Why Do Dogs Have Such Great Hearing?
Now that you know that your dog can pick up frequencies outside the range of human perception, you’re probably wondering why they’re blessed with such sensitive hearing. The reason is not far-fetched… Dogs can hear these sounds because of the way they evolved.
Thousands of years ago, wild dogs hunted for a living and their excellent hearing made it possible for them to detect high-pitched sounds, allowing them to prey on small rodents such as mice. Additionally, their keen sense of hearing historically helped them to sense distant danger and avoid potential predators.
This explains why dogs can pick up lower range sounds while also having the ability to pin-point the exact location of the sound. It is also the reason why your pooch can cup their ears to move sound in and move it around to hone in on sounds from different locations.
What do dogs hear when we talk?
Dogs hear nearly twice as many frequencies as humans. … Your dog might not understand everything you say, but he listens and pays attention similar to the way humans do. The researchers discovered that dogs — like humans — respond not only to the words we say to them, but also to the emotional tone of our voices.
What you should know about dog hearing
Theres a good reason why dogs have such acute hearing. While human ears evolved to be able to hear sounds between 64 and 23,000 Hertz (Hz) optimally, a dog can listen to between 67 and 45,000 Hz, according to Louisiana State University. That puts much of their hearing at high frequencies outside the range of human perception.
Hertz is how a sounds frequency is measured. The higher the Hz, the higher the frequency. A dogs ears evolved to tune in to high-pitched sounds of their prey, according to the AKC. Their ears can detect the high-pitched squeak of a mouse venturing out of its den, for example.
They can also hear much softer sounds than humans can. While a young human can listen to sounds at 0 decibels (dB) â the measure of intensity or loudness of a sound â dogs can hear low sounds at -5 to 15 dB per the AKC.
It might seem that your dog is psychic and knows when your spouse is returning home from work minutes before they pull into the driveway. However, theyre probably hearing a high-pitched engine sound from a few blocks away or the low hum of the engine long before it enters your range of hearing.
Does your dog scurry off into the backroom whenever you rev up the vacuum cleaner? High-pitched noises from the motor that humans cant perceive is probably the issue. This makes it pointless to force your dog to be in the room, hoping hell get used to it.
Audio frequencies that hurt a dogs ears can be damaging as well as uncomfortable, according to Psychology Today. Hearing loss in hunting dogs from being close to the sound of gunfire without ear protection has been well-documented since a 2002 study by the University of Mississippi.
Other sounds that can be uncomfortable for dogs acute hearing includes
Your dog will display symptoms that an audio frequency is hurtful to his ears. Pinning the ears close to the head to shut out the sound or attempting to leave the sound-stressful environment are some of the most basic signs that your dogs not comfortable.
Other tell-tale signs cited by the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign College of Veterinary Medicine include
Dont punish your dog or yell at him if he reacts to a loud sound. This will only reinforce his anxiety and may escalate his response to aggression. Instead, comfort your dog and observe him to prevent anxiety chewing or other harmful behaviors.
Create a haven, such as putting them in an interior room with their favorite cushions, toys, and blankets. A den-like space such as a crate or under a table or bed is preferable. For extreme anxiety, consult your veterinarian to see if a medication can be helpful for your pet, advises the University of Illinois.
Ultrasonic training products use high-pitched sounds above the range of human hearing to deter unwanted behavior in dogs, such as barking or staying in the yard. The devices use an anti-dog sound frequency to works in a variety of ways according to Karma Pets.
Some products involve a dog wearing a collar that interacts with barrier systems that emit a high-pitched sound when a dog comes within a specific range. This can be useful for helping your dog to stay in the yard, out of the vegetable garden, or off the couch.
Other ultrasonic training devices detect a dogs bark and feed back an unpleasant high-pitched sound that interrupts his barking. Free-standing units allow a dog to leave a specific area to escape the noise, while units installed on a collar follow the dog wherever he goes.
Although humans cant hear the sound, the deterrent training devices use frequencies aversive to dogs. The anti-barking tools dont discriminate between appropriate barking, such as when an intruder is trying to break in the window, or nuisance barking at the front door after you leave.
This could encourage your dog to become either helpless or aggressive, according to Psychology Today. Eventually, the dog can become used to the noise and continue the unwanted behavior anyway, enduring unnecessary stress and anxiety in the meantime.
Consider the effect on your dog of using ultrasonic devices around your home, including things like electronic rodent repellents, advises Pest Control FAQ. A 1995 study on rodent repellent devices by the University of Nebraska shows that reactions shown by mice to ultrasonic stimuli can include an initial startle, followed by aimless running and sometimes convulsions or death. The study notes that the same response occurs in dogs as well as rabbits, chickens, and goats.
Healing Music for Dogs and Humans [528 Hz Frequency]
Although its common knowledge that dogs noses are super-sniffers used for detecting drugs, medical conditions, and explosives, its easy to overlook their other sensitive senses. A dogs hearing range is hundreds of times better than a humans, according to the American Kennel Club (AKC), and some sounds can hurt their ears.