a potential danger to humans and other animals in their proximity.
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