How Do I Calm My Dog Down After A Smoke Detector Beep?
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What should you do if your dog panics when a smoke detector beeps?
While there is no specific medication that can be given to a dog with noise phobia to stop it from being fearful of smoke detector beeps, there are a few effective things that you can do to help calm him down.
These include:
If a smoke detector goes off when the dog is around you, the best thing that you can do is to stay calm!
Dogs are extremely adept at reading our emotions and body language, and can easily detect when we become startled or scared. As pack animals, they also have a tendency to follow our lead- and as a result become frightened themselves!
Therefore, professional dog behaviorists recommend that an owner should stay as calm as possible in the event where a smoke detector alarm does suddenly go off.
If you are able to stay calm, your dog will also not take the noise as seriously as it potentially would if you instead showed obvious tenseness and discomfort. This will help to ensure that your pup is not needlessly agitated.
From a more practical perspective, it is more difficult to calm your dog and reassure it if you yourself are not coolheaded! So, in the best interests of yourself and your pooch: Keep calm and carry on!
How Do I Train (Counter Condition / Desensitize) My Dog To Not Be Afraid Of Fire Alarms?
To counter condition your dog to the sound of fire alarms, follow these steps:
The key is to get your dog to a place where the fire alarm sound is associated with a positive experience.
Once your dog has learned this, it will be easy to calm him when the real thing comes along.
Why Does A Smoke Detector Beep Scare Dogs?
Smoke detectors make high-pitched sounds that many dogs find terrifying. Some (like my Max) even hide under the bed or table after just one tone, thinking the world is about to end.
Unlike humans who can put their hands on their ears to block out the noise, dogs have no choice but to endure the loud and obtrusive chirp.
Every dog will react differently to smoke alarm beeps. Some pant profusely, others bark endlessly, while the rest will usually run for the hills.
So the big question is: Why does a smoke detector deep scare dogs?
According to experts on canine behavior, most dogs that are terrified by smoke detector sound suffer from a little something called noise phobia.
Noise phobia refers to an intense and irrational fear displayed by dogs to certain sounds.
At this point, it’s important to note that there is a difference between fear and phobia. Fear is a natural response to a perceived or real threat- such as being in fear from the anticipation of pain of a vaccination, as an example.
On the other hand, phobia is an irrational and exaggerated response to certain situations that can completely cripple a dog emotionally. Sometimes, fear can escalate to phobia. Dogs of all ages can develop noise phobia, but it is more prevalent in dogs above one year of age.
Veterinary behaviorists assert that the loud noises that smoke detectors make are frightening to a large percentage of dogs, and can as a result trigger phobia.
Most dogs associate the sound with danger. A lack of socialization is thought to be one of the main causes of noise phobia among dogs.
Dogs that have insufficient exposure to a variety of sounds, especially when they are still young, are more likely to be terrified of a smoke detector beep.
Additionally, dogs that have been through extremely frightening situations- like being neglected or abused- are also more likely to become frightened of sudden harsh noises and sounds.
Dog is scared of smoke detector
When you get ready for vacation, you may shop for new clothes, stop the mail and paper, check and double check your tickets and if you have pets you are leaving at home, you make sure you have plenty of food and instructions for your pet sitter. What are you forgetting, you wonder? Have you checked the batteries in your smoke alarms? A low battery can cause a smoke alarm or carbon monoxide detector to chirp and while it is annoying to humans, the noise can be downright terrifying to pets. On more than one occasion I have entered a house and found a well-trained dog had soiled the floors in multiple places, scratched or chewed furniture and literally tried to dig its way out of the house. The cause was chirping alarms. As many as 20 percent of dogs suffer from noise phobias so severe that their people seek professional help for them, according to veterinary behaviorist Bonnie Beaver in her book Canine Behavior: A Guide for Veterinarians. One friend experienced this situation last summer. She heard the chirping but hadn’t yet changed the batteries in her smoke alarm. Suddenly her dog Ellie started trembling and drooling. She was ready to call the emergency vet before discovering the source of the problem. “Ellie lost it!” she explained. “She was shaking so hard that I thought she was having a seizure. I held her 10 minutes before she finally calmed down.” The situation is worse for Mike Short’s dog. “Actually my neighbors smoke alarm is the cause of my dogs distress. I have spoken with him several times to keep his batteries from running out, but invariably it keeps happening again and again and my dog suffers and has now stopped going out into our backyard.” There are a lot of ways to treat noise phobia and desensitize dogs to noises. In this case, the best remedy is to avoid the noise by regularly changing the batteries in your alarms. The National Association of State Fire Marshals recommends changing smoke alarm batteries once a year. If you aren’t sure how much life your batteries have, changing them before vacation can save your pets a lot of stress and save some wear on your carpets.