This needs at least 12 weeks before a seasonal event to implement. The aim is to desensitise the affected dog and to counter condition. In other words stop the animal being scared of the noise and introducing a pleasant experience in relation to the noise so that the phobia is less likely to recur. A ‘sounds scary’ tool is available free from Dogs Trust Welfare website at www.dogstrust.org.uk, which comes with instructions of how to use it. Implementing behavioural therapy is critical in helping treat/manage dogs with noise phobias long term.

These are recommended for dogs with anxiety due to noises that are unpredictable or frequent e.g traffic, where dogs have a physical response to their fear (toileting urine or faeces, or vomiting), or where the noise fear is affecting the dogs daily quality of life e.g dog refuses to go out at night. These drugs take 6-8 weeks to have their full effect and can cause increased anxiety during the first 7-10 days of treatment. Different drugs will be prescribed based on the type of anxiety behaviour the individual dog demonstrates and choice may be influence by any pre-existing conditions the dog may have. Some of these drugs are not licensed, but used in accordance with the medicine cascade (please ask your vet for further details).

It is important that a dog fearful of noise has coping mechanisms to deal with their anxiety and in mild cases environmental management may be all that is required to help the dog. A den should be tailored to suit the individual’s needs, and it is imperative that this 'safe place' is accessible for your pet 24/7. As an owner you should be able to recognise what your dog tries to do to avoid the stress from the noise. The dog may seek a darker place, a lighter place, try to be nearer you or seek solitude. The den should be placed where the dog naturally feels most calm, although should ideally be in an area as far from the source of the noise as possible, curtains should be drawn. Having music or the TV on may in some cases help reduce the impact of the noise which induces the fear. It is important NOT to chastise OR try and over reassure a dog whist it is anxious due to noise related anxiety. Instead you should acknowledge the dog as normal, ignoring an anxious dog may lead him/her to feel more anxious. Environmental management should be used as a component in most cases of nose related phobia. A den should be put up at least 2 weeks before an anticipated stressful event so there is time for the dog to become accustomed to it, if necessary habituated to it (instructed to go to the area and rewarded as a matter of routine before the stressful event so that it becomes a normal response/instruction the dog can follow when the event finally occurs). Use of pheromones to help soothe the dog can help with this management strategy (ask your vet about pheromone products such as Adaptil). Some anecdotal evidence exists for the use of ‘thunder jackets’ and certain nutritional supplements/complementary therapies for milder cases.

This can be used to treat dogs fearful of predictable infrequent noises including fireworks, when there is insufficient time to implement other strategies, to manage extreme events. Anti anxiety medicine should be used when dogs have a moderate to severe response to the noise including showing physical signs of stress (urinating, defecating, vomiting), or where he/she is slow to recover after an event. Some of these drugs can cause sedation, agitation and disinhibition. To use some of these drugs most effectively trial treatments should be used in advance of the stressful event to determine the ideal dose for the individual dog. Some of the drugs used are used off license.