Is Loud Music OK for Dogs?
It’s no secret that our four-legged friends usually have pretty exceptional hearing abilities. If they can detect sounds so quiet that we can’t even hear them, then how does loud music affect them? As a loving pet parent, it’s essential to know the harmful effects loud music can have on your pooch, next time you’re reaching to turn up the stereo.
Signs Your Dog is Being Bothered by Loud Music
The world around us can be a noisy place, and even though it might be natural and sometimes may be easy at times to block out most of the noises we hear every day – it’s hard to say the same about Fido. Even though different types of music can be considered as mood enhancers, it’s important to keep in mind how vital sound is for canine communication. Your pup uses sound to communicate with other dogs and animals around them, so different loud noises may upset or confuse Fido – primarily if they’re disrupting this ability. If you notice your furry friend cowering, howling, or consistently leaving the room whenever you have loud music or a movie on that’s probably a sign that you need to turn it down.
Research on the Impacts of Loud Music
Surprisingly enough, there isn’t a lot of research that’s been done to inform us of the long and short-term effects loud music can have on our canines. You’ll find countless articles on how amazing your dog’s hearing is and how it’s been key in their continued survival – but information on how loud noises affect that hearing, not so much. But if you think about how prolonged exposure to loud noise can detrimentally affect our hearing, imagine the damage it can do to Fido’s.
Taking into account that a dog’s hearing is one of their most important senses as well as one of their most sensitive – it should be evident that it’s something we should actively try to protect. Since your pup’s hearing will only get more sensitive with age, this is especially important to keep in mind if you have a senior dog.
Should You Train Fido to Handle Loud Music?
You definitely should never try to “train” your dog to endure loud music that is potentially damaging and hurtful to their ears. There are a few tricks you can use, though, to help your pooch acclimate to new sounds. Try not to expose your dog to too many sounds at once, such as playing the radio and tv at the same time; otherwise, you could cause them severe and anxiety and confusion at the overwhelming amount of sounds.
Your pooch may not always know where sounds are coming from, which is also very important to keep in mind. If you’re ever watching tv sports and yelling at the screen, know your pup is probably confused by your behavior, and that’s OK.
The overarching theme here is you need to be considerate of your furry friend’s ears. It’s important to expose them to new and different sounds, but not if it comes with negative consequences.